D—2.

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of your Government as to the closing of that depot was final. I can now put the question of Blackwall before you, having heard your views, in a somewhat different shape from that we discussed, and am prepared to submit an alternative proposal, to meet your wish as far as practicable, for Blackwall or Plymouth —not that I at all desire to urge the continuance of Blackwall, because, for a comparatively small amount of emigration, I believe Plymouth would, all things considered, serve you better, but it is right that you should have before you the best terms I can arrange for Blackwall if you desire to retain it, and I may have somewhat misled you as to this at my interview, through not having sufficiently considered the point. I will put in writing proposals, with full details as to rail fares, &c, to Plymouth, and give them to you on Monday or Tuesday, so as to incur no further delay, if you will kindly spare me a few minutes for personal explanation at the same time on one of those days. I have, &c., Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G., Arthur Hill. Agent-General for New Zealand.

Enclosure 3 in No. 24. Mr. A. Hill to the Agent-Geneeal. Sib, — Reading, 3rd February, 1877. It having been decided by the Government of New Zealand that Blackwall depot will no longer be required, the contract which was made in 1874 stands thus : —30,000 statute adults were to have been sent from the depot, 24,915 statute adults have been actually sent, leaving 5,085 deficiency, which, at the agreed allowance of Is. per statute adult, amounts to £254 55., the sum now due to me on the contract. With the view to seek an arrangement which would at the same time answer my purpose, provide you with depot service for your people, and avoid the necessity of taking what might appear as a stringent view with respect to the penalty, I beg to submit to you as follows : — That my claim for the £254 ss. shall be deferred for one year, till the 31st March, 1878, and that all the emigrants you may send from Plymouth in the meantime shall count in reduction of the 5,085 statute adults deficient on the Blackwall contract, you only paying me, on the 31st March, 1878, Is. per statute adult on the deficiency, if any, which may then still remain out of the 5,085 now due to me. The terms to be paid at Plymouth to be those now in force with the other Colonial Governments, the same rate per diem as at Blackwall. The advantages of the depot service at Plymouth are — Accommodation. We have three times more space than at Blackwall, open yard room for exercise, and better appliances, and are therefore better able to provide in all respects for the comfort and wants of the people. Luggage. There is ample store room for boxes, which are thus under our control, and accessible to the people, whereas at Blackwall heavy dock and pier dues are levied, and a separate building required. Also, the examination of boxes for prohibited articles is thus rendered practicable. Arrival. Arrangements exist for meeting trains and steamers on the days of arrival, to convey the people's luggage in vans direct to the depot, so that emigrants are not liable to plunder, or put to any cost whatever. Embarking. The depot having a fine frontage to the open sea, with secure private landing dock and steps, the embarking is very convenient indeed for both emigrants and their boxes. Single Women. The space for out-door exercise in so cheerful a situation enables us to keep the single women in the depot, without the confinement being a hardship, and thus they are saved from many risks. Irish and Scotch Emigrants. The steamers from Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, and Belfast bring Irish emigrants direct to Plymouth at a smaller cost than they would pay to reach London, and the Glasgow boat brings Scotch emigrants also at very low fares. Railway Arrangements for English Emigrants. We have now in work a system of passes by which all emigrants are able to take tickets from the principal stations in the South and South-west of England at rates considerably below ordinary thirdclass fares, available by all trains, with extra luggage free, and this will very soon be extended to the whole of the Midland and Northern Counties. Under this plan, which involves no cost to the Colonial Government, taking the average of the whole kingdom, Plymouth is quite as cheap of access for the emigrants as London. The people who live actually in London are certainly under some small disadvantage, but considering that even to reach Blackwall they incur some cost, while at Plymouth they escape all luggage charges and dock dues, have no expenses from the station, and avoid the Channel passage, they are not prejudiced much, while the emigrants from the South, South-west, Midland Counties, Wales, and North of England, are certainly given an advantage. Departure of Ships. When the people are embarked at Plymouth they escape all danger of rough weather, &c, and delays in the Channel, for with a W.S.W. wind a ship clears Cape Finisterre, while one from London