N. P. 13 Feb. /74. My dear McLean, I duly received your letter of 31 January referring to Mr. McIntyre. I had heard of the claimed relationship to you but when I gave circulation to your letter which I did most effectually I found that belief in Mr. McIntyre's statements are general. I only know him by sight but hear that he is inefficient and unsteady and that fear of giving offence to his "distinguished relative" had stood his friend with his employers. How singular and yet how common that folks will ape to be what they are not. For several posts I have been intending to write you for your own ear a few words of the Whitcombe libel case in so far as Mr. Kenny R.M. is concerned. Whitcombe was in the Military settlers and is an able young man but unscrupulous and unreliable. As Prov. Secretary Carrington is much indebted to him and in this way the libel was a political affair. In the examination in the R.M. Court Whitcombe thought fit to conduct his own case and as a matter of course was very frequently called to order for irregularity. I was acting for H.A. Atkinson and the Bayly's against him and proving the case by the evidence of hostile or at least reluctant witnesses from the Carrington side. This led to W. objecting to some of my questions in which Kenny supported me as I knew he must. W. then asked if Kenny's opinion was shared in by his brother Magistrate (Crompton). One can hardly imagine a chief or stipendiary magistrate acting on such an impertinence as asked or doing otherwise than adhering to his first ruling. The report out of Court was that Kenny's efforts to keep Whitcombe in order were received as so many acts of partiality towards the prosecution. And this would gain credit at a distance by C. Brown's resignation of his J.P. - a very mean act which Brown in his better senses could not be guilty of. Considering that Brown only escaped a prosecution by the good feeling of the parties assailed he should be the last man to throw a herring across the path. There is a rumour that Carrington has been asked to obtain Kenny's removal. There might be no truth whatever in this, if Cutfield had not stated that Standish is an aspirant, if not to a certain extent promised the appointment of Judge in so far as C.'s recommendation would serve. It is too preposterous to be credited, and yet if grounded I hope we here shall be referred to in time to avert so injurious a step. Kenny with all his faults makes an excellent R.M. and Judge. Personally he might not object to be removed - my objection is to the loss to Taranaki such a change would inflict. I am getting dreadfully obscure and hurried in my sentences as the post nears. Yours very truly, W. Halse.