D.—2

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3rd. Report from European Mail that large numbers of young women from Northern Counties of England went by ship " City of Dunedin." —With regard to the extract cited by the Manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company from the European Mail, to the effect that a considerable number of the young women by the " City of Dunedin," from the Clyde to Canterbury, were from Durham and the Northern Counties of England, the actual facts are as follows: — Eight only of the single women were from England, and of these, one only was from Durham, two only were from Lancashire, and five from Surrey, Somerset, and Devonshire. As regards the single women from the Northern Counties, I need scarcely point out that the Clyde is probably as near a port for their embarkation as London. In the case of the single women from Surrey, Somerset, and Devonshire, I may remark that the " City of Dunedin " was the last emigrant vessel for the season from any port for Canterbury, and was therefore the last opportunity for free emigrants proceeding to that district for some months. They had therefore either to go by the " City of Dunedin," or postpone their going for five or six months. In no case was any assistance given towards travelling expenses of the emigrants to Glasgow, so that no extra expense was incurred by the Government. I may add that the " City of Dunedin " was put on in accordance with the wish of the Government that other districts besides Otago should have the benefit of the Clyde emigration, and as her complement of emigrants completed the number of emigrants ordered to be sent to Canterbury, it was not possible to engage the " Wairoa " to take any at the same time from London. I attach copy of letter to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration, No. 839, dated 27th October, 1876, referring to the circumstances under which the " City of Dunedin " was despatched. 4. General question as to sending Irish from the Clyde. —As to the general question of sending Irish emigrants from the Clyde, to which the Manager refers in his letters of 28th July and 23rd August, as not contemplated either by the Company or by the Government, I give the following extract from letter of April 30th, 1875, containing instructions from the Government to Dr. Featherston, viz.,—" Emigrants from the North of Ireland, when they cannot be shipped from Belfast, should in my opinion be shipped from Glasgow." 5. I think it right also to point out that while a certain number of English emigrants to Otago went by the Clyde ships during the past season, yet on the other hand all the Scotch emigrants for the other provinces had to come to London, and go by the Company's ships. During the last emigration season, 299 English went by the Clyde ships to Otago ; 276 Scotch went by London ships to other provinces. Under any circumstances it is difficult to limit English emigrants entirely to London vessels, or Scotch emigrants entirely to Clyde vessels, so much depends on the provinces to which they are going, and the times at which they are ready to start. For instance, if there is an emigrant vessel sailing from London for Hawke's Bay, and say twenty or thirty Scotch emigrants are ready to go to that province, it certainly seems to me that the only course to adopt is for such emigrants to come to London and embark by the direct vessel, and a similar remark would apply also to English emigrants for Otago going by a Clyde ship. Emigrants very often prefer to pay extra for their railway carriage to the port of embarkation, rather than wait a month or six weeks for the next vessel, although it may start from a port nearer to them. I would venture to say, therefore, that it appears to me very inexpedient for the Government to be bound down to sending certain emigrants from certain ports. As a rule, English emigrants will start from English ports, and Scotch emigrants from the Clyde, but it will be found desirable in practice that such a rule should admit of some exception. The first and main object is, I presume, to put the emigrant on board-a ship which is going direct to the port of the district to which he desires to go, the next is to send him from a port nearest to where he resides, but it is obvious that it is not always possible to carry out both objects, aud where that is the case the first must be given the preference. 6. Private passengers by emigrant ships. —As regards the question, alluded to by the Hon. the Minister for Immigration in the last paragraph of his letter, of the Clyde emigrant ships being allowed to take single men as private passengers, while the New Zealand Shipping Company were refused, the facts of the case are as follows : —■ Under the contract of 1875, this class of passengers were not allowed to be taken on emigrantships, except under very exceptional circumstances. In the Premier's telegram of April 21st, 1876, it was specially noted that such passengers could be taken, on approval of the Agent-General. The late Agent-General (Dr. Featherston) deemed this to mean that the strictness with which he had hitherto carried out this provision was to be relaxed. A letter was written to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration, No. 437, of May 30th, 1876, in which this construction of the clause of the agreement referring to the matter was given : — Mr. Andrews, of the Scotch agency, was authorized to approve on behalf of the Agent-General in the case of private passengers going to the colony by the Clyde emigrant ships. Soon after Sir W. Power came into office, the New Zealand Shipping Company for the first time asked for approval of two single men as saloon passengers for the " Orari" to Auckland. Sir \V r. Power, to whom the application was submitted, looked at the printed shipping agreement which had then come to hand, and, having a strong opinion as to the inexpediency of allowing such passengers to be taken by emigrant ships, refused to approve, notwithstanding that he was informed of the position of the matter, and of the construction Dr. Featherston put upon the terms of the agreement as conveyed to him by the telegram of April 21st. The Manager of the Snipping Company had then a personal interview with Sir W. Power, but the approval was still withheld. The Manager then wrote a letter on the subject, and Sir W. Power having first ascertained that the Government had not taken exception to the mode of dealing with the matter as communicated in above-mentioned letter of May 30th, 1876, and which could have been answered by that time, consented to give his approval in future cases, and this was accordingly done, Sir W. Power