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1873. NEW ZEALAND.

CHARTERING OF EMIGRANT SHIPS BY THE AGENT GENERAL, (CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO).

Return to an Order of the Souse of Representatives, dated 2ith July, 1873. " That a copy of a Letter addressed to Messrs. Owen and Graham by Shaw, Saville, and Co., and transmitted to the Colonial Secretary, on the Bubjeet of the chartering of emigrant ships by the Agent-General, be laid upon the Table and printed."— (Mr. T. 2. Gillies.)

No. 1. His Honor T. B. Gillies to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir,— Wellington, 18th July, 1873. I enclose a letter addressed to Messrs. Owen and Graham, of Auckland, by Messrs. Shaw, Saville, and Co., of London, in reference to immigration arrangements in London, which I have been requested to bring under your notice and the notice of the House. After perusal I shall feel obliged by your causing it to be laid on the table of the House. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Thomas B. Gillies.

Enclosure in No. 1. Messrs. Shaw, Sayille, and Co., to Messrs. Owen and Graham. Dear Sirs, — London, 16th May, 1873. Tour Government, we find, have recently sent home to Dr. Featherston certain instructions in the matter of emigration which compel us, for the protection of our interests, and, we venture to think, of yours also, to lay before you a short history of our dealings with that gentleman. You are aware that last year we made a contract, which expired in March last, for the conveyance of all the English emigrants at £13 per adult, the Government not being bound to ship any specific number of passengers in each vessel. In January of the present year we offered to renew this contract for another twelve months at the same price as regarded ships having not less that 200 emigrants, and at £14 per adult for a less number than 200 in a ship. This offer Dr. Featherston, after telegraphing to the Government, declined. He then advertised for tenders for two ships to sail in April. We tendered at £19 19s. per adult. It appears there were no others tenders, and at an interview with Dr. Feathefston we agreed to reduce the rate to £17, one or two small concessions being made in the terms. Two more ships were then put up for May, one for Auckland and one for Otago, and again no one tendering but ourselves, our tenders were accepted. The day after they were accepted we discovered that a full complement of emigrants for Canterbury had been given to Mr. Turner (representing the Shipping Company) for a ship to sail also in May, without any tender being solicited either from us or from the general public, although it was well known that we would have been prepared to take a low rate for those emigrants. Subsequently, the Agent-General advertised for tenders for five ships to sail in June. Hearing in the city that Mr. Turner had stated that notwithstanding tenders were solicited, he was positively promised the Canterbury emigrants, we saw Dr. Featherston, and asked him plainly whether this was true, pointing out that m that case it was useless for us to tender at all. He admitted the truth of the statement, and said that although he solicited a tender, yet that he had positive instructions from the Government to give the Canterbury emigrants to Mr. Turner, even although our tender was 10s. or £1 below that gentleman's, and that he should act on these instructions. Notwithstanding this announcement, on the advertised date we sent in tenders for all the ports at £14 per adult for Otago, Canterbury, Wellington, and Auckland, and at £16 per adult for Napier, the price to be £1 more per adult if all our tenders were not accepted. Dr. Featherston, at the interview we had with him when the tenders were opened, at first told us that he could not accept our Canterbury tender, he having made a private arrangement with Mr. Turner for three or four ships. On reconsidering the matter, however, he accepted all our tenders.