IMMIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND. (FURTHER PAPERS FROM THE AGENT-GENERAL).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1873 Session I, D-02c

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1873. NEW ZEALAND.

IMMIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND. (FURTHER PAPERS FROM THE AGENT-GENERAL).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by command of His Excellency. NO. 1. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. (No. 422.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Blß,— Westminster, S.W., 13th June, 1873. With reference to the Hon. Mr. O'Rorke's Memorandum of 12th April (65), 1873, in which he points out certain matters in the charter-party which, in his opinion, should without delay be remedied, I beg to remark : 1. If it is intended to be an absolute instruction to me to allow eighteen clear supercial feet to each statute adult, instead of fifteen as provided by the " Passengers' Act, 1855," I can readily comply with it, but I would point out that Her Majesty's Emigration Commissioners, after an experience to which I presume the Hon. Mr. O'Rorke will not pretend, have fixed fifteen feet as an ample provision. I need not add that to carry out the Hon. Mr. O'Rorke's suggestions would involve a very serious extra cost to the Government, as it would materially reduce the capacity of the vessels for the conveyance of emigrants. But Ido not understand that this is an absolute instruction, and therefore shall not act upon it till I hear further from the Government. 2. With respect to the proper situation of the hospitals I have already addressed the Government at some length, and pointed out the very grave objections which exist to the hospitals being placed on deck, although my own opinion as a medical man was in favour of their being so placed, and did actually, in the case of the " Hovding,'' have the hospitals erected on deck. 3. With regard to the position of the issuing room, the apartment has during many years been placed in the 'tween decks of the vessel conveying emigrants to New Zealand, and judging from the reports received from time to time from the Immigration Commissioners the arrangement has been approved. The clause in the present charter-party relating to this question runs thus : "An issuing room of dimensions approved by the party of the first part shall be provided on some part of the main-deck, or on the passenger deck, in which latter case it is not to be included in the space allotted to the passengers under the Passengers' Act, &c." As, however, it is in the opinion of the Government desirable that this room should be upon the main-deck, instructions shall be given to the Despatching Officer to adopt that course whenever it is possible to do so. 4. Section 6 of the charter-party has been strictly enforced, and in the very few cases in which the vessel has not been ready, the ship-owner has been compelled—as you will see by reference to the accounts—to pay for the maintenance of the emigrants. 5. With regard to the proposed bath-room for the married women and children, I would observe that it is not required in the Passengers' Act, and as far os I am aware has not been provided in any of the emigration services. But if, as Mr. Waterhouse in one of his dispatches says, the cost of emigration is of secondary consideration, of course Mr. O'llorke's recommendation can be easily carried out, the Government which insists upon it, holding itself responsible for the additional cost of emigration. 7. The recommendation of the Commissioners with regard to medicines and surgical appliances have already been complied with, as you will see on reference to the charter-party of the ships. 8. With reference to the suggestion that a portion of the passage money should be made payable in the Colony, I would state that I have adopted the practice of paying the whole of the passage money here on the principle of economy ; for, as the Government is aware the funds have been here and the rate of exchange has been saved to the Colony, and consequently the passage money has been proportionately reduced. I have, &c, I. E. Featherston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Agent-General. I—D 2c.

