IMMIGRATION.

Evening Star, Issue 2928, 8 July 1872, Page 2

IMMIGRATION.

By permission, we are enabled to publish the following letter by his Honor the Super* iutendent, which bears upon the question of the arrangements of the Agent General, now exciting so much interest. It is addressed to Mr Auld, the Home Agent for the Pro vince;— Superintendent’s Office, Dunedin, June 5, IS72* Sir, — 1 have deferred replying to youi? letters relative to the future position of the agency until it should be seen what might be the practical result upon the Otago Agency of the mission to Britain of the AgentGeneral of the Colony. As you are aware I did not anticipate that the mission of the Agent-General would involve any interference with your operations —other than might be necessary to prevent the two agencies from clashing or competing with eacli other. I looked upon it that the Otago Agency, which, under your direction, has done such good service during the past 20 years, would have been permitted to retain its individuality, and to carry on its functions in every respect as formerly, although nominally transferred to the Colony ; that, in fact the Colony would have employed the existing Provincial organisations in carry- ‘ ing out its immigration functions—in as far as Otago was concerned. In these anticipation, however, I regret to find that I appear to have been mistaken, and that the first fruit of the change has been to extinguish this Province as a special field for emigration, as well as to abandon the splendid line between the Clyde and this Port—than which there are no finer ships afloat.

Under t'ese circumstances, I have to.request that you will be good enough to place yourself in communication with the Agent - General, with a view to the agency resuming its functions in respect of chartering ships direct for this port, and of influencing the same class of emigrants to this Province as heretofore—that is to say, not only laborers, but small farmers and capitalists, resuming those functions under the general control of the Colonial Agent, provided the operations of the agency are defrayed out of the Immigration Loan. In these event of the Agent-General declining to agree to this proposal, you are hereby empowered to resume the status quo ante, and to make the necessary arrangements for despatching say one ship a month with assisted emigrants, provided the total amount does not exceed twelve thousand pounds for the twelve months, commencing with the lirst ship ; this is the sum voted by the Provincial Council, irrespective of the expense of the agency. If it can possibly be arranged I should like that at least two ships in the year should land their passengers at Bluff Harbor.

As to the proportion of passage money (if any) payable the emigrants, you will [have to be guided to some extent by the Colonial regulations. At the same time the Provincial Government, having every confidence in your wisdom, will leave this matter very much to your discretion. As a rule probably five pounds per statute adult would be a sufficient allowance, the emigrant giving promissory notes for the difference. You will observe that I have no desire — but the contrary—to adopt any action which might tend to cripple the efforts of the Colonial Government in its immigration policy. At the same time it is so manifestly important that the future character and extent of emigration to Otago should not be contingent upon any change in the practical administration of the agency at home, that in the interests of the Province the Provincial Legislature has, 1 am glad to say, unanimously decided upon maintaining the Home agency upon its former footing. In conclusion, I have only to express an earnest hope that you will be able to arrange matters with the Agent-General so that the agency may be carried on and perform the same functions as heretofore under the Colonial scheme, 1 can see no practical difficulty in the way of this. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient, J. Macandrew, Superintendent of Otago.