Office New Plymouth 13th. March 1857. My dear Sir, A long while has elapsed since you favoured me with a letter, and I did not know how little leisure time you have I should be tempted to take such silence as a rebuke for my various unanswered inflictions, but I will not think so until you tell me so. Our friend Turton has been sadly persecuted by Ironside and his Clique, and would I feel assured from the tenor of his letters very gladly quit the connection which now has, and apparently can have no beneficial result either for himself or for the Natives. I wish it were possible to attach him to the Government as an officer connected with the Native Department. He would be invaluable, and were he now placed here could in unison with Mr. H. Halse do incalculable service. In Mr. Turton's last letter to me he asked my advice as to starting in business at New Plymouth as a Land and Commission Agent. He writes expressing himself as having a very strong feeling of preference for this place, and no wonder, as having many friends here he would like to put down and completely destroy the sad results arising from the calumnys so basely circulated about him. Many of those who attend to Mr. Ironside's Ministry have now (for a while at least) withdrawn from the Wesleyan Chapel: the Finlays, Wilsons, Ritchies, both Halses, ourselves and I believe the Humphries are amongst that number. Yesterday afternoon we met a party of the Maories at the Kauwau Pah in E'Waka's house, convened by Mr. Whitely for the purpose of endeavouring to raise in their minds some feeling of regard for the value of instruction and more especially as a means of acquiring knowledge the benefit they would derive in acquiring a knowledge of the English language inasmuch as very few books, comparatively, are published in Maori, whilst an inexhaustable supply may always be found in English. I hope the meeting will be useful. There were about one hundred present, besides a few Europeans, viz. Messrs. Whiteley and family, Mr. Ironside, Long, Parris, H. Halse, myself and family and three or four assistants, who came by special invitation, and therefore are not to be considered as at all marking the relative feeling of the two races. I hope good will arise out of this meeting. Mr. Whiteley has reopened the Grey Institution and has I believe night pupils to begin with. I may here give you an account of a little incident which happened at the tea-table which displays the indiscreet intermeddling character of Mr. Ironside. E'Waka of the Kauwau made rather a long and somewhat violent speech on the subject of Ihaia's and Nicorema's offer to sell the land at Tuikamoana; in which he fixed his eyes on Mr. Ironside and addressed him as having called forth his remarks from some questions and observations Mr. Ironside had made to him. Another native was about to follow him on the same subject when Mr. Whiteley judiciously put a stop to it by reminding them of the true object of the meeting. Mr. Ironside almost immediately afterwards left, not staying to assist in furthering the end for which the Natives had been convened. I never felt more surprised and disgusted at anything than I did when informed of this attempt to lug in the subject of land selling at a meeting of the Maoris called together for so totally a different subject. And yet this is the man whom rumour says is trying to get Mr. Whiteley removed from this important district and himself appointed in his stead: the mere supposition is enough to place all well wishers to the Natives on their guard so that should any attempt be made, prompt measures may be taken to prevent so great an evil You of course have been informed of the offer made by Ihaia, Nicorema and their party to sell to the Europeans the land they had given them by the Nimia Natives when they came to assist in opposition to Katatori and the Ngatiruanuis. Mr. Whiteley tells me that according to Native usuages the party now offering the land for sale are the rightful owners. Mr. Parris expressed himself as of a directly contrary opinion, but then Mr. Parris is a trader; the natives say that he is owed by Katatori's people some five or six hundred pounds, and we can easily suppose how such an interest may bias the judgement of one who otherwise might come to a different conclusion. I cannot for this reason place confidence in the opinions of either that gentleman or of R. Brown or Watt. The extensive transactions of a trading nature between Parris, Brown and the native should make us very cautious in adopting any of their views with regard to any particular body of them, whilst their general views on the connexion between Maori and European are I believe in many points correct. Stockman has in the present negotiations been active on the part of the Natives in bringing their offer to sell the land before the Superintendent and Mr. H. Halse and has I believe exerted himself as one connected by marriage with those natives to induce that portion of them to unite in offering their land to the Europeans. I took on Stockman more in the light of a Maori than a European, and as such to some extent instructed by them to make known their wishes to the Government; at the same time I believe him to be honestly doing all in his power to convince them that it is for the interest of the Maoris to dispose of their land to the Government. Whilst therefore I would not treat him as an agent I consider his representations worthy of all attention and under the advice of such a man as Mr. Whiteley with encouragement. If in this matter the claims of Ihaia and Nicorema be recognised and they are anxious to settle their quarrel by disposing of the land to the Europeans will not Katatori if he object to such sale be rightly pointed out as the man who stands in the way of peace? and is it not likely the tables will be turned upon him by his present adherents who appear to have become thoroughly tired of war? Could you obtain and send us an account of the rise, progress, decline and final breaking up of the anti land sale begun in the North? The particulars would at times prove useful in furnishing in argument when conversing on the subject with the Maoris here. Mrs. Flight and my children desire to be kindly remembered to you. Believe, me, my dear Sir, to be Yours ever faithfully, Josiah Flight. D. Mclean Esq.Auckland