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Enclosure 8 in No. 23. Mr. A. O. Ottywell to the Agent-Genebal. Sib, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 10th February, 1877. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th instant, in which you inform me of certain changes you have determined to make in the constitution of the agency for New Zealand in Scotland, and offer me the appointment of Secretary to the Agency in Edinburgh. I beg to thank you for this offer, and to intimate my acceptance of it. Your letter contains also certain instructions. These, as well as all other duties pertaining to the appointment, shall be carried out to the best of my ability. The Hon. Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G., I have, &c, Agent-General for New Zealand. Albebt 0. Ottywell.

No. 24. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. (No. 111.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sir, — 7th February, 1877. Referring to your instructions to me to settle the question of the Blackwell depot, I have the honor to state that I have had two interviews with Mr. Hill, the lessee of the Blackwall depot, as also the lessee of the depot at Plymouth. I found that Mr. Hill was anxious in every way to meet the views of the Government. He was willing to keep up the Blackwall depot on the guarantee of the smallest number that would pay his actual expenses out of pocket. I was unable to make any proposition on the subject. I told him that it was convenient to have a depot at Blackwall, which could be used in case of need, but at the same time not only would the total number of emigrants sent out be reduced, but I also recognized that where Plymouth could be reached at the same rate, it was desirable to save the emigrants the miseries of the Channel passage. I found that Mr. Hill had been making, and was still continuing to make, elaborate arrangements with tho railway companies to enable emigrants to reach Plymouth at much reduced rates and with extra comfort. Mr. Hill also agreed, on my suggestion, to waive so much of his claim to compensation as might be covered by the number of emigrants using the Plymouth depot during one year. I think this is a very handsome arrangement on the part of Mr. Hill, and one which entitles him to the thanks of the Government. I enclose correspondence with Mr Hill, as also correspondence with the Colonial Office, on the subject of despatching emigrants from Plymouth or Falmouth, instead of London. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister for Immgiration, Julius Vogel, Wellington. Agent-General. *

Enclosure 1 in No. 24. Mr. A. Hill to the Agent-General. Colonial Government Emigration Offices, Reading, Sir,— 20th January, 1877. I now write, as you desired me, on the subject of emigration and the depot service, before being granted an interview. The first point to which I wished to draw your attention is, that it having been decided by the New Zealand Government not to continue the Blackwall depot, I am now making arrangements to close it on the 25th March. But in the event of any fresh circumstances having arisen which would lead you to desire to rescind that resolution, arrangements might still be made to continue it, provided they were made at once ; and I think it fair and right to your Government that you should have the latest opportunity to act in case any change may have occurred in your views on this point. In the next place I am desirous to know whether, in the event of a resumption of emigration in the spring, you will be likely to avail yourself of your Plymouth depot for your people. Without involving any contract as to numbers, it is desirable that I should know this. We shall have a certain number of ships for the New South Wales and South Australian Governments, and in making arrangements at Plymouth this spring it will be an advantage to know approximately what provision to make for all. The details relating to the working of Plymouth, with relative cost, capacity and convenience, and the facilities afforded by special railway arrangements, are matters which I should desire to lay before you in person if you will kindly accord me the opportunity to do so. I have, &c, Sir Julius Vogel, &c, <fee, A. Hill. Agent-General for Zew Zealand.

Enclosure 2 in No. 24. Mr. A. Hill to the Agent-General. Colonial Government Emigration Offices, Reading, Sir, — 31st January, 1877. Referring to my interview with you on the subject of the depot service, I have deferred writing for a day or two in order to go very closely into the question of Blackwall, as I gathered that you would still like to have an effort made to give you the option of continuing it; and I therefore wished to calculate more in detail than I had before done while under the impression that the decision