D.—No. 2

No. 58. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary to Dr. Knight. Sib,— Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, Bth May, 1865. I have the honor, by direction of Mr. Weld, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 32, of the Ist instant, and to convey to you his approval of the steps which you report therein, as taken by you in connexion with the charge of the immigration business in Auckland. I have, &c, To Dr. Knight, Auckland. AY. Gisborne, Under Secretary. No. 59. Dr. Knight to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sib, — Auckland, 2nd May, 1865. In reference to the instructions contained in the eighth paragraph of your letter of the 25th April, requesting me to take over from the Provincial Executive the charge of the immigration business, I would call your attention to the anomalous position iii which lam now placed. You require me, while holding the office of Auditor of Public Accounts, to make arrangements and employ persons for the future management of the immigration business ; and the Sub-Treasurer will in future discharge no claims on account of that service, without my notation of approval. Cases of emergency must sometimes be met by exceptional arrangements, but I presume you do not wish the j)resent arrangement to continue longer than is absolutely necessary. I think, therefore, it will be advisable either for me to return to Wellington, as soon as I receive your reply to this; or else that leave of absence should be granted to me, and a Deputy-Auditor appointed in my place. In the latter case, I am prepared to complete the business on which I am engaged. The information I have gained enables me to move with some confidence, and there are new fields of inquiry, where reductions in expenditure ought to be made. I should however be much pleased to be relieved of the labour and responsibility that have fallen upon me. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Charles Knight. No. 60. The Hon. the Colonial Secretaet to Dr. Knight Sib, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, Bth May, 1865. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 2nd instant, and in reply am directed by Mr. Weld to inform you that the Government has already taken into consideration the question of appointing a Government Agent for the Province of Auckland, and that you will be relieved at the earliest possible period. I have, &c, To Dr. Knight, Auckland. W. Giseorne, Under Secretary. No. 61. Dr. Knight to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sib,— Auckland, 2nd May, 1865. In reference to your letter of the 25th April, in which you point out to me that the arrangements between the General and Provincial Governments of the 9th of January last is at an end, and that the charge of the immigration business is transferred to me, I have the honor to call your attention to your letter of the 15th April, addressed to the Superintendent of the Province, in which you state that the Government is prepared to set aside securities sufficient to cover the expenditure to be incurred in the employment of immigrants. No provision, however, has been made for the immigrants who leave the public works on the 31st instant, and fresh arrivals are expected daily. I request to be informed what steps it is intended to take in the matter. At present the offer to the Provincial authorities to enter into new arrangements is an open question. But, whether it is so or not, the Government must make arrangements to put its own officers in a position to meet either contingency. Overtures certainly will not meet the present difficulties. The Government is requested to instruct me on the following points : —What is to be done for the immigrants who are not located on their lands on the 31st instant ? What for those who are so located ? VV hat is to be done for the immigrants who are expected to arrive in the colony shortly 'i Are the latter to be put on rations or on public works; or are they to be sent to one of the other Provinces, and if so, to which of them ? In every case, am I authorised to incur the necessary expenditure to carry out the orders of the Government ? What funds will be placed at my disposal ? As the Government is entitled to an expression of my own views, I would strongly urge the advantage of employing the immigrants on public roads throughout the confiscated blocks to the north of the Waikato and Paparata. This would give increased value to the land, and the outlay would be probably be recouped on the disposal of the land. The General Government has unexpected difficulties to contend against. At a time of great financial emergency, the Provincial Council has shewn no disposition whatever to afford any assistance to the General Government in the settlement of the immigrants in one of the most fertile districts of the Province. The Council indeed has scrupulously abstained from any action whatever, and the Superintendent has refused to recommend to the Council any disproportionate division of the Provincial funds, with a view to provide these immigrants with employment. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Charles Knight.

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AND LOCATION OF IMMIGRANTS.