D.—3

46

No. 75. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. (No. 1035.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sir,— 20th February, 1874. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the Bth December (No. 267), forwarding copy of the report of the Immigration Commissioners at Lyttelton, upon the ship " Cardigan Castle," and to express my gratification at its very favourable character. I have, &c, I. E. Featherston, The Hon. Julius Vogel, C.M.G., Wellington, N.Z. Agent-General.

No. 76. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. (No. 1036.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sir,— 20th February, 1874. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of Bth December (No. 268), forwarding copy of a report of the Immigration Commissioners at Dunedin, upon the ship " Lady Jocelyn." I am glad to observe that the report, on the whole, is favourable, although I regret very much the mortality that occurred during the passage. I have, &c., I. E. Featherston, The Hon. Julius Vogel, C.M.G., Wellington, N.Z. Agent-General.

No. 77. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. (No. 1040.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sir,— 20th February, 1874. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of December Ist (No. 266), forwarding copy of a Memorandum by the Commissioners of Audit, and to inform you, in reply, that I fully concur iv the view expressed therein, that only a moiety of passage money should be paid in this country, and the other moiety on the arrival of the ship at the port of destination. In the case of the s.s. " Atrato," I did succeed in effecting such an arrangement, but within the last few days, the representatives of the three Shipping Companies have strongly objected to this proposal unless a sum of not less than 10s. per statute adult be added to the rate of passage money. I have, &c., I. E. Featherston, The Hon. Julius Vogel, C.M.G., Wellington, N.Z. Agent-General.

No. 78. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. (No. 1048.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sir,— 20th February, 1874. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 24th December, No. 291, expressing disappointment that I did not make any remarks upon it in my letter of October 31st, No. 730, enclosing a copy thereof. In reply, I beg to explain that the copy was forwarded under a formal covering letter, in pursuance of the standing instruction to send copies of all telegrams received by the next ensuing mail. I did not consider it necessary to enter fully into the subject in writing, as I had answered all the main points raised by you in my telegram of 6th November, 1873. On the minor questions I took the opportunity of addressing you very fully in my letter of 13th January, 1874, when replying to your Despatch of 25th October (No. 239). I did not consider it necessary to repeat, either by telegram or by letter, that I would do my very best to give effect to your imperative instructions, for I had already assured the Government of my desire to carry out, to the utmost of my ability, their wishes and intentions. In my telegram despatched on the 7th January last, I advised the Government of 7,000 adults for January, February, and March; and I may here state that I have every reason to believe as large, if not a far larger, complement will be despatched during the ensuing three months, provided that the requisite tonnage can be obtained on terms sanctioned by the Government.