Private. New Plymouth Dec. 12, 1859. My dear Sir I duly received your esteemed favour of the 3rd. instant by the last Mail and was much pleased to hear of your convalescence, which I trust will be followed by a speedy restoration to health for your own sake, and especially for the public weal, which must suffer for the time being. I am sadly disappointed at the uncertainty of your return to this place. There are many questions which I was anxious to see you personally upon, and have kept them in abeyance for your arrival, prefering doing do, to writing reserve at Waiwakaiho, but luckily the Crown Lands Commissioner went to Mimi with me to witness his execution of the Deed and further all the Natives who saw him sign the Deed honorably offered to come forward and prove his signature. There is no doubt but that the man was tampered with by Bishop and I am sorry to say encouraged by a judicial functionary. I report the whole affair officially which perhaps you have seen. By last mail I received a letter from Mr. Smith asking if I would reccommend an article in the Messenger deprecating his conduct but the poor fellow has had a severe attack of illness, which I think has been a sufficient chastisement for him. I considered it my duty to visit him, and found him very penitent. They have stopped his Messenger and also Rapata Ngarongomates for I presume his adherence to Teito. I am sorry they stopped his for he manfully cut down a King's Flag's Staff with the Flag on it about 3 weeks since, which Kingi Parenga of Oakuna allowed two Aikaka fellows from Kawhia to erect on passing that place ontheir way to Ngatiruanui, it was not up long for Bob cut it down before their faces and tore up the Flag. I hope you will excuse this hurriedly written epistle as the Mail soon closes, and I am not willing to loose a mail. With king regards I remain My dear Sir Yours very respectfully Robert Parris. To:-- D. McLean Esquire JP Native Sec to headquarters in your absence. One question was that of some Native reserves in the Waiwakaiho block which from the complicated nature of the arrangement in making those reserves for the Natives, by enlarging them for a nominal payment from the Natives, a doubt has arisen as to the proper way of treating them. There is no definition of what part is reserve or what part has been paid for, but merely the quantities mentioned, and both marked off in one allotment without any distinction, I there-for considered that the best way would be to treat them as reserves, and accordingly got 9 of those allotments conveyed to the Crown, when Wi Tako was here, but have not forwarded them to head quarters to be Gazetted, being desirous of getting your opinion before doing so. Some of the Local authorities want to impose a Tax upon those reserves, and state that it was the intention of the Government, to give the owners Crown Grants, but I doubt Sir if the Government ever expressed its intention in the matter, the arrangement was one of Mr. Coopers which as well as I can remember you were not pleased with at the time, however the Natives can acquire ''Crown Grants'' under the Native Reserves Act as well as though it was free of the Act, for it is provided by the 15 clause that the Commissioners may convey to any aboriginal without valuable consideration. I shall wait for your opinion in this matterm and if you agree-with me I shall them forward them to be Gazetted in order to bring them into profitable occupancy, by leasing them in accordance with the wish of the different owners. Another matter I was anxious to talk with you personally upon is that of the Asst. Nat. Secretaryship and Interpretership to the Court. I have but just been requested by the last Steamer to undertake the duties of Asst. Nat. Sec. but nothing about the Interpreter ship. Halse in a private letter informs me that the Government are prepared to appoint one so soon as applied for. I have given the matter due matter due consideration and have come to the conclusion that any Native case necessarily involves the attendance of the Asst. Nat. Sec. on behalf of the Native, that being the case I have no objection to Interpret if I may do so from the Bench, without being debarred from taking past in the decisions as ''Justice of the Peace'' which privilege the Resident Magistrate refused me, for reasons I cannot understand. With those additional duties I ought to have an increase of salary equal toForage allowance for a horse, which I am obliged to keep. Whatever my Salary may be one hundred pounds has to be deducted for expenses in keeping a horse and liabilities for hospitality to Natives which no one understands so well as yourself. The Waitara question is quiet at present. Wm. King is offended with me, for having paid an instalment being afraid of the consequences. You may now Sir immortalize your name in New Plymouth - come and conclude the purchase of Teira's and I believe the question is then settled - a Native chief living at Anaero called Rakatau who came from the Chatham Islands last year and joined Wm. King in the opposition came to see me this week, with a joint message from himself and the Chief Tamati Ngarewa (Harelip) who is living at Urenui informing me that they were tired of the state of things, and had decided to go in for the sale of the land so soon as Teira's was settled for - who can tellwhat a day may bring forth. I was never more surprized. Rakatau was most violent in the case of Keriopa's offering Waiau, he came up to Town on the occasion with Wm, King and was very wrath withmyself and Halse. He told us we were ordure - in retaliation I told him he was Sugar to sweeten my Flour which he construed into a curse, and was wont to demand payment. I joked him this week, by telling him that now he was really Sugar to sweeten my Flour. Keriopa's question is still on the board, he had a new ally from Motueka, called Matui. A small party of oppositionists have gone in for the King fanaticism, and have sent for some Kings Flags, This fact seems to have aroused the whole district, for I have this week had applications for 4 Queens flags one for the Ninia - one for Mahoetahi - one for Huirangi and one for Turangi. I do most sincerely trust that your health will enable you soon to come, for I verily believe that now is the time for turning the tables - a little show of determinat tion with the present favourable change, will settle the whole question if some liberal provisions of land is made for all. Hemi Cook is over at Nelson. I have had two letters from him stating that he should soon return should you come by way of Nelson try to bring him with you. A vessel arrived from Arapawa Friday last with about 50 Ngatirahiri Natives - the two principal men are Te Aomarama and Mohi. They are all stopping at Moturoa with Poharama for a time. I haia calls them his people and looks upon them as an acquisition to strengthen himself and Teira. The pleasure of the old fellows life seems to be centred in the sale of land. Wm. King's people have been using every stratagem to draw him off from Teira, but he is now just beginning to speak out. He has left the Hospital cured and stops with Teira ma. He has been with me this morning in excellent spirits which I shall endeavour to control for he is liable to allow his temperament sometimes to exceed discretion. I think he is convinced of his folly in listening to Europeans who have been his ruin. The last O. L. Mail from Auckland came the new line via Otawhao and Motukaramu, on arriving at a place called Hangatiki the residence of some King fanaticks, they sent it back to Otawhao. Mr. Morgan immediately dispatched a messenger to Potatau, who on hearing of their conduct was exceedingly angry, and sent instructions that there was to be no interruption of the Mail. As soon as Reihana heard of the stoppage of the Mail he immediately went to Mr. Morgans from Mania and brought the Mail through Hangatiki. It left Mr. Morgans on Wednesday night 10 oclock and arrived here the following Saturday by noon from Auckland to Otawhao it was 48 hours so that the first trip before the line is opened from Motukaramu to Mokau heads has been done in 5 days from Auckland to New Plymouth. Kikaka is very much annoyed at the Mail having been stopped. Some such Pokanoas as this will cause an eruption with the Kingites which will be a death blow for it I expect. We are selling 3 Native reserves on Saturday next by authority from the Governor. Pipiko a small reserve in the Town. 56 acres part of Poharamas reserve at Moturoa inland of the Omata road - and part of Ngarongomate mas reserve back of P. Elliots 50 acres. Wi Te Ahoaha disgraced himself a short time ago in Court by denying his Signature to Deed for the line of road through the