Taranaki Oct. 23rd. 1853. My dear McLean, I wrote you a long letter a few days ago by the "Sea Bird", and I then told you that there was little or no chance of the Council voting my salary --- but I was little prepared for what they have actually done. They have since I wrote, considered the Estimates in committee and have actually struck out my salary so that I am actually to receive no pay for the period from the 1st. instant! Cool this, is it not? I accept it, as it was intended, as an insult as gross as they could have offered me. I have seen the Superintendent and he considers that the refusal to vote my salary amounts in effect to a cancelling of my commission. This I can by no means admit, and I have made up my mind to apply for leave of absence from the Police duty as soon as the recommendation of the the Council is officially communicated tome (which cannot be till after the Ordinance is passed which it will on Wednesday) and to cart off all the things belonging to the Land Purchase department to Wharepa, leaving the coast clear for the Police duty to be carried on. This step is rendered necessary by the course the Council have adopted, which is as follows --- they have struck out the item for Inspector altogether, and raised the pay of the Sergt. Major to £150 and £25 for forage, with (I hear) a recommendation that he be made Sub. Inspector --- their intention is then that the Police duty should be carried on by H. Halse and 6 men and that my pay should be borne on the Land fund --- they have just as much right to charge my salary against the Revenues of the Moon, having a equal control over those to that which they possess over the Land fund. C. Brown is doubtful of his power to give me leave, thinking, as I have said, that the vote of Council cancels my commission, but he do it, as no one here can cancel the Governor's commission as I shall soon show them. I am sorry my dear McLean to bother you with a long letter all about myself, but I cannot write to Sir G. Grey, because I have no official grounds to move upon and it is too delicate a subject for a private letter to and therefore thought it right to inform you how matters stand, as you may have an opportunity of explaining it to him. I shall carry on the Maori duty the same as ever, though I must give up the Police, pro tem, at least, or else the public service will suffer, and that I must not permit where a personal question is concerned. I cannot here take time to explain how all this has come about, but it entirely arises from C.B. who pledged himself at first to oust me, and he thinks he has succeeded. I trust it may all end in my removal from the place as I dislike the whole thing more and more every day, and whatever Department I may be in I can never have peace whilst the present party is in power. Besides the place disagrees with my health. I should like you to mention my ideas to the Governor if you have an opportunity of talking the matter over with him before you come up, though to tell the truth, I have but little hope of this letter finding either you or him in Wellington. Of course I have no fear for the result of all this for I shall have full reliance on Sir George Grey who will I know see justice done me --- but I do confess to feeling very much vexed at their spiteful attempts to injure me. G.S. Cooper.