A—No. 6a

First—Whether, assuming that the old system is to bo tried again, the Province is prepared to provide the whole cost, including , the transport of these Pensioners and their families, and their location on land with cottages thereon during service in the Province, together with the other advantages to which Officers and Men were formerly entitled, —with such modifications in the former terms as may be considered necessary, the nature and extent of which I have to request you to be good enough to point out. Secondly—lf the Imperial Government should consent to pay the whole or any portion of the money cost of carrying out this proposal, what terms, as to the acquisition of laud the Provincial Government is prepared to hold out to the Pensioners concerned. Having regard to all the questions involved it would appear more likely to prove economical and advantageous to the interests of the Province if arrangements could be made, as probably they might be, for inducing Militia Regiments at Home to volunteer for service in this Province, on the receipt of certain advantages in the occupation of land in the first instance, and in its ultimate acquisition free of cost after a short period. Men of this class, mostly in the prime of life, aecompauied by their families, would no doubt be willing to volunteer upon terms of trifling cost to the Province, aud would be likely to become very valuable settlers, it being understood that the service required from them should be similar to that for whioh they had been enrolled at home, and that the Force was not to supersede but to supplement the regular Troops of the line as occasion might require. Should your Honor be disposed, on a re-consideration of the subject, to advocate the introduction of either of the above-mentioned classes of Military Immigrants, I would be obliged if the wishes of the Provincial Government were stated in detail, with a view to tho necessary action in the matter. I have, &c, (Signed) E. W, Stafvoud. His Honor the Superintendent of Auckland. SUPERINTENDENT OF AUCKLAND TO COLONIAL SKCRETARY. Superintendent's Office, Auckland, 29th January, 1859. Sir,— I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 25th instant, relative to a resolution passed by the Provincial Council on the subject of the introduction into the Province of ten companies of Enrolled Pensioners (copy of which resolution I herewith enclose), and requesting me to inform you of the views of the Provincial Government as to whether the Province will be prepared to pay the cost of the transport and location of these Pensioners, and secondly, in the event of the Imperial Government paying the whole or part of the cost of transport, what terms as to the acquisition of land, the Provincial Government is prepared to hold out to such Pensioners. With regard to the first question, I have to inform you that the Provincial Government is not enabled to guarantee any portion of the cost of transport of the Pensioners referred to, but will be prepared to set apart suitable land, under the Sppcial Settlement clauses of the " Auckland Waste Lands Act, 1858," in such position throughout the Province as may be considered the most eligible for the establishment of villages, and will otherwise assist in providing, out of such funds as the Provincial Council may vote for that purpose, suitable cottages for their accommodation upon their arrival. In answer to the second question, I beg to state I accord with you in opinion that the class of Military Immigrants best adapted for the requirements of this Province would be such as might be collected from the Militia Regiments of the Mother-Country who would be willing to volunteer for service in the Province of Auckland, with a view of obtaining their discharge and settling with their families in the Province on the expiry of their term of service. Should the proposition be favourably entertained and practical effect be given to it, I would venture to suggest that in the choice of volunteers for service here, they should be taken as nearly as possible in equal proportions from regiments belonging to each kingdom, in preference to an entire corps being selected which had been raised in any particular district, and that it should also be a stipulation that each man should produce a certificate of good character, be married, and not over 40 years of age. As I have already stated, in the case of Pensioners, the Provincial Government has no funds at its disposal for paying any portion of the cost of transport to this Colony, but it is in a position, under the Immigration clauses of the " Waste Lands Act," to give to the volunteers advantages in the acquisition of land, by which each man would be entitled to forty acres, in lieu of the cost of passage, and, under the Naval and Military clauses of that 'Act, upon his discharge from the service, for the purpose of settling in the Province, to an additional grant of land according to his rank. As it is one of the principal objects in view by the Provincial Government in proposing to provide for the introduction of Military Immigrants, that the protection from any possible Native outrage may be secured to the numerous Settlements which are likely to be spread over the Province at too great a distance from the Military Garrison to obtain from the regular troops such prompt aid as might be required, it would be necessary that proper arrangements should be made before the arrival of the Regiment, so as to have them located in bodies of not less than a Company each, in different parts of the Province upon land to be set apart for that purpose under the Special Settlement clauses of the "Auckland Waste Lands Act," the selection of land to be allotted to each rran to be left to the determination of the Officer commanding. to.

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