Wellington 25th. November 1869. My dear Mr. McLean, There is nothing much to inform you of. I suppose Ministers have placed you in possession of the result of the Meeting at Ohinemutu; but lest they have not done so, I enclose, from last night's post, a synopsis of the telegrams. Mr. Fox leaves Wellington to-night, to go up the river (Wanganui), deeming it important enough for a Minister to be present. Mr. Frazer arrived by the ''Sturt'', and duly reported himself. I was very candid with him, and told him that before I could nominate him to this charge of so important a distriot as Tauranga, he must get himself right with the Treasury. This he very readily promised to do, and I am suro you will be astonished to hear that notwithstanding th way in which they have persistently represented him as a defaulter to a large amount, i.e. £835, they found when he was here, ready to meet any charge of the post they had against him - it at last turned out that they were all the while debiting Frazer, with monies unaccounted for by Frazer, the newly-appointed Warden; and that the most they could debit the former with (according to Gavin's account) was £7!! I declare that the whole business is most cruel, because Frazer is admitted to be one of the most distinguished Officers in our Service, and yet he has been for years, under ban, as a defaulter. I myself always believed it, and I know that you were under the impression that his accounts were all wrong. I hope to send him away to Tauranga with a good clerk, by the ''Sturt'', now busily engaged taking up Block houses for erection between Patea and Waihi. I waited to hear from Mr. Gisborne, what your determination would be about this Nelson clash. But it appears that he has either forgotten to speak to you about it, or he could give me no satisfactory information on the subject. Perhaps you will therefore give me instructions, and I will carry them out without delay. I am going to Napier early next week; and after visiting the various posts, will try and get on to Tauranganui, and back here again; as I find I cannot remain long away from Head Quarters. I will then go on to Tauranga, via Auckland; and I hope to have all things in satisfactory working order for the Now Year. I am dear Mr. McLean, Yours most obediently (Signed) St. John Branigan.