D.-2.

39

Mr. Keed, with my approval, has taken on the office rooms, formerly used by Mr. Cochrane at Belfast, and will open them as an office at which information relating to New Zealand can be obtained, and where applications for free and assisted passages can be made. I have, &c, Julius Vogei, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Agent-G-eneral.

No. 55. The Agent-Genebal to the Hon. the Minister for Immighatiok. Sis, — 7, "Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 7th May, 1879. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 46, of 4th February, 1879, in reply to mine of the 29th November. It is evident from your letter that a misunderstanding has grown up on my part with respect to the views of the Government regarding the steps to be taken to induce farmers to emigrate to New Zealand, and on your part with respect to my conduct in the matter. The remark in my letter of the 29th November, which you quote, was made under a misapprehension of the particular purpose to which it was desired the Eev. Mr. Berry's services should be directed. As regards Mr. Eeed, Ido not think I had any knowledge at the time of his appointment. I thought it was intended that Mr. Berry should assist the ordinary emigration, and my remark was meant to point out that it seemed to me useless to employ a lecturer to promote that emigration, at a time when I was not authorized to send out any but nominated emigrants. No doubt an impression had grown up in my mind that the Government did not wish me to take any special steps to encourage the emigration of farmers. I did not suppose that they wished such emigration discouraged, and you are mistaken in supposing that I have discouraged it, or prevented farmers from emigrating. But the impression I had arrived at was, that I was not to search out farmers, and give to them such encouragement as might be supposed to confer on them a claim to ask of the Government why they were invited to come out, and where was the land they were to settle on. On looking through the correspondence lam not prepared to entirely justify the impression. At times there were references to the desirability of farmers emigrating. But when I first came Home, and on other occasions since, I have asked for permission to print the land laws in full, and asked that a precis of them should be sent to me for publication, from the colony; and, through my not receiving the information and permission, the impression, perhaps too hurriedly, had grown up in my mind that the Government thought the demand for land in the colony was so large that it would not be safe to specially recommend emigrants to go to the colony under the coiiviction that Government land would be readily open to them. On more than one occasion I had made arrangements for putting on a special ship for farmers, and then withdrew from the operation for fear I should be exceeding my duty. I do not wish to argue that my impression was correct. lam stating to you plain facts, and it may be that my conclusions were hastily arrived at. However, as I have said, you must not suppose I have discouraged the emigration of farmers. On the contrary I have encouraged it as far as I could without undertaking a responsibility for which I feared I might be censured by the Government. Before concluding my reference to the past, I must take leave to express regret at the apparent meaning of your concluding remark that " many emigrants have been despatched that had better not have been sent." I am disappointed at your opinion of the result of my endeavours to select suitable emigrants, if, by this remark, you mean that an undue number of unsuitable emigrants has been sent. That some emigrants, of the many despatched, have been unsuitable is, of course, the case; and no human foresight or care could guard against such a contingency. But I was under the impression that the number of the unsuitable was kept within limits which satisfied you, for scarcely has a ship arrived in the colony without the Commissioners or Emigration Agent expressing approval of the emigrants sent, either on the arrival of the ship, or in quarterly reports. I have only to add under this head, that the officers under me, as well as myself, have done the very best we could to obtain the most suitable and serviceable emigrants. Your letter under reply, apart from its apparent reflection on my conduct, has given me great satisfaction, for I feel that it justifies me in going to greater lengths in the way of procuring farmers as emigrants than I previously supposed I was warranted in doing. I have lost no time in going to work in this direction. I have prepared a pamphlet, which is now being printed, which will contain, in addition to a brief introduction by myself, copies of the recent land laws, of the land-tenure maps, and a mass of other information suitable to persons who think of settling on the lands in the colony. I have arranged to put on two vessels for farmers specially, one for Otago and one for Canterbury, to carry only one class of passengers, to whom superior accommodation will be afforded to that given to ordinary emigrants. This will meet the case of men who cannot afford saloon passages, and who object to the passages usually given to emigrants. The passage-money will be £23 a head. I propose in some cases giving assistance, to the extent of £10 per adult, to families that seem to me particularly suitable. I'inally, Mr. Berry and Mr. Eeed both heartily approve this step, and will do their best to fill up the vessels with desirable emigrants. I trust that this frank explanation will disarm any impression on your mind that I desire to set up nny views in opposition to those of the Government, or that I have felt reluctance in giving effect to their wishes. I equally hope you will approve of the steps I have taken. I believe the initiation of this new emigration will prove of infinite value to the colony. I have, &c, Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Agent-General,