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also that I am a gentleman upon whom every reliance can be placed, and that such ship would be well worth the consideration of any persons who contemplate proceeding to New Zealand at their own expense. Personally, I will gain no pecuniary advantage by this arrangement, as my special-settlement party is made up, but I secure a larger and better ship for my special settlers, and introduce a further valuable addition to our colony free of all expense to the Government of New Zealand. I observe from some late Parliamentary Papers that the emigrants introduced by Messrs. Burton and Holloway have cost the colony about £30 each, between passage-money, commission, and such expenses: if therefore I thus import 100 passengers at their own expense, it will, not only be a clear gain of £3,000, but they will introduce on an average a capital of £50 each, which will represent a further sum of £5,000, and this is the class of emigrants we require. Trusting that in the interests of the colony you will give me your official co-operation in the introduction of paying passengers outside of my special settlers, I have, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand. Geo. Vesey Stuart.

Enclosure 4 in No. 25. Mr. G. V. Stewart to the Agent-General. Sir, — Martray House, Ballygawley, 25th January, 1878. I have the honor to request you will kindly send me a reply to my letter of the 14th instant, as time is a matter of the most considerable importance to our party in making arrangements for our special ship. Tou will observe from my letter, to which I have referred, that I do not ask to bind you (as representing the Government of New Zealand) to any engagement; but I merely asked you to forward my statement to your Agents, and I conclude that the confidence reposed in me by the Waste Lands Board of Auckland and the Government of New Zealand has been fully confirmed by the results. I have, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand. Geo. Vesey Stewart.

Enclosure 5 in No. 25. The Agent-General to Mr. G. V. Stewart. Sir, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 29th January, 1878. I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 14th and 25th instant. I cannot admit that the alternative of my not consenting to act upon an unsigned agreement, not yet approved, as far as I was aware, by the Government, and liable to be altered or disapproved, was that which you represent in your letter of the 14th instant. The memorandum concerning the certificates to which you refer consisted of a rough note which I made on a sheet of paper of the information which I believed I should require to enable me to decide if the emigrants were desirable. That note was as follows : — " Names, addresses, ages, health, previous occupation, intended pursuit in colony. Have they made any arrangement to settle on the land ? " The form which I sent you with my letter of the 31st ultimo, and which you describe as a schedule, simply embodies, and is quite consistent with, the contents of this note. As I have already explained to you, no delay was involved, for I should not have considered myself justified in issuing certificates until the money was paid, and the agreement received by me from the Government. I have now received the proposed agreement, and find that I was fully justified in declining to look upon it as concluded. I regret that you did not think it necessary to furnish me with a copy of the telegram sent to you by Mr. Reid on the 31st July, the contents of which are set forth in the letter which you will have received by the present mail from the Hon. Mr. Macandrew, and of which he has furnished me with a copy. I append a copy of the telegram, from which you will observe that it was expressly intended to dissuade you from coming home. I am now directed by the Government, who inform me that it has not been possible to put the agreement into shape sooner, to take care that the form of agreement which they forward to me is properly signed by yourself, with all necessary formalities, after which it is to be returned to the colony for the signature of His Excellency the Governor. I send herewith a copy of the same for you to examine; and if you are prepared to sign the original, which I retain, and will inform me accordingly, I will either send it to my Agent, Mr. Turbitt, of Strabane, with directions how it is to be signed by you in his presence, or will retain it at this office should it be more convenient for you to sign it in London. Referring to your application for a circular letter to the Local Agents connected with this department, I am willing, on the agreement being duly executed by you, to issue a letter of which the following is a copy : —■ " Mr. G. Vesey Stewart has made an arrangement to acquire from the Government of New Zealand land for a special settlement, upon which he agrees to introduce immigrants. I have to inform you that Mr. Stewart may desire to seek your aid, and in that case I shall be glad if you will render him such assistance as you conveniently can, upon such conditions as Mr. Stewart and yourself may agree to.