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Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1759, 25 March 1874, Page 2

It will be remembered that during the last session of the Assembly, Messrs Brogden and Sons petitioned Parliament, praying to be relieved from their immigration contract with the Government. It is true that the Agent-General had in a despatch to the Government recommended the claim of Messrs Brogden to the favorable consideration of the Government,, and it was reported that the Hon. John Hall, who was in London at the time, had, in a semi-official character, confirmed this recommendation. The matter was freely discussed in the Wellington papers at the time, and the Hon. Mr Hall has since forwarded the following letter to a Christchurch paper for publication : — Sir— ln your issue of the 2 ( Jth September last allusion is made to a statement said to have been published in Wellington that I had joined Dr Featheraton in recommending the New Zealand Government to accede to certain proposals made by Messrs Brogden with regard to their immigration contract. I shall feel obliged if you will allow mo to say that this statement, so far as ie affects myself, is incorrect. At Dr Featherston's request, I was present at an interview between that gentleman and Messrs Brogden upon the subject in question, and was able to affjrd explanations as to what had taken place when a similar application was made by Mr James Brogdeu to Mr Waterhousc's Government. But I did not at that interview, or in aiij subsequent communication to the Government, express any opinion upon the merits of the Messrs Brogd«n's application, aud I should be sorry for ie to be supposed that I Lad done so. Yours, &c, John Hall. London, Dec. 29, 1573.