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No. 2. Agent-General to the Hon. the Colonial Secretaet. (No. 423.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, g IB __ "Westminster, S.W., 13th June, 1873. Referring to the Hon. Mr. O'Rorke's Memorandum of 12th April (65) 1873, (No. 2, D2a., 1873), in which he observes : ''Leaving the question generally to your own discretion with a full knowledge of the suffering and discomfort which have been almost universal in the ships engaged under the existing charter-party," I beg respectfully to point out that this statement is not borne out by the reports of your own local Immigration Commissioners. In my despatch of 12th April (No. 238, 1873), I have shown that with very few exceptions the emigrants although invited and almost solicited to prefer complaints have expressed themselves entirely satisfied with the arrangements of the vessel, and with their treatment on board. I have, &c, I. E. Featherston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 3. The Agent-Genebal to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaby. (No. 424.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, SIR,— Westminster, S.W., 13th June, 1873. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the Hon. Mr. O'Rorke's Memorandum of 14th April (62), 1873, forwarding report of Immigration Commissioners' upon the ship "Charlotte Gladstone," in which he endorses the charge " that the mortality and sickness were to be accounted for by—lst. The weak, underfed, and dirty condition of some of the emigrants. 2nd. The disgraceful material of the bedding supplied." With reference to the first complaint, I readily recognise that the emigrants taken as they are in accordance with the instructions of the Government from the labouring classes, may have been M weak and underfed," for it is as well known to the Government as to myself that the wages given to this class do not enable them to obtain an adequate supply of nourishing food, and that this very fact induces them to transfer themselves and families to the Colony. As to their being in a " dirty condition" on board, this is attributable entirely to the neglect by the Surgeon-Superintendent of his duty. With respect to the second complaint, I have simply to observe that in consequence of the representations regarding the bedding I have already declined to receive any tenders in future from the firm which has hitherto supplied it. With regard to the other complaint, viz., " that the system of shipping emigrants in England for New Zealand is faulty," and that " great carelessness, to say the least of it, has been tho rule rather than the exception on the part of the officer responsible for ascertaining that the emigrants are properly selected, are subject to bona fide medical inspection, and that the fittings and stoi'es of the ship are in accordance with the provisions of the Passenger Act and Charter-party," I have simply to observe that it is impossible for me to deal ■with such a vague and general charge. 1 may, however, remind the Government that all emigrants are required before their applications are passed to furnish me with a medical certificate that they are in a healthy condition. Ie would, the Government will readily see, be utterly impossible for me to send down a medical officer for the purpose of inspecting and reporting on every individual immigrant. But I shall be ready to adopt any absolute instruction which the Government may be pleased to give me. As to the fittings and stores of the ships, I have already informed the Government that these are all examined and passed by Her Majesty's Emigration Commissioners, and to whose searching investigation in these matters I have already borne my testimony. And I again submit that I am bound to defer to the opinions of such authorities rather than to those of your local Immigration Commissioners, the majority of whom cannot possibly pretend to have had any experience in the conduct of emigration. I also venture to add that if Her Majesty's Emigration Commissioners were appealed to, they would willingly bear testimony that no emigration service has ever been more efficiently conducted than the emigration to New Zealand for which I have been resposible. I have, &c, I. E. Featherston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Agent-General.

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No. 4. The Agent- Geneeai to the Hon. the Colonial Secbetaby. (No. 426.) 7, Westmister Chambers, Victoria Street, Sir, — Westminster, S.W., 13th June, 1873. With reference to the Hon. Mr. O'Rorke's memorandum of 14th April (72), 1873, in which he states that the Government see the force of my representations that if I am debarred from landing emigrants in New Zealand during the winter months, my operations will practically be limited to sending out emigrants during six months of the year; and adds that " this restriction on the despatch of emigrants is now removed, as you have before this learned by cablegram of 12th April instant;" I beg to observe that these instructions have come too late to prevent the result I had anticipated, so far as the present year is concerned, Had no such restrictions been imposed, the number of emigrants despatched would have been considerably greater, and the delay in withdrawing the instructions iv question will, I fear, materially interfere with my sending out the aggregate number of emigrants ordered in your last despatches. I have, &c, I. E. Featherston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. A gent-General.

No. 5. The Agent-Genrhal to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. (No. 427.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, SIX, — Westminster, S.W., 13th June, 1873. I have the honor to forward herewith, for the information of the Government, copy of correspondence I have had with Messrs. Brogden and Sons. As their letter of the 12th instant was only received by me this morning, it is, of course, impossible for me to make any comments upon it by the present mail. I shall feel obliged by your informing me how far the statements made by Messrs. Brogden and Sons are correct. I have, &c, I. E. Featherston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Agent-General.

Enclosure 1 in No. 5. Messrs. Bbogden and Sons to the Agent-Genebal. Sir, — 5, Queen Square, Westminster, S.W., 15th May, 1873. In our interview with you on the 10th April last, we understood you to say that you were not then empowered to concede to our claim in reference to the emigration operations we have conducted with you on behalf of the Government of New Zealand. We have now the honor to enclose an extract from a letter received by the last mail, which reads as follows : — " Public Works Office, Wellington, 25th February, 1873. " With reference to your remarks relative to emigration, the Government understand that; Messrs. Erogden only undertook the sending out of labourers from England to keep the labour market steady, and to ensure their being able to carry out their contracts. The Government do not feel at present in a position to interfere with the arrangements made in London between the Agent-General and your firm, as the question of modification of the terms of the existing agreement has some time since been referred there to be dealt with by the Agent-General and the Messrs. Brogden ; more especially as before this reference is acted on, your Mr. James Brogden will probably have arrived in London. " E. RICHAKDSON. "To John Henderson, Esq., C.E., Wellington." From that we presume that you have now received the necessary power to make the modifications we asked for, and also in reference to the emigrants we have already despatched to New Zealand, and shall be glad of an early reply to this effect. We have, &c. The Hon. Dr. Featherston, John Brogden & Sons. Agent-General for New Zealand.

