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patent for Clifford's, and, if so, whether any difficulties would be likely to arise with the Imperial emigration authorities should it be considered better to do so. I have, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. H. A. Atkinson.

No. 6. The Hon. the Minister for Immigration to the Agent-General. (Telegram.) Wellington, 4th August, 1876. Send no emigrants Jackson's Bay special settlement. Six hundred Napier instead four, and one hundred Taranaki instead of two. Issue no certificates Immigrants Land Act after September. "Bebington," stop emigration Nelson, except single women. H. A. Atkinson.

No. 7. The Hon. the Minister for Immigration to the A gent-General. (No. 193.) Sir, — Immigration Office, Wellington, 24th August, 1876. In enclosing copies of the correspondence which has taken place re the ship " Fritz Eeuter," and the passengers who have arrived in the colony by her, I desire to point out that the Government have been placed at a great disadvantage throughout the proceedings in connection with this vessel, owing to the want of information from the London office with regard to the question at issue between the late Agent-General and Messrs. Sloman aud Kirchner. It was only through the courtesy of the Consul for the German Empire that the Government obtained a copy of the agreement of 11th May, 1874, signed by Mr. Sloman, and approved by Dr. Featherston, for the conveyance of 4,000 statute adults from Hamburg to New Zealand, a document of considerable importance, which certainly should have been sent to the Government. I have, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. H. A. Atkinson.

Enclosure 1 in No. 7. The Consul for the German Empire, Wellington, to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. Sir, — Consulate of the German Empire, Wellington, 26th July, 1876. Eeferring again to the subject of German emigration, and to the complaints made by Messrs. E. Sloman and Co., commented upon in your letter dated Ist June, I have the honor to inform you that Messrs. E. Sloman and Co., at the instigation of Mr. C. A. Mathei, the sub-agent representing Mr. Kirchner, the duly authorized Continental Agent for New Zealand, despatched on the 16th April last the ship " Fritz Eeuter," from Hamburg for this port, with 421 statute adults, of which number 416 have been granted free passages. Mr. Kirchner submitted to the captain, as well as to Dr. Uterhart, a certificate duly signed by the late Agent-General, and thereupon Mr. Mathei transmitted as usual his account to the office of the Agent-General in London for one-half of the passage money —viz., 208 adults at £14, £2,912 ; payment to single girls, £18—total, £2,930 ; leaving £2,912 to be settled in the usual course upon arrival of the ship at Wellington. The Agent-General then referred Mr. Mathei to his lawyers in London, and there the matter ended. Mr. Mathei forwarded his account to the solicitors mentioned, but no answer was received up to the 11th May, my latest advices. Mr. Kirchner made a declaration on oath before the British Consul at Hamburg, stating the particulars of the case —viz., that he was authorized to arrange for the shipment of emigrants, and that until the Ist February, when a telegram putting a stop to emigration was received by him from the Agent-General, he had actually engaged 600 adults for New Zealand, and that with many more in view he had, in the month of January, in the exercise of his powers as Emigration Agent conferred upon him by the late Dr. Featherston, ordered Messrs. E. Sloman and Co. to have two ships ready, and that the " Fritz Eeuter" was then chartered to sail on the 10th April to convey 475 adults, and the " Humboldt" to sail on the 25th April with 310 adults. I have in my possession a press copy of this document, which, if required, I shall be happy to forward for perusal, though it is unfortunately rather illegible in parts. The Government have, doubtless, received full particulars of this correspondence, and are aware of the reasons by which the late Agent-General was influenced to take such sudden and unexpected action, without, apparently, due regard to the possibility of any complication arising, such as has in this case resulted. If Mr. Kirchner was a duly authorized Agent of the New Zealand Government, I presume that his action in that official capacity must be acknowledged as binding up to the receipt of his instructions not to arrange for the shipment of any more emigrants, and sincerely trust that the matter may be dealt with in a liberal spirit, and that upon the arrival of the " Fritz Eeuter" the balance of £2,912 previously referred to may be paid to me on behalf of Mr. Mathei or Messrs. E. Sloman and Co., that amount being considered justly and fairly due to them. As the " Fritz Eeuter" may arrive at any moment, I have the honor to request that steps may be taken to land the immigrants without any unnecessary delay; and sincerely trusting that no difficulty may arise, I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, F. A. Krull, Wellington. Consul for the German Empire.