(Copy). New Plymouth, 22nd March, 1858. My dear Sir, The present critical state of affairs in connexion with the Natives is such that I offer no apology for inflicting a letter upon you at a time when I am aware that you are overwhelmed with business in preparing for the approaching meeting of the General Assembly On Saturday last I received from Mr. Turton a letter from which I extract the following communication. "Sorry to hear of all your new disturbances. They were originally the origin of the King movement in Waikato, and now it is reviving again in all its strength. The 2nd leading chief told me, that they saw either that we were afraid to interfere in their fatal quarrels; or that we failed to do so, under design of allowing them to kill each other, and thus the more readily conquer the remainder, But that in either case, it was necessary that they should from themselves into a distinct power, since they could no longer have any reliance upon the Queen's authority. And now, they say, that if the Government act so cruelly towards their race, any longer, by non-interference, they will be obliged to send down to Taranaki, and act independently of it". Last week Mr. H. Halse informed me that in conversation with some Waikato Natives they had told him it was their intention to come down early next month for the purpose of interposing between the two hostile parties, and preventing any further fighting, or rather, putting