Da—B.

2

Under the free-passage system of immigration, the rule which has generally been followed by the Agent-General has been to limit the granting of such free passages to married men under forty-five years of age, to single men under forty, and to single women under thirty-five years of age—children under twelve not to exceed three in a family. In the event of a suitable family presenting themselves with more children than three, it has been the rule to take cash or promissory notes for the passages of the extra children, and the same course is adopted in the case of persons above the prescribed age and having no special qualifications to recommend them. Since the free-passage system was adopted, the Agent-General has taken in this way from emigrants (by the latest advices) a sum of £5,380 in cash, and promissory notes to the value of £4,700. These promissory notes, both on account of such families and on account of assisted passages, have not been at all a satisfactory arrangement for the colony. I shall speak more particularly on that point presently. It was a very common impression some months ago — although I think it has been much removed of late — that we were importing immigrants for the benefit of the other colonies. I have seen it stated in Australian papers, and also in papers published in this colony, that a large number of people were being brought out merely for the benefit of the neighbouring colonies. Now, the fact is that, ever since the Immigration and Public Works policy was fairly initiated, we have been gaining not only from the Australian colonies but also from other parts, in addition to the number of immigrants we received from England —free immigrants of our own. The balance in our favour of this immigration over the emigration of last year was 2,573, and in this year the addition to the end of August, 1875, was 2,695. So that we may rest assured that the inducements which New Zealand holds out for immigrants are something more than free passages, and that they are very generally appreciated; and it shows that the stories which have been very current are entirely without foundation. It is, I think, a subject for congratulation that, at the same time that we are importing these large numbers of people, we find a very considerable influx from the neighbouring colonies and from America. The nationality of the immigrants we have brought in is as follows : — English ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34,326 Irish ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11,974 Scotch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9,545 Foreigners ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5,477 61,322 I have had a statement made out showing as nearly as possible the trades and callings of the immigrants we have introduced; but I shall not on the present occasion trouble the House with it, but will lay it on the table for the information of honorable members. I may say that the statement is not absolutely reliable—in fact it is only approximate —for there is no doubt at all that a very considerable number of persons come out who describe themselves as belonging to a trade which they do not follow. For instance, clerks come out sometimes as agricultural labourers or as following some trade, which to a certain extent shows a want of proper examination in some of our agencies at Home, but which it would be very difficult to entirely suppress. On the whole, however, I think we have reason to be thoroughly satisfied with the immigrants both physically and morally; and I have taken some pains in ascertaining this, for here also there have been wonderful stories current as to the very bad characters that we were introducing into the colony, and their general unfitness to do anything except live on the charity of others. I have taken some pains to ascertain as nearly as possible what was their state, by inquiry and by personal observation. I have had a return prepared showing the total number of immigrants who have been committed to prison, with their various crimes, up to the 30th August of this year; and the House will bear in mind that we are now speaking of over 60,000 people introduced into the colony. The total number of committals has been 489: of these, 156 are for drunkenness, 41 for petty offences, and 91 are unspecified, their crimes, no doubt, being of a very trivial nature, for all the