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Enclosure 2 in No. 5. Messrs. Beogden and Sons to the Agent-Genebal. Sir,— 5, Queen Square, Westminster, S.W., 26th May, 1873. We have the honor to draw your attention to our letter of the 15th instant, to which we have not yet received a reply, and shall feel obliged for the favour of same at your earliest convenience. We have, &c, The Hon. I. E. Featherston, John Brogden & Sons. Agent-General for New Zealand.

Enclosure 3 in No. 5. The Agent-Genebal to Messrs. Beogden and Sons. 7, Westminster Chambers, Victorial Street, Gentlemen,— Westminster, S.W., 27th May, 1873. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 15th instant, relative to emigration operations, in which you have been concerned with the Government of New Zealand. In reply, I beg to inform you that I have not yet received any communication from the Government of the kind indicated in the Hon. Mr. Richardson's letter to Mr. Henderson, as quoted by you, but that I shall be happy to forward to the Government any representation you may desire to make on the subject. In the meantime, I have the honor to request that you will be pleased to complete your contract without further delay. I have, &c, Messrs. Brogden and Sons, I. B. Featherston, 5, Queen Square, Westminster. Agent-General.

Enclosure 4 in No. 5. The Agent-Genebal to Messrs. Beogden and Sons. 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Gentlemen,— Westminster, S.W., 28th May, 1873. Since writing my letter of yesterday, the only despatch from the New Zealand Government relating to your emigration contract (which had been mislaid) has been found. The despatch is dated the 23rd November, 1872, and covers the correspondence that took place between Mr. James Brogden and the Government in New Zealand with reference to your emigration contract of the 27th June, 1872. The Minister for Emigration, in a letter dated the 2nd November, 1872, says, in reply to Mr. James Brogden's of the 28th October, 1872, " I have to express to you the regret of the Government that after the gravest consideration, they find themselves unable to meet your views, so far as to relieve the firm from their liabilities in connection with the conduct of immigration under the agreement referred to; but I may state that so far as regards modifications in the terms of the contract as respects future operations, favourable consideration will be given to any suggestions or recommendation which may be made by the Agent-General, with whom upon the subject your firm are invited to place themselves in immediate communication." It will thus be seen that with regard to the past, my hands are absolutely tied, and that as you have made no proposals for modifications in the terms of the contract as respects future operations, I have no alternative but to call upon you to complete the contract without further delay. I have, &c, Messrs. Brogden and Sons, I. E. Featherston, 5, Queen Square, Westminster. Agent-General for New Zealand.

Enclosure 5 in No. 5. Messrs. John Bkogden & Son to the Agent-General, London. 5, Queen Square, Westminster, S.W., SIR,— 12th June, 1873. At the invitation of the Minister, the Hon. G. Maurice O'Rorke, conveyed to our Mr. James Brogden in New Zealand by letter of 2nd November, 1872, and in compliance with your letter of 27th May last, we address you on the subject of the agreement of 27th June, 1872, between the Governor of New Zealand and ourselves relative to the promotion of immigration into the Colony. The negot:ations on this subject commenced, as you will remember, in New Zealand between Mr. James Brogden and the Ministry there, and the continuance of them was relegated to you and the

