21

D.—la,

No. 17. The Hon. J. Vogel to the Agent-General. (No. 200.) Sin, — Immigration Office, Wellington, 7th July, 1874. I have the honor to forward herewith copy of a certain resolution upon the subject of free emigration to the colony, which was passed during the last Session of the Provincial Council of Otago, and forwarded to me by His Honor the Superintendent. I call your attention especially to the second resolution, which shows that the opiniou of the Council is in exact accordance with what I have over and over again endeavoured to impress upon you, i.e., thejiecessity of the greatest possible stringency in the selection of the emigrants. I have, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. Julius Vogel.

Enclosure in No. 17. Besolutions of Pbovinctal Council of Otago. 1. That, in the opinion of this Council, the system of free emigration at present in operation from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to this colony, is liable to great abuse, and in some respects very objectionable, and calculated to produce most injurious results, and that immediate action should be taken to remedy this evil. 2. That the selection of emigrants suitable to the requirements of this country should be a first consideration with the British Emigration Agents, and is of the most vital importance to the present and future interests of the colony. 3. That His Honor the Superintendent be respectfully requested to take such steps as may be deemed necessary to give effect to these resolutions. Passed the Provincial Council 11th June, 1874. John L. Gillies, Speaker.

No. 18. (No. 201.) The Hon. J. Vogel to the Agent-General. Sic, — Immigration Office, Wellington, lGth July, 1874. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated Hamburg, 14th May, 1874, containing a statement of the facts connected with the combination of the Now Zealand Shipping Company, Shaw Savill and Co., and the Albion Company, to raise the rate of freight to the colony, and of your action in arranging for the charter of vessels outside these firms in consequence. 2. I should not deem it necessary to comment on this letter did it not appear that you wholly fail to recognize that the course you have adopted, and which you describe therein, is one which has been repeatedly urged upon you from the colony, and which you have hitherto persistently either ignored or assumed to be impossible. 8. On the 13th May, 1872, Mr. Ormond wrote to you, giving you authority to charter vessels in order to break down the existing monopoly, and expressing the opinion that " the advantage which would accrue to the colony if the ordinary rates of freight and passage were reduced to something like those charged to Australia is obvious; and as this can probably be attained in the first instance only by your chartering vessels, and throwing them open, the interests of all classes of the colony would in such case be materially promoted by your doing so." On the 6th July following, Mr. Ormond again wrote, —" I would suggest that no further contract for ships for a lengthened period should bo entered into, and that in place of so doing it would be more advisable to use the ships available from time to time, making arrangements for each vessel as required ; and in the event of your being unable to make arrangements you deem satisfactory, that you then charter vessels as proposed in my memorandum of 13th May." 4. When the contract you had entered into with Messrs. Shaw, Savill, and Co. approached its conclusion, you telegraphed for authority to continue it in the following terms : —" Unless Savill's contract renewed, impossible carry on emigration present state. Eequisite shipping unprocurable." That authority was refused by telegram of 4th January, 1873, viz.,—" Do not renew Savill's contract without express instructions." And by telegram of 29th January, 1873, —" Having communicated with New Zealand, the Government instruct you absolutely not to renew contract with Shaw, Savill." On the 12th April, I forwarded you a telegram approved in Cabinet, further instructing you not to employ Messrs. Shaw, Savill, and Co., and telling you not to let those gentlemen know when you wanted ships, but to arrange for each as wanted privately, through respectable owners or brokers. This suggestion you stated, in your reply of the 11th July, was impracticable; and in the same letter you said, —" I may add, that whenever I have attempted to charter a vessel privately for a lump sum, the amount demanded would have invariably entailed a serious loss upon the Government, the cost of passage money per adult would have been raised to about £20, and the rates of freight would have been increased by about 100 per cent. The Government has no cargo to give except railway plant and rough measurement goods, and it would be in vain for them to attempt to compete with Messrs. Shaw, Savill, and Co." Meanwhile you allowed yourself to be forced into paying the exorbitant rate of £17. The Government were thus most reluctantly compelled by your action and inaction to enter into arrangements with the New Zealand Shipping Company, to give them a monopoly for six months. It has not been concealed from you with what regret the Government felt themselves compelled to make that arrangement.

D. 1, 1872, p. 40.

D. 1,1872, p. 49.

D. 5,1873.

.D. 1,1873, p. 64. i

iD. 2c, 1873, p. 7. i [

I D. 28, 1873, p. 4.