3

D.—2

After transmitting the provisional list of dates of sailing, I received your letter No. 85, of 4th May, in which I observed a minute of the Hon. J. D. Ormond, recommending that the emigrants for Hawke's Bay should be despatched so as to arrive iii November and December. In pursuance of this recommendation I propose to endeavour to send the first party of emigrants for Hawke's Bay by ship sailing Bth August, if I can get a sufficient number together by that time. I am not confident that I shall be able to despatch the whole number required for Hawke's Bay at the short intervals indicated by Mr. Ormond, but I will do my best to give effect to his recommendations. The following dates of sailing of ships, subsequent to the "Waitangi," "Wairoa," and ".Lames Nicol Fleming," have been fixed : — For Name of Ship. From Auckland, July 27 ... ... Otaki ... ... Plymouth. Hawke's Bay, August 8 ... Mataura ... ... Plymouth. Canterbury, August 10... ... Eangitikei ... ... Plymouth. The Bluff, August 15 ... ... Marlborough ... ... The Clyde. Nelson, Blenheim, and Westland, August 22 ~. ... ... Waipa ... ... Plymouth. Port Chalmers, August 24 ... Hurunui ... ... Plymouth. Canterbury, August 29 ... ... Eakaia ... ... The Clyde. I trust to be able to despatch the above vessels at the dates mentioned, with a fair number of emigrants, but of course the near approach of harvest militates very much against the prospect of obtaining farm labourers in anything like large numbers. As I have advised you in a separate letter (via San Erancisco), I have adopted special measures to promote the emigration of single women domestic servants. I have offered for the next two months to supply that class of emigrants with the ship's outfit (bedding, &c.) free of co.st, and also to give them free passes by railway and steamboat to the port of embarkation. I shall also communicate with the principal registry offices for domestic servants, offering to pay them the commission given to Local Agents for single women, and furnishing them with forms to send in. I shall exert myself to the utmost to materially increase the proportion of single women domestic servants amongst the emigrants sent out this season. In the case of both the "Waitangi" and "Wairoa" the proportion of this class of emigrants approved shows an increase as compared with previous shipments. The Scotch Agency appears to be working very satisfactorily. I intend, if I can find time, to pay it a visit of inspection before the autumn. Mr. Holloway has been engaged in endeavouring to obbtain emigrants in the neighbourhood of Yeovil, Somersetshire. I have taken an opportunity of impressing upon him the necessity of his showing tangible results for his work. I believe him to be anxious to do his best, but hitherto I am inclined to think that he has not sufficiently concentrated his efforts in one district. The correspondence of the department is now very large, and a great deal of time is occupied with the consideration of applications to emigrate, of which a largo number have to be rejected. I have been constantly engaged in one way or another in promoting the settlement of the Inscribed Stock Bill. I have now hopes that it will pass this session in a shape the Bank will be willing to adopt. I shall address you separately about it, but could not well omit reference to it in describing the work of last month. The editor of " Fraser's Magazine " admitted iv the July number a short paper which I wrote in reply to an attack which appeared in the June number of the magazine. My reply was neither so long nor so vigorous as I should have desired, but I could not have obtained admission for a longer or more decided article. The following shipments of railway material and other stores have been made during the past month : 992 tons rails and fastenings, 28 tons 10 cwt. steel, 500,000 ball cartridges, 400 (loose) shot, 173 packages military stores, 5 cases instruments, 1 case charts, 4 cases stationery (Surveyor-General), 1 case stationery (Insurance Department). Tenders for the supply of the following stores ordered from the colony have been accepted : Steel die (Inland Eevenue Stamp), Waterlow and Sons; bookbinding material, Waterlow and Sons; railway tickets, Waterlow and Sons; stationery for constructed railways, Waterlow and Sons ; Columbian press, Hopkinson and Cope; 4 tank engines (for Auckland), Avonside Engine Company. The San Erancisco mail letters from New Zealand dated up to May 7th were delivered at this office on the 19th June. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Julius Vogel, Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 3. The Agent-Geneeal to the Hon. the Ministee for Immigeation. (No. 639.) Sic— 16th July, 1877. _ I have the honor to forward for your information a copy of a letter which I have received from the Colonial Office, enclosing, by direction of the Secretary of State, a report by the British Vice-Consul at Dantzig, on German emigration to the Australasian Colonies. I have, Sec, Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Agent-General.