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members of our firm in England. At that time the postal arrangements from the Colony -were very irregular, and we received intimation from our firm that the subject was so remitted us, but without any further particulars. You will doubtless remember that the draft agreement for emigration which had been discussed in the Colony was handed to us by you, and you informed us that it had in fact very nearly been signed by our Mr. James Brogden, but at the last moment he had declined to take the responsibility and so the subject was remitted home. At the same time you urged us with so great pressure to commence sending out emigrants that even before any agreement was made with you we had already sent out a considerable number, and were actively at work in the necessary organization in different parts of the country. We wish here to observe that we had no desire to enter into this undertaking. It was at the request of the Government in New Zealand and of yourself here that we did so, and from the first we informed you that we looked for no profit, but only sought to be covered against any loss. The terms we sought to arrange with you were similar in principle to those negotiated with Mr. Vogel in England for the No. 1 Contract, and required that we should keep accurate accounts of the moneys expended and of the repayments received from the emigrants ; that at the expiration of the time the accounts should be adjusted and settled upon the basis of repaying actual outlay. We sent out immigrants in several of the early ships, as we supposed upon this understanding, and informed our firm in New Zealand that there would be therefore no necessity to consider in settling the prices of work, any cost or loss arising from the emigration. To this you objected that there was no finality in such an agreement, and it was with reluctance and only on your distinct assurance that the terms subsequently arranged would fully cover us against any loss that we signed the agreement. We could not but remember also your statement that the agreement with higher charges against us was on the point of being signed in New Zealand. The terms to be charged to the emigrants, the form of agreement with them, also of the promissory notes to be taken from them, and, in fact, all details, were from time to time discussed with and approved by you. These terms bound us to repay you by instalments—£lo of the passage money, with interest— and entitled us to charge, in addition to any other advances we might make, £15 to the emigrants, and to deduct a portion of the amount weekly from their wages. In the mode of execution and witnessing of these agreements and promissory notes, we acted entirely upon the advice and information of either yourself) r the Government Emigration Agent, Mr. Carter. The difference between the £10 you charged us and the £15 we were to charge the emigrants being, in fact, the only margin to set against any loss that might arise through delinquencies or misfortunes, and this, you assured us, would be amply sufficient to do so. We never desired to make any profit out of the emigration, but we certainly relied upon your assurance that this margin was sufficient to protect us against any loss. We had no knowledge that in these same ships you were indending to send out other emigrants on different terms, requiring from them very much less repayment for their passage money than was required from our emigrants, and although the latter required help in removing from their homes to the ship, and also for their kit and clothing; yet that was given from our firm, and not from the Government; so that in what the Government had to provide, viz % the passage money, there was a marked disadvantage to the extent of a third, or one-half of the passage money, to our emigrants, as compared with the Government emigrants. There is no doubt that during the voyage these facts always became known, and created a feeling of disappointment and dissatisfaction, which has resulted in a very disastrous defeat of the whole object to us of this emigration. The men, as soon as they landed, mostly deserted, dispersed themselves over the colony, and refused to work for us, saying they had been ill-treated and overreached, and blamed us for what is, in fact, the arrangement forced upon us by you. We have said, in the commencement of this letter, that we only entered upon this subject at the urgent request of the New Zealand Government, and manifestly with the desire to provide labour for the public works to be entrusted to us, so that those works might proceed rapidly without creating a great disturbance in the question of labour in the other industries in the Colony. We have sent out 1,299 adult males, and according to our most recent advices, we have 525 working for us. The remainder are mostly remaining in the country engaged at other work, and we have been unable to recover any appreciable amount of their promissory notes from them. Thus the country has the advantage of the large number of selected men and their families for its industries and revenue, but unfortunately for us, at our cost. Again, we have been repeatedly informed by our firm in New Zealand that when some of the emigrants arrived, there were not public works entrusted to us sufficient to employ them, and we have had either to find temporary employment for them, so as to keep our engagement to them, or to see them leaving us for other work, from which it is almost impossible to recall them; and our latest advices assure us that there is no necessity for further emigrants for the works given to us. Under the circumstances as herein stated, we feel confident in appealing to you for a reconsideration of the terms as to the emigrants who have already been sent out by us, and we must certainly be put upon an entirely different footing with reference to any further number. We are not, and never were, desirous of entering upon this kind of engagement, but believe, if the Government urge it upon us, we could organize anew the emigration movement for the despatch of considerable numbers; but with reference to the past, we think we have a fair claim to a full 2—D. 2c.

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reimbursement of any moneys we have paid in connection with this mattor, and a release from the notes signed by us. Your emigration circulars show that you have found it quite necessary, in order to keep up the flow of emigration, and to put yourself on a level with other countries who have active agencies here for similar objects, to give a very great modification of the terms you formerly demanded, even from the Government emigrants ; and the promissory note for £10, which is now all you demand from the emigrants, give you no greater security than what we imagned we had received. We shall be glad to five you the documents we have received from the emigrants, applying their respective amounts pro rata to your passage money and our actual advances, and we think you ought to be satisfied in our case with what you are now satisfied with from any casual applicant. We have, &c, The Hon. I. E. Featherston, John Brogden & Sons. Agent-General for New Zealand.

