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No. 14. The Hon. the Minister of Immigration to the Agent-General. Sir, — Immigration Office, Wellington, 6th October, 1883. I forwarded to you by the mail leaving Wellington on the 9th September a copy of the Eeport of the Joint Committee on the Direct Steam Service, and requested you, pending further instructions, to make arrangements for sending immigrants as far as possible in accordance with the terms of the resolutions adopted by that Committee. I find myself under some difficulty in giving more explicit directions in the absence of the report from you which I have been expecting for some time past, as the questions involved necessarily require knowledge of a special character, such as can only be obtained by direct communication from your office. You will understand, therefore, that Government does not desire to fetter your discretion in matters of detail, provided effect is given to the intention of Parliament in dealing with the future shipping arrangements. The purpose of the first resolution, as understood by the Government, was to indicate that no arrangement for the year should be entered into which would give a monopoly to any one company On the Government freights and passengers by steam vessels, the desire of Parliament being to wait the course of events, at any rate for another year, and, while so delaying, to gain such experience of the working of the two services as would enable it to consider what more permanent arrangements could be made hereafter. The first object to be kept in mind is the making Government freight and immigrants a means of establishing and maintaining a regular direct steam service monthly, and, with this view, both freight and immigrants should be given to steamships in preference to sailing vessels, if those ships fulfil the necessary conditions as to cost as well as other particulars. Secondly, the arrangements for carriage by steamers as to diet, &c., should be those which have obtained to the present time, with such modification as your experience may suggest for the shorter voyage by steamers. Thirdly, the cost per head of immigrants should not exceed that which has obtained in recent shipments by the steam vessels ; the Government leave it to you to determine whether you think it would be reasonable to insist on a lower rate. Having determined the rate per head for passengers, and the conditions to be insisted on, in terms of the second resolution of the Committee, the opportunity of filling in the space in their steamships should be given first to the New Zealand Shipping Company. It would seem, from the experience of the "Doric" and "lonic," that a larger number of paying passengers will be taken monthly, and it will be undesirable to interfere with these. lam hopeful that the question will continue to be one of filling in with Government immigrants in all the steamers, and, provided equally good arrangements are made for the separate accommodation of single women as have been made in the ships named, I have no fear that the difficulty arising from the mixture of passengers in other parts of the ship will fail to be met. As you have previously indicated, the success largely depends upon the appointment of skilled surgeons and matrons. This was remarkably shown in the " Doric." The question remains as to how any immigrants who cannot be carried by the monthly steamers should be disposed of. The Government desire that you should make such arrangements from time to time as will meet your requirements, giving due weight in the selection of vessels to the description of the ships to be employed and the character of their officers. With regard to vessels leaving from the Clyde, the Albion Company should have the preferential claim; and with regard to those leaving London, the claims of the New Zealand Shipping Company should be first considered, other things being equal. I shall address you in a separate letter, forwarding plans of the ship to which the resolution proposed by Mr. Macandrew in the Committee refers. I have, &c, W. Eolleston, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. Minister of Immigration,

No. 15. The Hon. the Minister of Immigration to the Agent-General. Sir, Immigration Office, Wellington, 6th October, 1884. I have the honour to forward herewith photographic plans of the ship alluded to in the resolution of the Direct Steam Service Committee, which I forwarded to you by the last mail. I have to request that you will take such steps as you may deem advisable to bring these plans under the attention of prominent firms connected with shipbuilding, especially those who are engaged in building ships for the New Zealand service. As you are aware, great interest has been shown in this form of ship by Mr. Macandrew, and I shall be glad if you will enable me to inform him of the course which you have taken in compliance with my request. I have, &c, W. Eolleston, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. Minister of Immigration, \ _________i__________B_M_m______________________*_i

No. 16. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister of Immigration. Sir, 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 25th October, 1883. I observe from the newspapers which have come by the September mail that the stories referred to in my letter of the Ist instant (No. 279) continued to go the round of the Press in th,« colony.