49

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information the books and documents in your office afford respecting their appointments, and the delay in appointing them which they complain of. In Dr. Nesbitt's letter to Mr. Ellis, the Emigration Officer at Auckland, dated 31st January, 1875, he states that in 1872 he wished to go to the colony, and applied to a medical agent to procure him au appointment, and that he was appointed to the " Queen Bee." That in May, 1873, he applied for another appointment to the Agent-General, and continued applying until September, always receiving unsatisfactory replies. That he then procured other employment till May, 1874, when he re-applied. That from that date he kept applying every few weeks until nearly October, being told all the time that surgeons were appointed for the next month, and no arrangements were made any further. That he again gave the matter up and applied to the medical agent, who told him that it was a shame, but that they could never appoint surgeons except through him. That in ten days he got a ship, and paid the agent £10. That during those months from May to October, 1874, there were despatched from London to the colony thirty-one ships, with an aggregate of over 8,000 passengers. The books at the office show that Dr. Nesbitt was first appointed to the " Queen Bee "on the 16th July, 1872. There is then an entry in the book in which were entered names of parties applying for appointments, of his name and address without any date, but underneath them is written in pencil, " Gone to Cape of Good Hope; would like a ship when he comes back. 9th September, 1873." On the 12th June, 1874, he wrote stating that he had applied some five weeks ago for a post of surgeon, and had been advised to apply later as he was in no hurry to start, and he should be greatly obliged if his name was put on the list. He then speaks of having been in the " Queen Bee;" that he had since been in the Union Steam Ship Company, Southampton, and was then surgeon in the White Star steamer " Oceanic," and intended leaving that service about the 14th July. On the 16th June he again wrote that ho would call on his next arrival at Liverpool, about the 18th July, and hoped he might prove eligible. On the 28th September, 1874, he was appointed surgeon to the "Warwick." Between the 18th July, 1874, and his appointment, thirteen appointments of surgeons appear to have been made, of whom four appear to have been old servants of the Government, four to have been on the book of applications previously to Dr. Nesbitt, two were apparently introduced by Mr. Moore, and nothing is found as to the other three except the record of their appointments. In Dr. Russell's letter to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration, dated 21st September, 1876, after speaking of his having been appointed to the " La Hogue," he states that on the 10th October, 1874, he applied for re-appointment, and eventually was nominated to the " Hannibal," which sailed on the 12th March, 1875—that is, he says, after five months' delay ; that on his last application on the Bth October, 1875, a delay of four months occurred ere he was re-appointed to the " Bebington." It appears that Dr. Russell applied for an appointment on the 21st May, 1873, by letter, and on the 30th May he was requested to state what day he was prepared to sail, and there is no further record of his case until his appointment on the 4th February, 1874. It seems that forty-one appointments were made between the end of May aud Dr. Russell's appointment, and that three of these surgeons were introduced by Mr. Moore, one of these having been introduced in September, 1872. On the 10th October, 1874, he applied for re-appointment. He was appointed to the "Hannibal" in January, 1874, but it was afterwards proposed to withdraw the ship, and transfer him to a ship about to proceed to Nelson. It was then found that the "Hannibal" could be despatched, and he was again formally appointed to her on the 11th February, but she did not sail until the 12th March. Between the first week in November and Dr. Russell's first appointment to the " Hannibal," it seems that twelve ships were despatched with surgeons, six of whom were old servants of the Government, two had been appointed before Dr. Russell applied, three had applied previously to him, and as to the other there is no record beyond his appointment; of these twelve, two seem to have been introduced by Mr. Moore. On the 9th November, 1875, Dr. Russell appears to have reported himself for re-appointment, and he was appointed to the " Bebington " on the 31st January, 1876, only four appointments of surgeons appearing to have been made in the interval, all of whom were re-appointments of old servants who had applied previously to him. It seems, therefore, that the delay which these gentlemen complain of in their getting appointments cannot be attributed to any influence of Mr. Moore's with reference to the appointment of surgeons. It is a matter of surprise and regret that when these two gentlemen were virtually told by Mr. Moore, as they allege they were, that corrupt influence was being brought to bear upon the Agent-General's Department with reference to the appointment of surgeons, they did not, in justice to this department of the Government in whose service they were about to enter, and to their own profession, at once communicate with Dr. Featherston, who would have lost no time in dealing properly with such a charge. In conclusion, we beg to express our opinion that whatever may have passed between these two gentlemen and Mr. Moore, there is no just ground on which to entertain a suspicion even that any bribe has been taken by any one in the Agent-General's office with reference to the appointment of surgeons, or that any improper influence has been brought to bear in making the same. We return all the papers which were sent to us. We have, &c, John Mackbell and Co.

No. 30. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. (No. 177.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sib,— 16th February, 1877. I think it desirable to forward to you a copy of correspondence with Captain W. Brown, of Woodstock, New Brunswick, who is desirous of making arrangements for the emigration from that country to New Zealand of a large number of families in whom he is interested. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Julius Vogel, Wellington. Agent-General. 7—D. 2.