No. 6. The Ageut-Genebal to the Hon. the Colonial Skceetabt. (No. 457.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Sib,— Westminster, S.W., 8th July, 1873. Eeferring to the Hon. Mr. O'Rorke's Memorandum of 12th April (No. 61), 1873 in which I atn requested to report fully on the system adopted by me for the inspection of vessels and emigrants previous to departure, 1 have the honor to submit the following statement: — On the ship being laid on by the contractors, the Despatching Officer (Mr. E. A. Smith, E.N.) is requested to make a preliminary survey in order to satisfy himself that she is suitable for the proposed service. This survey is made usually in conjunction with the surveyors to the Board of Trade when the vessel is in dry dock, and every opportunity is offered for a thorough examination. If the report should be favourable the vessel is approved, and at the proper time (about fourteen days prior to the embarkation of the emigrants) the fittings —including due provision for ventilation —are commenced. This work is performed under the daily instructions of the Despatching Officer, who is constantly in attendance. The survey of provisions is held by the Emigration Officers about four days before the day fixed for embarkation. This survey is also attended by the Despatching Officer, who receives a list of the provisions and medical comforts placed on board. It is my intention in future in all cases when practicable to request the Surgeon-Superintendent to attend this survey. If everything should be approved the emigrants are embarked on the day appointed for the purpose the Surgeon-Superintendent being in attendance about 10 a.m. in order that any case of incipient disease may be detected and that the person so suffering may be prevented from going on board. The Despatching Officer also attends about 9 a.m. to superintend the berthing and messing arrangements. The vessel usually remains one whole day in dock, and proceeds down the river the following day. If the ship's compasses require to be adjusted she is brought up at Greenhithe, and on this work being completed she drops down to Gravesend where the final inspection takes place. This inspection, which is very searching, embracing the condition of the vessel's fittings, boats, compasses, water-condenser, guns and signals, &c, as well as the state of health of the emigrants, is attended by one of the Emigration Officers to the Board of Trade, by Dr. Humphreys, the medical officer acting under the same department, by tho officers representing the contractors, and—if the vessel is chartered—the owners respsctively, and by the Despatching Officer acting for the Government. If the ship should be approved in all respects, the clearance certificate is granted by the Emigration Officer, and she is free to proceed to her destination. I have, Ac, I. E. Featherston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 7. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet. (No. 476.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Sib,— Westminster, S.W., 11th July, 1873. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Hon. Mr. O'Borke's Memorandum ot 22nd April, forwarding copy of a letter from the Superintendent of Canterbury, transmitting a resolution of the Tim?-u and Gladstone Board of Works requesting that a vessel should be sent direct to Timaru with from 200 to 300 emigrants. In reply, I beg to state that while I shall endeavour to carry out the wishes of the Timaru and Gladstone Board of Works in this matter there is (as, I believe, I have already pointed out to the Government) a strong disinclination on the part of the ship-owners to lay on. vessels for Timaru. I have, &c, I. E. Featheeston. The Hon, the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Agent-General.

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No. 8. The Agent-Geneeal to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet. (No. 480.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Bib,— Westminst, S.W., 11th July, 1873. Eeferring to the Hon. Mr. O'Eorke's Memorandum of sth May (90), 1873 on the subject of Scandinavian and German emigration, I have the honor to state that at the time mentioned in Mr. Waterhouse's Memorandum No. 19, the arrangements entered into by me with a firm in Germany for a supply of emigrants had not actually fallen through. At that period—and for a considerable time afterwards —the contractors were in a position of extreme difficulty owing to the obstructions thrown in their way by the German Government, who were opposed to emigration from that country. Notwithstanding this, however, negotiations between us were kept up till within a very recent date, when the contractors informed me that it was quite out of their power to carry out the provisions of the contract. I, therefore, entered into arrangements with another firm in Germany, and, I trust, the chief difficulty has now been surmounted. I may add that the " Hovding," with 280 Scandinavian emigrants on board, is now preparing to sail for Hawke's Bay. I have, &c, I. E. Featheeston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 9. The Agent-Genebal to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet. (No. 496.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Sib,— Westminster, S.W., 11th July, 1873. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Hon. Mr. O'Eorke's Memorandum of 14th April (72) 1873, in which he says, " Writing from such a distance ib ia impossible for me to gauge the difficulties you have to contend with in inducing a stream of emigration to this country, but I am informed by gentlemen recently returned from Australia that the Queensland Government have no difficulty in procuring any amount of emigrants they require." It must be remembered that the Queensland Government has not sent out from this country on an average more than one emigrant ship per month—if as often ; whereas I have been despatching some four or five per month. The Government will at once recognize the unfairness of comparing my operations with those of the Queensland Government, or in other words of imagining that five shiploads of emigrants per month can be despatched with the same facility as one. The memorandum continues : " A special cablegram has been sent to you urging you to offer as liberal terms —or more so —than they do in the shape of free passages to suitable classes of emigrants. This authority was given to you five months ago, and has been repeated since. You have not hitherto availed yourself of the authority." I beg to point out that in a previous memorandum from the Hon. Mr. O'Eorke, dated 14th February (No. 29), 1873, he says, , Of course you have power under the instructions of November last to offer equally advantageous terms as the Queensland Government, but I do not suppose you will take advantage of that power so long as you can fill your ships with emigrants who are contributors to the cost of their passage." I beg to call your attention to the inconsistency of these two memoranda. In his memorandum of February the Hon. Mr. O'Eorke expresses a hope that I have not given effect to the instructions of November, while in his memorandum of April he virtually reproaches me for having allowed five months to elapse without availing myself of that authority. However, as I have already explained in my despatch of 16th May (No. 313), 1873 (No. 5, D. 2a., 1873), having regard to the representations of the Government that they feared I was starving emigration by not offering sufficiently liberal terms and that provided population could be procured, cost was of secondary importance; I went so far as to abolish the system of promissory notes altogether, and had no sooner promulgated the new regulations than I perceived I had committed a grave error and almost immediately revived the old regulations for the reasons stated in the despatch referred to. I have every reason to believe that under the existing regulations an adequate stream of immigration will be secured and maintained. I have, &c, I. E. Featheeston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 10. The Agent-General to the Hon. Colonial Secretaey. (No 501.) 7 Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Sm,— Westminster, S.W., 11th July, 1873. In reference to the Hon. Mr. Vogel's telegram of April last, in which he suggests that I should " not let Shaw Savill & Co. know when I want ships, but arrange for each as wanted privately, through

