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is now on a visit to this country, to distribute information regarding the colony in the provincial districts where the persons most suitable for colonial settlers are to be found. Mr. Eanderson's private business necessitated his visiting a large number of farming centres in England and Ireland, and I have paid him the sum of £25 for the manuscript of three lectures he has written on New Zealand (six copies of which have been forwarded to you in the mail-box shipped by the s.s. " Euapehu," sailing this week); and at a cost of a further sum of £25 I have had 5,000 copies printed. These are forwarded in parcels of 250 to Mr. Eanderson as he travels through the country, and he sees to their distribution. I understand that Mr. Eanderson delivers lectures on the colony, and exhibits lime-light views of New Zealand ; and that he proposes to expend the whole of the money I have paid for his manuscript in expenses connected with these lectures. I have, however, refused to identify myself, or connect the Government of the colony in any way, with these lectures, as I have not a sufficient knowledge of his abilities or prudence to warrant such a course. I shall, however, watch with no little interest the result of his lectures. I am pleased to state that the demand for information regarding the colony made by apparently desirable persons has considerably increased since the opening of the Information Bureau. No efforts are being spared in giving full and accurate information, and a large amount of printed matter is freely circulated. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier. .. W. B. Peeceval.

No. 4. Sib, — 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., 19th January, 1893. In accordance with the instructions contained in your (Minister of .Lands') letter of July last, I have lost no opportunity of endeavouring to make arrangements under which reduced passages would be provided for suitable settlers, conditionally on the Government, at their own cost, advertising extensively throughout the United Kingdom. A few weeks after the despatch to you of my letter No. 1458, of the 13th October last, I had an interview on the subject, at their invitation, with Mr. Dawes and Mr. Jackson, two of the directors of the New Zealand Shipping Company, and, after several subsequent communications, their proposals were embodied in a letter, dated the 19th December last, copy of which I attach herewith. Under the instructions contained in your letter of July, to which I have already referred, I felt that I should have been justified in at once accepting these proposals ; but, as the New Zealand Shipping Company made it a condition that for the space of twelve months the arrangement in question should not, without their consent, be extended to vessels other than their own, I deemed it desirable to communicate with you before I finally accepted and acted on the proposals in question; and, in reply, therefore, I intimated that, subject to the ratification of the same by the Government, I was prepared to accept them. I accordingly sent you, on the 6th instant, a cablegram conveying to you the substance of the proposals ; and on the 10th I received your reply to the effect that further conditions were necessary, and that you were accordingly communicating with me on the subject by letter. With regard to our dealing with the New Zealand Shipping Company alone in this matter, I may observe that, the Shaw-Savill and Albion Company having declined to entertain the proposal I made to them in December last, and not having shown any inclination to renew the negotiations with respect to it, I consider the Government are at perfect liberty to make arrangements which would not extend to them : in fact, in my letter to them of the 28th September last, copy of which went with my letter to you of the 13th October, it was expressly stated that I felt myself free to approach other shipping companies on the subject. I may also remark that I find that in other shipping arrangements the agreements have been made with the New Zealand Shipping Company only, with liberty, and, in some cases, with the understanding, that the company might carry the arrangement thus made into effect in combination with the Shaw-Savill and Albion Company. With respect to the proposals themselves, I would point out that, in addition to providing reduced rates for second- and third-class passengers, the company are prepared to grant reductions to first-class passengers—an arrangement which has, I think, never before been made. I attach some value to this, as the effect will be, I believe, to attract to the colony persons possessing capital, in addition to those going by the second and third class. A new feature also, to which I would specially refer, is providing an intermediate class. I have reason to believe that this provision will encourage the settlement in the colony of a class of men who, having with thrift and care possessed themselves of small amounts of capital, will go out with the determination to settle on the land, and, when there, make the most of the means which they take with them. I would also advert to the proposal by which the company propose to contribute towards the expenses of advertising, proving as it does that they are anxious to co-operate with the Government in the endeavour to promote, as far as possible, the settlement of the country by a class of settlers who will do good to themselves and benefit also those who are already there. In the selection of those whom I should, on behalf of the Government, deem right to recommend for reduced passages, I shall of course be guided by the instructions which I shall from time to time receive from you. In my first despatch to you on the subject, dated 18th March, 1892, I endeavoured to indicate the class of persons whom I considered it desirable to encourage, and it would be my greatest care to avoid sending out unsuitable persons of any description, whether as regards character, health, or vocation. My aim would be principally to encourage those who, with either small or large capital, intend to take up land in the colony and utilise it for their own occupation,