Mount Herbert. 28th. April 1864. My dear Maclean, The Council will soon be sitting, and I trust it is the intention of the Government to bring in some Bill in regard to drainage without some such enactment entitling owners of property from which it is necessary to remove the surplus water quickly to a lower level the improvement of the country will be much obstructed. For instance in draining my large swamp it will be necessary to straighten the run of the discharging creek by cutting thro portions of my neighbours land, as well as my own. I may probably be able to arrange this without the necessity of resorting to the provisions of an act, but in many cases o doubt parties could be opposed to such operations without receiving heavy compensation. Most of the Swamps in New Zealand are undrainable without lowering the levels of the discharge below the outfall. Be so good as turn your immediate attention to this and I trust we shall have a good Bill before the Session ends. You spoke to me about it, but I have really had not time to take up the matter now. Doubtless in the copies of the Acts passed in other Provinces and neighbouring colonies you will find information sufficient to enable you to frame a working Bill. These Acts I presume the Council is supplied with by the different Legislatures on application. Yours in haste, H. R. Russell.