D.—2a.

6

5. In concluding my letter of 20th October above referred to, I expressed the hope " that under the extreme pressure now put upon this office to supply the colony with so large a number of immigrants within so short a space of time, I may continue to find the reports of the Commissioners in as considerable a proportion bearing testimony to the good order of our ships and the good character of our immigrants." Since the date of that letter, I have been advised of the safe arrival in the colony of the seventy-four ships above specified. It is matter for grateful recognition upon my part that, in a service conducted on such a large scale and under such great pressure, with the single exception of the lamentable disaster of the " Cospatrick " there has been no casualty of account; as well as that among the myriads of people, of all ages and conditions, whom it has been my duty, in obedience to the orders of the Government, to despatch to the various provinces of the colony, it has been possible to maintain, with such inconsiderable exceptions, that high standard, both physical and moral, which the people of New Zealand have a right to expect on the part of those whom they have chosen to associate with themselves in the task of colonizing their islands. I have, &c, I. E. Peatiieeston, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 12. The Agent-Geneeal to the Hon. the Colonial Secbetabt. (No. 356.) 7, "Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sib,— 29th May, 1875. In continuation of my letter of the 13th May, No. 283, I have the honor to forward, for the information of the Government, a copy of a despatch which I have this day received from the Hon. the Premier on the subject of the Immigrants' Land Act, in reply to my letter of the 11th May, communicated to you in the letter of the date and number above specified. As the Hon. the Premier expresses a desire that his letter should close this correspondence, and as indeed I have nothing to add to the opinions I have already so fully expressed on the subject, it only remains for me to lay his despatch before the Government. I have, &c, I. E. Feathebston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Agent-General.

Enclosure in No. 12. The Hon. Sir J. Vogel to the Agent-Geneeal. 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sib,— 28th May, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter .of 11th May, in reply to mine of 24th April. 2. In stating that I was willing to allow to you all the satisfaction you could derive from the fact that the advertisement complained of —as to the Immigrants' Land Act—was sent to you by myself, I did not accuse you of acting in an " unworthy spirit." You have chosen to consider that such satisfaction is unworthy. Whether it be so or not, your letter under reply affords proof that you do not undervalue the importance of the advertisement having been sent to you by me. Indeed, you appear to be now laying more stress upon the advertisement than you have done before. 3. I cannot accept your recollection of what passed at our earlier interviews here. lam satisfied that you gave me to understand that it was your opinion that the Immigrants' Land Act left you no discretion in your approval of immigrants. If you had not expressed such an opinion, what possible reason could I have had for asking Mr. Mackrell to advise whether, under the Act, "the Agent-General is entitled to use any discretion in his judgment as to who are or are not suitable immigrants "? lam quite clear in my recollection that the advertisement and my instructions were not the causes you alleged to me, at our interviews, of your not having the right or power to exercise discretion. 4. I accept the responsibility of having sent the advertisement; but since you have dwelt so much on its effect, I must say that, had you not from the first regarded the Act with disfavour, you might easily, and no doubt you would, have remedied the mistake of the advertisement. In the body of the letter covering the advertisement, I said, " You will observe that immigrants who pay their own passages to the colony will be entitled, under conditions of occupation and settlement, to have purchased on their account £20 worth of land, in any part of the colony they may select, at any time within five years of their arrival." Again, I said, " All emigrants coming under the Act will have to be approved by yourself, or by some one appointed by you." I also made some remarks upon the character of the immigrants required, which showed that you were expected to exercise discretion. Eeferring to the advertisement, I said, " I suggest that you should widely publish in the newspapers a notice to the effect of the one appended hereto." Whilst, then, Ido not shrink from responsibility in the matter, I must point out to you that there was in the body of my letter abundant material to lead you to conclude that it was desirable you should amend the advertisement before publishing it. By using the words "to the effect of the one appended hereto," I certainly avoided shutting you out from altering the terms of the notice. lam primarily responsible for the advertisement, but lam not prepared to admit that its publication laid the foundation for such claims as you now suggest; and, if it did so, you were not free from responsibility for failing to alter the terms of the notice. 5. Respecting the case of Mr. U'Ren, the objection of the Government was to your favourably recommending the application for consideration. In saying this, I do not forget the terms of the