—Mr. Torlesse has handed to me the letter from yourself which he received this morning.

Although as the important question of emigration is now submitted to him for the first time, he must needs ask for a few days to reflect upon it, I cannot let a post go by without writing to thank you for your letter to him, and to say that if it should not be in his power to avail himself of your offer, I shall consider myself laid under the same personal obligation to you, as if he had accepted it, for you have, both in substance and manner, completely granted my request. I went to Ipswich on Friday, with Mr. Torlesse, and found reason to hope that, on Tuesday next, there will be formed a Committee of the Clergy and Gentry of the town and neighbourhood, for page 274conducting the meeting on the 30th, in which all parties, even men of extremely different views, will meet to co-operate on neutral ground.

I shall be in London at the Colonists' Rooms to-morrow from three to four, and again on Tuesday at eleven. On the latter day I would either wait for you or go to you anywhere you may fix, in order to mention several particulars about the state of information (or rather ignorance) and feeling in these counties with respect to New Zealand and Canterbury, a knowledge of which you may turn to account in the great address which we all expect you to make at Ipswich.

Believe me to remain, with repeated thanks,