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respectable owners or brokers," I have simply to remark that the suggestion is wholly impracticable. My shipping requirements for the conveyance of emigrants each mouth are as well known to the shipowners and brokers of the City as they are to myself. The secrecy therefore inculcated by Mr. Vogel is impossible. Any brokers I might employ would undoubtedly apply to Messrs. Shaw, Savill & Co., for the following reasons : — 1. Because they are one of the largest ship-owning firms in London. 2. They have in a great measure the command of the New Zealand trade. 3. Because they are their best customers. Merchant after merchant has come home for the express purpose of making arrangements with some other firm, but the result has always been that they have come to terms with Messrs. Shaw, Savill & Co. lam not, of course, justified in giving names, but the fact is sufficiently notorious. The first thing the representative of the Auckland Freight Company did was to wait upon Messrs. Shaw, Savill & Co. and propose that they should combine in raising the rates of freight to Auckland by some 20 or 25 per cent, a proposal to which Messrs. Shaw, Savill & Co. acceded, but which I prevented beiug carried out, as far as the Government was concerned. Mr. Turner, the Agent of the New Zealand Shipping Company, had not been many weeks, or rather days, here before he also felt it necessary to enter into a written agreement with Messrs. Shaw, Savill &Co in regard to rates of freight. Here, again, it was attempted to charge the Government 30s. per ton for railway plant, instead of 255. a ton, which I had hitherto paid. Mr. Turner has been obliged to charter a ship from Messrs. Shaw, Savill & Co., and finds considerable difficulty in chartering the number of vessels he requires. I understand, further, that proposals have been sent out by Mr. Turner to the New Zealand Shipping Company to buy up Messrs. Shaw, Savill & Co. I may add that whenever I have attempted to charter a ship privately for a lump sum, the amount demanded would have invariably entailed a serious loss upon the Government, the cost of passage money, per adult, would have been raised to about £20, and the rates of freight would have been increased by about 100 per cent. The Government has no cargo to give except railway plant, and rough measurement goods, and it would be in vain for them to attempt to compete with Messrs. Shaw, Sayill & Co. The great difficulty in breaking up Messrs. Shaw, Savill & Co.'s monopoly consists in this—Meisrs. Shaw, Savill & Co. distribute the agencies of their vessels amongst the chief importers at each port in consideration of their shipping all their goods in their vessels. Having thus secured the support of the principal shippers, the small importers are also obliged to ship by them, for the simple reason that they can seldom load a vessel. It will be extremely difficult for any firm who are not large shipowners to carry on the emigration service to New Zealand, for tonnage is exceedingly scarce. This scarcity is attributable mainly to three causes :— 1. The building of wooden ships some years ago almost ceased. 2. The enormous rise in the price of iron and coal has checked tho building of iron ships. 3. By the decline of tho Mercantile Marine in America, and some other countries, England monopolizes in a great measure the carrying trade of the world. I know, as a matter of fact, that in order to carry out their recent contract, Messrs. Shaw, Savill & Co. were obliged to expend £80,000 in the purchase of vessels. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. I. E. Featherston, Agent-General.

No. 11. The Agext-Genebal to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. (No. 50G.) 7 Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Sir,— Westminster, S.W., 11th July, 1873. I do myself the honor to forward herewith, for the information of the Government, copy of a letter I have addressed to Mr. Stewart, on the subject of the proposed special settlement in the Province of Auckland. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, I. E. FEATnERSTON, Wellington. Agent-General.

Enclosure in No. 11. The Agent-General to Mr. Stuart. Sib,— 7 "Westminster Chambers, 10th July, 1873. Having received information through Mr. Farnall, the late Emigration Agent at Belfast, that you are able and willing to organise a party of special settlers for New Zealand, I lose no time in acquainting you with the terms on which the New Zealand Government will be prepared to assist your enterprise. The Government will give you a right of selection over the whole lands of the Province of Auckland, whether General or Provincial, and they will be prepared to set apart a block of from 10,000 to 20,000 acres for the purposes of such special settlement.

