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No. 3. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. Sir, — 7. Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 20th June, 187 S. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 21th April, No. 78, regarding the proposed bonus on sugar manufacture in New Zealand. I subjoin aEeuter's telegram which appeared in all the papers to-day throughout this country, by which you will see the most extensive publicity has been given to the notice. As a result, inquiries have already been made on behalf of tho Mr. Duncan mentioned in your letter, and I have expressed my desire to have an interview with him. I will use my best exertions in the direction you desire, but I venture to express the opinion that,, unless the terms can be modified, I shall not meet with much success. The terms as they are set down would give no assurance to any one embarking in the enterprise that some one might not forestal him in obtaining the Government premium, since whoever first produced the 500 tons would be entitled tothe reward. If you were in a position to insure any one who agreed to procure the plant, and go to the necessary expense, that he would have a reasonable time to carry out the undertaking, and, subject to his being able to produce the required amount in a given time, be secure of the bonus, he would have something tangible to go on. The information you afford about the growth of beet-root is not sufficient to attract capitalists. They would require not only to know that beet-root will grow, but also the cost of producing it. Supposing even they were content to form their own estimate on this head, they would, at any rate, require information as to the amount of saccharine matter contained in the beet. Experience shows that this varies much, and lam mistaken if it is not a point to which much importance is attached. If you can furnish some reliable analyses you might much assist the negotiation. In the meanwhile I will do all I can. I may venture to call your attention to the papers on the subject of beet-root presented to the New Zealand Assembly in 1876. I studied the subject very attentively for many months, and in those papers appeared the result of my investigations. The greatest inducement to persons proposing to manufacture beet-root sugar would be the assurance that no excise duty would be levied for a reasonable period. Let me earnestly ask why such an assurance could not bo given. I am certain, if the industry were started, no one would think of hampering it with an excise duty for a long while, any more than has been done with ale, or wine, or tobacco, in New- Zealand and the other colonies. The assurance would be invaluable as a security, whilst really it would amount to nothing more than guaranteeing that which, without the assurance, would inevitably be the case. I think a compan) r might be content with the assurance that an excise duty will not be imposed for, say, ten years, unless within that time the profits average, for three years, 10 per cent. This would still make the security imperfect, because the Legislature could reduce the import duty; but the company might bo induced to run that risk. I have, Ac., Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Agent-General.

Auckland, New Zealand, May 28, (via San Erancisco). The New Zealand Government has advised Sir Julius Vogel, the A gent-General in London, that it is prepared to give a bonus of £5,000 for the first 500 tons of beet-root sugar produced in the North Island, and a similar bonus for the same quantity produced in the Middle Island.

No. 4. The Agent-Geneeal to the Hon. the Minister for Immigeation. Sic,- —■ 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 20th June, 1878. Referring to your letter No. 65, of the sth April last, I have the honor to transmit copies of letters which have passed between the Albion Shipping Company and myself on the subject of their tender for shipping from the Clyde. I have, &c, Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Agent-General.

Enclosure 1 in No. 4. The Agent-Geneeal to the Managing Director, Albion Shipping Company. Sir, — 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, S.W., 14th June, 1878. I have the honor to inform you that the Government of New Zealand are prepared to accept, your tender for shipping, subject to the condition that, should they arrange for the carriage o£ emigrants by steamers, they may, by four months' notice, dissolve the contract with you. I have, &c, Julius Vogel, The Managing Director, Albion Shipping Company. Agent-General.