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No. 46. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. Sir, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, Bth March, 1880. Referring to your letter No. 272, of the 30th December last, I have the honor to transmit copy of a circular which is being issued, containing the information furnished by you concerning the manner in which the household and other effects imported by passengers into New Zealand are dealt with by the Customs authorities. I have, &c, Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Agent-General.

Enclosure in No. 46. I am directed by the Agent-General to furnish you, for the information of intending emigrants to New Zealand, with a copy, as given below, of an extract from a letter, dated 30th December, 1879, received from the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. " It is the practice of the Customs of this colony to give a very liberal interpretation to the exemptions specified in the tariff of passengers' baggage and effects, and to admit free of duty all household and other effects imported by passengers for their own private use, and not for sale. Such articles would also be treated in the same manner if the owner, from any cause, had to leave them behind, and they were scut out by a vessel following the one in which he took his passage." Walter Kennaway, Secretary.

No. 47. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. Sir, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, 19th March, 1880. I have the honor to transmit copy of a report which I have received from Mr. G. M. Reed of his proceedings as Emigration Officer in the North of Ireland. I have, &c, Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Agent-General,

Enclosure in No. 47. Mr. G. M. Heed to the Agent-General. New Zealand Emigration Office, 2, Customhouse Square, Sir,— Belfast, 13th March, 1880. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your circular of the 25th February, in which you notify instructions received from the Government in the colony, urging '* the great importance of not in any way encouraging the emigration of unsuitable persons to the colony." You say that in his despatch the Hon. the Minister for Immigration states that " on the whole he is favourably impressed with the class of people who have come out of their own accord. Those of the agricultural class will, he has no doubt, do well; but he fears there will be considerable distress among those of the class of architects, surveyors, engineers, and tradespeople generally : and he further adds that it is impossible not to recognize that great difficulties may arise from indiscreet puffing of the colony." I have also the honor to acknowledge memorandum from Mr. Kcunaway, Secretary, of 27th February, notifying your receipt of a telegram from the Premier, stating that " the unemployed are numerous and increasing," and desiring the Agent-General " to warn men without means against coming out at present." lat once acted on these instructions, and should have formally replied ere this, but that I was waiting for leisure in order to take the opportunity of reporting to you generally on the method I have adopted in relation to emigration, and in accordance with your instructions, received from time to time, since I came over to Ireland. With regard to the first three months, May, June, and July, 1879, the correspondence was so great as to keep myself and my clerk fully employed, from which circumstance, and the great number of persons calling at the office for consultation and advice, I was unable to visit the country districts except to a limited extent. During these months I came in contact chiefly with the class of farm-labourers and domestic servants, whom I encouraged to emigrate by representing fairly, I think, the existing condition of affairs in the colony; selecting, also, and approving such a number for free and assisted emigration as you prescribed for the North of Ireland. I also encouraged the emigration of carpenters, "blacksmiths, masons, and bricklayers, knowing as I did that at that time there was demand for such, and having- no instructions to the contrary.