9

D.—3

and the agreement relating thereto. I have also received from the Agent-General copies of correspondence between yourself and him upon the same subject. I much regret that you have sustained any inconvenience by the delay which has taken place in getting this matter completed, but I must point out to you, in reply to your complaints upon this subject, that, in a telegram addressed to you by Mr. Reid on the 31st July, and sent to the Mechanics' institute, Auckland, the following passage occurs: " I have not received resolution of Board setting land apart for purpose of special settlement. I think it would be well to have agreement finally settled before you leave, to avoid any misunderstanding. When the agreement has been completed I will give you letter to Agent-General." It is, I think, to be regretted that, notwithstanding the above intimation, you should still have entertained the belief that the matter was practically completed, and that nothing material remained to be done. But the preliminary steps which were necessary before the agreement could be completed occupied much more time than was anticipated. It was requisite that the Waste Lands Board should pass certain resolutions, and that the land for the extension of the settlement should be described and set apart. A correct description of the land was only received in this office in time to be proclaimed in the Gazette of 29th November, and the agreement which recites such setting apart could not be made until that necessary preliminary had been accomplished. I must observe upon this that had you remained in the colony these causes of delay would have been known to you, and much misapprehension on your part would have been avoided. But from the 30th July, the date of your last telegram, nothing was known of your movements by the Government until quite recently, neither had your address been left at this office, nor any request to communicate with you. I have now to inform you that the agreement has been forwarded to the Agent-General, and will arrive by the same mail as this letter. Instructions have also been given to the Agent-General to accede to the request contained in your letter of 12th October to Mr. Reid, that the £5,000 payable by you may be paid in two separate moieties, so far as the date of his receipt of my letter will admit. The wording of the agreement as to the payment on Ist January has not been altered, but if you think it necessary this can be done. With reference to your correspondence with the Agent-General on the subject of the assistance which you have desired to obtain from him, I cannot admit that the Agent-General has withheld any aid which you were entitled to expect from him as the representative of the Colonial Government. The Government is not under any obligation to assist in obtaining emigrants for the Katikati Settlement, but it is at the same time desired that the Agent-General should, when he is cognizant of the terms of the agreement, do anything in his power to forward your views consistently with the entire freedom of the Government from all responsibility in the selection and sending out of the proposed settlers. I enclose for your information and use a copy of the notification setting aside the land, and three copies of the proposed agreement. I have, &c., G. V. Stewart, Esq., J. Macandrew. Martray House, Ballygawley, Ireland.

No. 16. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. Sir,— 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 18th October, 1877. I have the honor to transmit copies of correspondence which has taken place with Mr. George Vesey Stewart, and to request you to furnish me, if you have not already done so, with instructions as to the course which I shall adopt in the matter it deals with. I would venture to express an opinion that, whilst it seems to me desirable to aid special settlements of the kind with which Mr. Stewart's name is associated, yet I doubt if it is right to give them a quasi- Government character by sharing the responsibility of seeking the emigrants for them. Much more is this the case if the aid Mr. Stewart wants is to assist him to obtain money contributions. I am writing in entire ignorance of the nature of the agreement which Mr Stewart has made, or thinks he has made, with the Government, and therefore am quite unaware to what a gwasi-official assistance would bind the Government. I have, &c, Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Agent-General.

Enclosure 1 in No. 16. Mr. G. V. Stewart to the Agent-General. Sir,— Martray House, Ballygawley, 26th September, 1877.^ I have the honor to state that I have returned to Ireland with a view to submit the Katikati Special Settlement by the introduction of 133 emmigrants and other conditions upon 10,000 acres additional sold to me by the Government of New Zealand upon the recommendation of the Waste Lands Board. (1.) I intend to publish a pamphlet on New Zealand as a field for emigration—have numerous letters from settlers, a large quantity of newspaper articles and wish to attach a map- of New Zealand, same as in Rev. Mr. Barclay's pamphlet. Will you kindly order 1,000 of such map* to be sent to the printers, as the pamphlet will be of considerable value on public grounds. I am quite willing to send 2—D. 3.