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No 30. The Hon. J. Ballance to the Agent-Geneeal. Sic Immigration Office, Wellington, N.Z., Ist March, 1879. I have the honor to transmit the following copy of a telegram which was despatched to you yesterday, and I shall be obliged by your at once arranging for the despatch of this additional increase of emigrants:— (Telegram.) " Wellington, 28th February, 1879. —Immigrants. Increase number ordered for year by 2,000— Lyttelton, Chalmers, 575 each; AVellington, 550; Auckland, 100; Napier, 200, provided passagemoney there reasonable, otherwise ship Napier's number AVellington.— Geey.—A'ogel, London." I have, &c., J. Ballance, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. (for the Minister for Immigration.)

No. 31. The Hon. the Minister for Immigration to the Agent-General. Sic,— Immigration Office, AVellington, N.Z , 6th March, 1879. Referring to my letter of the 29th January last, I have the honor to enclose herewith copy of a letter from the manager of the Westport Colliery Company, requesting that the Government will allow fifty coal miners to bo selected for the Company through your Department, and to request that you will be good enough to give effect to Mr. Burns' application. I have, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. Robert Stout.

Enclosure in No. 31. The Geneeal Manages, AVestport Colliery Company, to the Hon. the Ministee for Immigeation Sic, — AVestport, Ist March, 1879. I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, No. 54, of the 29th January, 1879. Referring to my letter of the 17th January, I think, on due consideration, that the selection of miners for our works should be made by the Agent-General, who has better means at his disposal for the selection of immigrants. I would, therefore, feel obliged by your giving instructions to select, say, fifty first-class coal miners, from some of the best coal-mining districts in either Scotland or England ; men of small stature preferred, and with families, as they are steadier as a rule when married. The wages at present aro 10s. per diem, or an equivalent in tonnage. The working hours are nine hours for five days a week, and all work ceases at noon on Saturdays; but, of course, we may have night shifts, but this will be arranged for as a tonnage rate on the same basis. It would be desirable that the Agent-General should make some inquiries into the character of the men, both as to their moral conduct and also as to their skill as workmen, as the late strikes have exhibited most melancholy traits of depravity and bad conduct in many of this class. This is another reason why it would be advisable that tho AgentGeneral should select these people, as his agents in the various centres of population will know all these things better than any private agent can possibly do. It is possible that our Company may have a ship or steamer coming direct from Britain to Westport ; therefore, before the Agent-General ships those miners, he had better put himself into communication with our agents, Messrs. Neilson and Maxwell, 88 and 90, Cadogan Street, Glasgow, to ascertain this; at any rate I trust you will land these miners in AVeslport, in the usual manner as you do for agricultural labourers, &c, in other parts of the colony. We will require many more miners than fifty, but these will be enough to start with. The local miners are now very hard to be got, and many of them very indifferent workmen. I have, &c, A. J. Burns, General Manager, Westport Colliery Company. The Hon. the Minister for Immigration.

No. 32. The Hon. the Ministee for Immigeation to the Agent-Geneeal. Sic, — Immigration Office, Wellington, N.Z., 11th March, 1879. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th January last, No. 29, and, in reply, to inform you that it will be sufficient if you obtain the usual certificate of character and health of the Canadian axemen and others, whom tho Rev. Mr. Ogg is desirous should come out to this colony. I have, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. Robeet Stout.