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Although the maximu.t giant to any family under the Auckland Homestead Act is 200 acres, the Government will be prepared in this instance to stretch it to 300 acres. The Government will be further prepared to grant to the leader of the party at least 500 acres for himself, and 40 acres for each member of his family. I may add that I shall be glad to offer to persons of the laboring classes who may desire to accompany your party the same facilities and privileges that are extended to other emigrants who have complied with the regulations, and have been approved. Both the General Government and the Provincial Government of Auckland are equally anxious to promote your proposed settlement, and if the Superintendent is unable to set apart first-rate land from the Provincial territory, the General Government will be ready to grant land for the purpose at Tauranga, on the East Coast. The Hon. Mr. O'Eorke states that he would endeavour to enlarge the block to 20,000 acres if he thought the first body of emigrants would be supplemented by the relations and friends of the pioneers. I need scarcely assure you of my readiness to give you all the assistance in my power, and to do anything I can to promote so desirable an object as the location of a body of special settlers of the kind contemplated by the Government. I have, Ac, I. E. Featheeston, Agent-General for New Zealand.

No. 12. The Agent-Geneeal to the Hon. the Colonial Secbetaey. (No. 507.) 7 Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Sib,— Westminster, S.W., 11th July, 1873. I have the honor to forward herewith a report, furnished by Mr C. E. Carter, of this department, giving an account of a visit he recently made to Merthyr Tydvil, in South Wales, in pursuance of my instructions, with the view of procuring .100 coal miners for the Province of Otago. I have, <fee, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, I. E. Featheeston, Wellington. Agent-General.

Enclosure in No. 12. Mr. C. E. Caetee to the AGENT-GeNEEAL. Sib, — 7 "Westminster Chambers, London, 9th July, 1873. I have the honor to report to you that in pursuance of your instructions I, during last month, proceeded to Merthyr Tydvil, in South Wales, to endeavor to procure 100 coal miners for the Province of Otago. The terms I was directed by you to offer were much more liberal than those under which ordinary emigrants are accepted by this office. I held several meetings in the town of Merthyr, and received about thirty applications, but I could hear of no coal miners wanting employment; and so prosperous and highly paid were all the colliers about Merthyr, Dowlais, Tredegar, and other places in the neighborhood, that the terms I had to offer them appeared to be without attraction. The Welsh are a very reticent people, and I had the greatest difficulty in inducing some of them to state what wages they were really earning. However, from other reliable sources (viz., the pay sheets), I learnt that there were hundreds of colliers making from ]2s. to 14s. per diem, and the majority about 7s. per day of eight hours. Knowing that at Whitehaven, in Cumberland, labor was generally speaking more abundant and not so well paid as in the North of England and South Wales, I left Merthyr and went to that seaport, so well known for its export of coal. In Whitehaven I found the coal miners' occupation as brisk, and the demand for coal as great as elsewhere. I caused the town and its contiguous districts to be posted with placards calling meetings on three evenings, and inviting miners to attend. In order to avoid any future misunderstanding I, at the meetiEgs here and at Merthyr, read to each applicant that I saw the following statement, a copy of which I also left with each Agen*, for his guidance:— " Steady coal miners will be accepted on the undermentioned terms, viz.:—Single and married people will be taken out without any cash payment for passage, and money will be advanced for the fare to London, both of which sums will have to be repaid in the Colony by instalments, extending over two years. Before sailing, promissory notes for the following amounts will have to be given, viz.: — Each married person will have to sign a promissory note for £11 10s. Each single man, ditto, ditto, £12 10s. The Government will provide each emigrant with bedding, cooking utensils, &c., for the buui of 205., which must be paid before the emigrant can be accepted, as an earnest that he intends going. Such bedding, &c, will be the emigrants own property on his arrival in the Colony. " According to the latest advices, the average rates of wages for good labourers, working on the railways, were from Gs. to 7s. per day of eight hours, in some cases as much as Bs. per day was being paid, and as miners and mechanics are paid 2s. per day more than these rates, the colliers now about being sent out would have a right to expect to be paid from Bs. to 10s. per day of eight hours. 3-D. 2c

