Te Awamutu July 22nd, 1875 My dear Sir Donald Some months since I applied for the appointment of a Mr Gibson of Kihi Kihi as a Justice of the Peace. Not receiving any reply from the Department of Justice I enquired if ''the Appointment would be made'' and was informed that all new applications would be considered when the ''new Commissions of the peace came out''. The Comm is out but Mr Gibson has not been appointed, I have not been enlightened in any way by the Dept. of Justice and I cannot but feel at least surprised, for I gave very good reasons in support of my application, and pointed out Mr Gibson's fitness for the Commission, he is almost an utter stranger to me and had nothing to do with the application further than being asked by me if I might name him, I am informed that Mr Gibson feels hurt that one who was in the Comm of the Peace in India for some five and twenty years and who is a leading man here should have been passed over so lightly, and as it is quite owing to my action in the matter that he has been placed in this position, I should esteem it a great favour if you would cause the matter to be re-considered! Perhaps it is thought that the Roll is too lengthy as it is, but it can be easily reduced for I notice in the last Commission the names of men who have long since left the Colony for good, of others who are not living and of one who is not a J.P. at all! then when it is borne in mind that some of our JPs are illiterate men who have no knowledge whatever of what is required of them, it appears strange that an educated and experienced gentleman should be rejected! I have very little Native news, they are all so absorbed in their planting etc. that they do not appear to have the time - if they have the inclination - to trouble themselves about anything else. Tawhiao was down as far as Kaipiha last week, he came to receive some seed potatoes sent up to him by Bartons people for planting at his new kainga on the Raglan road, his third wife has just presented him with a daughter, all his young children are girls, and Takiru tells me that when this last one appeared its father upon being informed that it was a girl said ''he tohu ano na te rangi marie''! We are very comfortable with Mr Brady I ride to Alexandra two or three times a week, there is one advantage in being here, it is that I am not so accessible to the ''kai pati rohi'' as Waikato and 'Maniapoto each call the other! I have not heard much of Manga lately, he wrote to me from Tokanui (across the Punui) not long ago, but it was merely to ask me to give him my best horse to ''parau kai mo taua'', and I had some difficulty in persuading the messenger to go away without it. Trusting that you will have an easy Session I am My dear Sir Donald Yours very truly W. G. Mair