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afraid of being compelled to go, as her father was not allowed to see her, and had been forciblyexpelled from the depot. I, thinking that this girl's father, as her natural guardian, had a right to be with her at such a time, had him admitted on condition that he would make no fuss till matters were arranged. A minute afterwards, while standing quietly beside his daughter, he was seized (by a Mr. Smith, who engages these emigrants) and forcibly hustled out of the depot, against the expressed wish of your officer, who was rudely informed that he had no authority within this so-called Government emigration depot. While deprecating undue interference on the part of your officers, I submit that there are many occasions on which they require to protect intending emigrants from the overbearing and even bullying treatment of some of these emigration agents and their subordinates. I have, &c, The Principal Officer, Board of Trade, Plymouth. W. S. MacKinlay.

Enclosure 5 in No. 15. Mr. Kennaway to the Assistant-Secbetaby, Marine Department, Board of Trade. Sib, —■ 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., Bth September, 1883. I am directed by the Agent-General to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 14th ultimo, relating to the case of a girl named M C , who was to have sailed in the ship " Taranaki " for New Zealand. The Agent-General will always be most glad to inquire into any case which may be brought under his notice by the Board of Trade, and he now desires me to transmit to you a report on the present one by his Despatching Officer (not received from Agent-General), from which the Board will see that the circumstances as there detailed differ essentially from those which were represented to them by their Emigration Officer. The Agent-General entirely recognizes the right of the Board of Trade to require a full investigation of any case where their officers may think it necessary for the protection of intending emigrants. But it appears to him that, in the present case, the Emigration Officer overstepped his duty in giving orders for the admission of the father of M C , after orders for his exclusion had been given by the Agent-General's Despatching Officer. If an officer of the Board of Trade has a right, under the Act, to give his own orders in the emigration depot, superseding orders by the proper officers of the colonial Governments, it is obvious that new arrangements must be made for the internal management of the depwt; and the Agent-General hardly sees at present how such arrangements could be made, so as not to interfere with the proper responsibility of his own officers. The embarkation of a number of people on the departure of every ship is a different business, and it often happens, especially in the case of single girls leaving their parents, that the desire to stay at home comes strongly upon them at the last moment, after all the pains and expense have been incurred by the Colonial Government of bringing them to the depot and providing their passage : indeed, this is so natural that, whenever it does happen, the emigrants are told as a matter of course that they are perfectly free to go home if they please. But, if the Agent-General is to understand that the Board of Trade claims the right for their officers to give orders in such cases at their pleasure, the subject would require very careful regulation for the future, and a clear understanding of the relative authority of his own officers and those of the Board of Trade. The Agent-General is not aware as yet of the nature or the limits of the authority under which such a right could be claimed, nor whether it is really claimed by the Board; and he would be much obliged if the Board would direct such explanation to be given to him on this point as they may think right. The Agent-General has not observed without some regret that, in the letter you have been directed by the Board to address to him, it is taken for granted that the accusations against his Despatching Officer of having " seized " the father of M C and " forcibly hustled" him out of the depot are true. As the evidence of the Despatching Officer and the depot-master distinctly denies their truth, the Agent-General trusts that the Board will refer that evidence to the Emigration Officer with orders to give further explanation. The imputation of personal violence is a serious one, and should either, the Agent-General thinks, be substantiated by your officer, or be withdrawn. ; I have, &c, Walter Kbnnaway, Secretary to the Agent-General's Department. The Assistant Secretary, Marine Department, Board of Trade.

Enclosure 6 in No. 15. Mr. T. Geay, Board of Trade, to Mr. Kennaway. Board of Trade (Marine Department), Sib,— Whitehall Gardens, S.W., 31st October, 1883. I am directed by the Board of Trade to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the Bth ultimo, respecting the case of the girl named M 0- , and, in reply, to state that they have instituted a further investigation into the circumstances referred to, and are of opinion that their Emigration Officer was not exceeding his duty in giving orders for the admission into the depot of the girl's father, seeing that he could not have been aware of the instructions previously given by the Despatching Officer for the man's exclusion. The Board feel it their duty to insist upon the right of their officers to interfere in all cases where emigrants, or intending emigrants, apply to them for assistance, or when their interests appear to the officer to require his intervention; and they are not prepared to make any exception from this course at Plymouth, or in cases in which the "passengers " are about to proceed under

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