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Enclosure 7 in No. 34. The Under Secretary for Immigration to Captain Conning. Sir,— Immigration Office, AVellington, N.Z, 25th March, 1879. I am directed by the Hon. tho Minister for Immigration to convey to you the thanks of the New Zealand Government, for your gallant conduct in standing by the ship "Piako " while on fire, and conveying the immigrants from that vessel to the Port of Pernambuco. As a slight mark of the appreciation of the Government of your conduct, I am to inform you that the Agent-General of New Zealand has beeu instructed to pay you a gratuity of £50. And on your applying to Sir Julius Vogel, at 7, AVcstminster Chambers, Loudon, that sum will be at once paid to you. I have, <tc, H. J. H. Eliott, Captain Conning, barque " Loch Doon," London. Under Secretary for Immigration.

No. 35. The Hon. J. Ballance to the Agent-Geneeal. Sir,— Immigration Office, AVellington, N.Z., 29th March, 1879. I have the honor to transmit the imderuientioned documents relating to the ship " Boyne," which arrived at Port Lyttelton on the 26th ultimo : — 1. Commissioner's report. 2. Surgeon-superintendent's report. 3. Minutes of proceedings of an inquiry into the captain's selling spirits to immigrants. 4. Certificates of births and deaths. 5. Correspondence with captain and chief officer in re sale of spirituous liquors. You will observe that the Commissioners are unable to report favourably of the vessel, and that the light and ventilation were very imperfect. I must again direct your attention to the inferiority of some of the vessels employed on our emigration service, and request in future you will take care that none but first-class ships are passed; this, I am led to believe, will be the case, from the terms of your letter of the 27th January. It was not considered desirable to take proceedings against the captain for selling spirituous liquors contrary to the provisions of the Passenger Act, but the report of the Commissioners aud the minutes of evidence have been printed in the New Zealand .Gazette* so that publicity might be given to the irregularities which occurred during the voyage; and, lam to add, that the captain should not be allowed to proceed again in command of a vessel conveying immigrants to this colony. The recommendations of the Commissioners, that the captain's gratuity should be withheld, and that the sum of £25 should be deducted from the amount payable to the surgeon, has been given effect to. You will learn from the report that Mr. James Reed is not again recommended for employment as surgeon-superintendent. You will also regret to learn that the conduct of several of the single women is very unfavourably commented on by the Commissioners. I have, &c, J. Ballance, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. (for the Minister for Immigration.)

Enclosure 1 in No. 35. Immigration Commissioners' Report on the Ship "' Boyne." The Commissioners report the arrival of this ship on the 26th of February, after a passage of one hundred days. The general health of the immigrants had been good throughout the passage. The surgeon reported four births aud two deaths during the passage, and one death (an adult) immediately after arrival. The Commissioners are unable to report favourably on the ship; the light and ventilation was imperfect, the dead-lights leaked badly, and consequently the decks were continually wet. The discipline on board the ship was very imperfect; this was partly owing to the bad conduct of several of the single men and single women, and partly to tho fact that a number of the crew, and also the baker of the ship, were only engaged for the run out at Is. per month. Frequent quarrels among the immigrants, and also among the ship's crew, are reported in tho surgeon's journal ; one great cause, doubtless, having been the sale of spirits, which has formed the subject of a special inquiry, the report of which is appended. The provisions had been served out in accordance with tho dietary scale, and the quality was good. The regulations respecting boat and fire drill had been carefully attended to. The bath in the single-women's compartment did not work satisfactorily, in consequence of defective plumbers' work. Tho Commissioners regret that they cannot report favourably of several of the single women by this ship ; their conduct during the passage gave a considerable amount of trouble, aud, on arrival, four of them immediately left their situations, and are about tho town with the sailors of the ship. Particulars respecting them are attached to this report. In consequence of the result of the inquiry held on the 14th of March, the Commissioners feel that they would not be fulfilling their duty did they not recommeud to the Government that the No. 35, 27th March, 1870.