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that our being put on tho same footing as strangers is scarcely fair to us or advantageous to the service. We are, &c, AVm. W. Dunkley, Late Surgeon-superintendent ship "Hydaspes." (Formerly of ships " Columbus," " Eastern Monarch," " Tintern Abbey," Waimea," and " AVaitara.") William Russell, Late Surgeon-superintendent ship "Rakaia." (Formerly of ships " La Hogue," "Bebington," " Hannibal," and " Waipa.") W. G. Ross, Late Surgeon-superintendent ship " Waitangi." (Formerly of ships " Dilharree," "Rakaia," "Rangitikei," and " Opawa.") The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington.

No. 19. The Hon. J. Ballance to the Agent-Geneeal. Sic,— Immigration Office, Wellington, N.Z., 24th December, 1878. I have the honor to inform you that the Government have appointed George McCullough Reed, Esq., to be an Agent to promote emigration from Great Britain to this colony. The enclosed copy of a letter to Mr. Reed —which is forwarded for your guidance —will show you the terms and conditions of his appointment. I have, &c, J. Ballance, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. (for the Minister for Immigration.)

Enclosure in No. 19. The Hon. J. Ballance to Mr. G. M. Reid. Sic,— Immigration Office, Wellington, 18th December, 1878. I have the honor to inform you that you are appointed an Agent to promote emigration from Great Britain to this colony. And the Government will be obliged by your reporting yourself to the Agent-General, at No. 7, Westminster Chambers, London, as soon as you can conveniently do so. Your salary will be at the rate of £600 per annum from this date, and your engagement is for two years, terminable after that period by six months' notice. _ You will be allowed such travelling expenses, while engaged on emigration business in Great Britain, as the Agent-General may consider reasonable and fair. The sum of £250 will also be allowed you for your passage to London, and you will be entitled to a similar amount on account of your return passage to the colony, at the termination of your engagement. Copies of parliamentary papers, and all necessary books and papers to enable you to make yourself acquainted with the nature of the immigration service of this colony, will be supplied to you from the Immigration Department. I have, &c. J. Ballance, G. M. Reed, Esq., Wellington. • (for the Minister for Immigration.)

No. 20. The Hon. J. Ballance to the Agent-Geneeal. Sic, — Immigration Office, AVellington, N.Z., 4th January, 1879. I have the honor to transmit the following documents relating to the ship " Hermione," which arrived at this port on the 15th ultimo, and was unfortunately placed in quarantine : — 1. Immigration Commissioners' Report. 2. Surgeon-superintendent's Report. 3. Certified list of births and deaths. You will observe that the vessel and officers are highly spoken of by the Immigration Commissioners, and it is difficult to understand how typhoid fever could break out under such favourable circumstances, after the vessel had been so long on her voyage. The surgeon attributes one possible reason to the clothing brought on board by some of the immigrants ; but I hardly think this is correct, and I am more inclined to suppose that the disease is to be traced to the water-channels in the 'tween decks. It is found that immigrants will use these for sewage purposes, under the supposition that all matter deposited in them finds it way overboard, instead of which it runs into the bilge, and forms a hot-bed for enteric fevers. It has frequently been pointed out that these water channels should be covered over, so that it would be impossible for the immigrants to get at them. And I shall be obliged by your giving positive instructions and have this done in future. Complaint has also been made by some of the immigrants that they were not allowed to draw flour, suet, raisins, <fee, instead of meat. It appears to me that it would be highly desirable to accede to the request of immigrants in this particular, which could be done with advantage to the contractors, as the articles applied for can be procured at a much less cost than meat.