Turanga Sept. 24, 1855 My dear Sir, I have just received your letter of June 21st and am much obliged for the interest you continue to take in the welfare of this place. I quite agree with you that we shall be better without a magistrate unless he be a right sort of person. Periodical visits made by a Revenue Cutter having a magistrate on board would no doubt be very beneficial, but a good resident magistrate would be better. One evil of a Revenue Cutter would be, that certain characters whom it would be desirable to catch would take the alarm directly the vessel was reported, and would quietly keep out of the way until they saw her off. I remember many years ago a carpenter we had at work at Paihia, who always fell sick when a Man of War was in the Bay, and consequently was not to be found at his work. It came out in the course of time that he was a runaway convict from New South Wales. I fear that our offenders whether grog sellers or other would adopt the same course. I have just been writing to the Colonial Secretary an account of a murder which lately occurred here it was committed by a woman upon the person of another woman. The natives wrote to me (it occurred at Paikawakawa) but I told them that I was not a judge in these matters, and recommended them to act with great caution. The result was that after an examination which clearly established the fact, indeed the woman freely confessed, they hung her at the spot where the deed was perpetrated. Whenever measures can be carried out to give the natives government titles to their land, it will be a great advantage to them. I have this very day been to a native committee on this subject. There were six ploughs at work belonging to different parties, all wishing to confirm their own claim by breaking up the ground themselves. Should you be able to pay us a visit this summer it will give us very much pleasure to receive you. Believe me to remain, My dear Sir, most sincerely yours, William Williams.