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D.—s

8. There can be no objection to your Honor's proposal to set aside certain specified blocks of land for settlement, and to give to the settlers employment in making roads. Such a step is clearly indicated by my letter already referred to. In it I said, — " The success of special settlement will very much depend on there being some means of employment open to the settlers during the first two years. If such employment be available, there is no reason why the settlers should not pay, at convenient periods, a fair value for the land they are to acquire. " In recognition of these principles, I shall not be averse to considering plans for special settlements, in which it will be necessary to advance some money for the employment of the settlers on useful works, to be recouped out of receipts from the settlement, to be secured to the Department. The formation of roads obviously suggests itself as the description of work on which the settlers might be employed, and the sale of the land as the source of recoupment ofthe advances; but I do not expressly name these, because I am in hopes that some effort will be made to establish forest settlements, in which the settlers would have employment offered to them to utilize the timber, the returns from which would serve as a means of repayment for advances, in addition, if necessary, to receipts from the land when cleared." I understand your Honor's proposal to be similar to what I quoted, but that you do not include the feature of forest settlements. The Department would advance reasonable sums of money for roads to improve the blocks set apart, provided the repayment of the money were made a first charge upon the receipts of land within the settlements. 9. If your Honor will forward me a map indicating the positions of the blocks and the lines of road it is necessary to make in connection with them, I will, without delay, inform you of the decision of the Department upon the application. It will be necessary that the land should be taken under the Immigration and Public Works Act. 10. Tour Honor should also state the amount of expenditure you consider would be required on each block. 11. In the event of the Government being able to carry out the proposal, regulations would have to be framed. I could frame them, and submit them to your Honor, or your Honor could frame them, and submit them to me. 12. Any expenditure would, of course, require to be carried on under the inspection of the Public Works Department; but there should be no difficulty, should your Honor desire to have the active management of the settlement, in arranging that such should be the case. 13. I observe that your Honor, in referring to blocks in the Wairarapa district, says that they should be selected. I presume, therefore, that lam to understand that your Honor is not at present prepared to indicate their positions, or the amount required to be expended on them. If so, I should be happy, with as little delay as possible, to appoint some one to make the selection; or perhaps your Honor would prefer doing so, and would then state to the Government the position of each block. 14. Perhaps a personal interview would be more conducive to rapid results than will bo possible if correspondence is to be carried on, and if such is your Honor's opinion, I shall be glad to meet you at any time that may be convenient. 15. I attach great importance to the matter, and your Honor may rely that no unnecessary delay will be permitted in attending to it. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, Wellington. Julius Vogel.

No. 53. His Honor the Supebintendent, Wellington, to the Hon. the Ministee for Immigeation. Sic, — Superintendent's Office, Wellington, 13th April, 1874. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated the 7th inst., in reply to my letter to you dated the 26th ult., upon the question of dealing with immigrants who may be landed in this Province during the next few months, and of providing land for them to settle upon. After reading such reply, I am of opinion that my letter to you of the 26th ult. did not sufficiently explain the views of the Provincial Government respecting the settlement of immigrants upon the waste lands of this Province, therefore I will again shortly put before you the proposals of the Provincial Government. lst. That the General Government should proceed (as rapidly as circumstances will allow) with the completion of the road from Masterton to the Gorge, already commenced and to be made out of £400,000 voted for roads in the North Island (see Vol. 2 of Appendix, House of Representatives, 1873, E. 1, p. 3—E. 2b, p. 9, and plan E. 2.] 2nd. If this, is agreed to, then the Provincial Government will lay off, in two or more blocks, from 20,000 to 30,000 acres of land upon such line of road, to be sold by Provincial Government to immigrants and others employed in making such roads, upon a system of deferred payments. 3rd. On the West Coast, the Provincial Government suggest that the General Government should, out ofthe vote for location of immigrants, purchase the Paraekaretu Block (46,000 acres), for the sum of £50,000 (being the amount at which such block of land was valued by General Government when security was required for the outlay on first section of Wanganui Eailway). If this proposal is agreed to, the Provincial Government will undertake to expend £25,000, being £50 per cent, of such purchase money, in making roads to and through such block. If these proposals meet with approval of General Government, the Provincial Government will have no difficulty in finding employment for the immigrants expected to arrive iv Wellington within the present year.