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" The New Zealand Government has within the last month telegraphed for 100 coal miners to be sent out, and of courso will find them work by the day or by piece-work as soon as they arrive in the Colony." In response to my offers, I received about twenty applications in Whitehaven. I expected more, but on this occasion it transpired that mining labour was much scarcer than when I visited this part of England during last year. I proved this by visiting the pits myself. At the Wellington colliery, I ascertained the rate of wages averaged for miners, good and bad, Bs. per day, and they work five days per week. In some cases, coal-hewers, or naggers, as they are termed, were earning 12s. per day. Wherever I went about here, new works or new pits were being opened out, and consequently wages had risen to an unprecedented height. Even in the pastoral and secluded valleyß of Cumberland, labouring men are receiving, from 245. to 255. per week. I visited Hartlepool to find labour to be as difficult to procure as in other places I have been to during my last absence from the office in London. It is too early as yet for me to speak with certainty in respect of the tangible results of my journey, for only three of the applicants have, up the date hereof, paid their 20s. deposit, and the others have, up to the 20th instant to do so. I venture respectfully to submit, as the result of my recent experience, that any better terms which you might have instructed me to offer would not have been attended by a much larger acquisition of colliers than you are likely to procure under the present circumstances, and unparalleled prosperity of the coal and iron trades. I believe, and am assured, that this state of things cannot last, and that another year is likely to witness a change tending greatly to favour emigration. I have, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand. C. B. Caetee.

No. 13. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet. (No. 509.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Sib,— Westminster, S.W., 11th July, 1873. I have the honor to report that acting upon the discretion allowed me, both in the Hon. Mr. O'Eorke's telegram received Ist June, and the Hon. Mr. O'Eorko's memorandum on the same subject, I have dispensed with the services of Messrs. Seaton, Birch, and Farnall, who were sent home from the Colony in the capacity of Emigration Agents. I felt compelled to adopt this course, because it appeared to me that the results of their efforts were in no way commensurate with the expenditure. It ia only fair, however, to add that Mr. Seaton had previously tendered his resignation, and that Mr. Birch had intimated to me his intention of adopting the same course. With regard to Mr. Farnall, whose services it was suggested I should retain for a time in connection with the proposed special settlement at Auckland, I may state that finding that he had already compromised the Government by the proposals he had made to the promoters of the enterprise, and fearing that he might still further compromise the Government I deemed it prudent to dispense at once with his services, and to put myself in direct communication with Mr. Stuart, who is the real promoter of the movement. I have, &c, I. E. Feathebston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. A gent-General.

No. 14. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Colonial Secretabt. 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Si*,— Westminster, S.W., 11th July, 1873. At the request of Messrs. Shaw, Saville, and Co , I have the honor the transmit to you the enclosed letter. I have, &c, I. E. Featheeston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Agent-General.

Enclosure in No. 14. Messrs. Shaw, Sayille, & Co., to the Agent- Genebal. The Passengers Line of Packets for New Zealand, &c, Dear Sibj— Offices: 34, Leadenhall Street, E.C., London, 10th July, 1873. Xt -7 that your Government has entered into a contract in the Colony with the JNew Zealand Shipping Company for the conveyance of all their emigrants for the remainder of the present year on the conditions of our contract for last year at £14 10s. per adult

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Wo are at a loss to understand for what fault of ours the Government has taken the arrangement of such matters out of your hands and given their emigration business to a new company direct at an increased price and under a contract mnch less onerous than the one under which we have lately been working. We make no comment, but simply beg to state that in the event of the Government feeling inclined at the conclusion of their present contract with the Shipping Company to authorise you to conduct the emigration from this side on the best terms to be obtained, we shall be prepared to "tender for their emigrants at the rate of £12 12s. (say twelve guineas) per adult if under such a contract as we had last year; or at the rate of £13 10s. (say thirteen pounds ton shillings) per adult, if under a contract similar to the one we have had this year. We remain, &c, I. E. Featherston, Esq., Agent-General for N.Z. Shaw, Savilie, & Co. P.S.—You will remember that in the beginning of this year before the Shipping Company was in cxistance we offered to renew our contract of last year at £13 per adult.

No. 15. To Eeynolds, Wellington. [Telegram.] London, 2Gth August. Faunall's statement incorrect —every encouragement offered —all promises fulfilled. Farnall dismissed. Office in communication with Stewart—full explanation by post —not neglecting traiuing ship. Featheeston.

No. 16. Extbact from Telegbam from Agejjt-Genebal received at the Bluff at 8 a.m., 17th September, 1873. To Ee.ynolds, Wellington. Melbourne, 6th September. London, 4th September. Sailed, August, " Denny," Wellington, 157 souls; " Hovding," Napier,2s9souls ; " Chili," Auckland, 85; " Cardigan Castle," Canterbury, 252 ; " Eeadman " and •■ Zealandia," Otago, 417. 3rd September, 1873. Featheeston.