MR. W. J. BARRY AS LECTURER ON EMIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND (CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO THE APPOINTMENT OF).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1880 Session I, D-05

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1880. NEW ZEALAND.

MR. W. J. BARRY AS LECTURER ON EMIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND (CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO THE APPOINTMENT OF).

Presented to both Rouses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

No. 1. Memorial of 127 Settlers in Otago to the Hon. the Premier. Having known Captain William Jackson Barry, either in Victoria or New Zealand, during a number of years, as a most enterprising and energetic man, and who is always full of hope in the future prosperity of these colonies. He has made himself fully acquainted with the vast resources and capabilities of the interior of New Zealand, he having spent sixteen years of his time and capital in prospecting for minerals and to develop its other resources. Hearing that he is about taking a tour to the Old Country, we strongly recommend him as a most useful lecturer on emigration. • . » ,«.» i [Here follow the signatures of 127 persons.]

No. 2. The Under-Secretary for Immigration to the Immigration Officer, Dunedin. Wellington, 25th September, 1878. Captain W J Barry, who is proceeding to England, has been engaged to induce immigrants to come out to this colony; and in consideration of his services it has been decided to allow him a passage to England by sailing ship at a cost of, say £40 ; also the sum of £20 la to be paid him in cash, in order that he may be in funds when he arrives in England. Will you please arrange for Captain Barry's passage, and pay him £20 out of imprest money in your hands when -i i i _ li ■ J. 11. JjLIOTT, he embarks. __*_~ tt jo . Mr. Colin Allan, Immigration Officer, Dunedin. Under-Secretary.

No. 3. The Hon. the Minister for Immigration to the Agent-General. g _ Immigration Office. Wellington, 25th September, 1878. I have the honor to inform you that a numerously-signed petition has been presented to the Government, recommending that Mr. William Jackson Barry, late Mayor of Cromwell who is about proceeding to England, should be employed as an agent for the introduction of immigrants to this colony; and the Government have accordingly authorized the payment of £40 towards the cost of his passage to England, which amount is to be repaid by his delivering lectures upon New Zealand as a field for emigration in the agricultural districts of England, unon such terms as you may consider it desirable to make. After Mr Barry has delivered a sufficient number of lectures to your satisfaction, m consideration of the £40, the question of his further employment will be left for you to determine. I have, &c, Robert Stout, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. Minister for Immigration.

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No. 4. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. Sir, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, 29th November, 1878. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 25th September, No. 175, respecting the employment of Mr. William Jackson Barry, who is returning to England, as an agent in procuring emigrants for the colony. In reply, I have to inform you that I will endeavour to give effect to the wishes you have expressed on the subject. I have, &c., Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 5. Extract from a Letter from the Hon. J. Ballance to the Agent-General. 21st December, 1878. ****** Re Captain Barry. In order that no misunderstanding may arise in reference to this gentleman, and because of reports it is said he has been circulating in the colony, I wish you to distinctly understand that his employment as an agent, for such a period as you think desirable, is wholly left to you. You are not to employ him unless you think him suitable; and, if you employ him at all, it is only as agent on commission, and then for a short period only. I have, &c., The Agent-General for New Zealand, J. Ballance, London. (For the Minister for Immigration.)

No. 6. Extract from a Letter from the Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. Sir, — 7, Westminster Chambers, Loudon, 25th March, 1879. ****** I notice the option you give me with respect to employing Captain Barry, and your instructions that in any case lam only to employ him as agent on commission. Captain Barry was anxious to be employed as a lecturer, but did seek employment as an agent on commission. I was reluctantly compelled to come to the conclusion that it was not desirable to offer him an engagement.* I have, &c, Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 7. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. Sir, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, 15th January, 1880. Referring to your letter No. 175, of the 25th September, 1878, I have the honor to inform you that I have paid Captain Barry's return passage to New Zealand. Captain Barry's position was very anomalous. His passage Home was paid by the Government, and I was left discretion whether or not to employ him. I considered it inexpedient to do so, and very desirable to pay his passage back, as the quasi-official position given to him by his passage having been paid made it, I thought, undesirable he should continue to remain here in the position of emigration agent on his own account. I have, &c, Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 8. Mr. W. J. Barry to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. Sir, — Royal George Hotel, George Street, Dunedin, 20th April, 1880. Referring to the memorial addressed to the Government in October, 1877, signed by many of the chief representative men of Otago, requesting that I might be engaged as an immigration agent to proceed to the United Kingdom, and to the fact that I have since devoted the whole of my time and energy to the work, and have been the means of giving no inconsiderable impetus to the removal of capitalists from England to New Zealand, I have now respect-

* This letter deals with a variety of subjects. The portion printed is the only reference to Captain Barry.

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fully to submit that it is only right that the Government should reimburse me for the actual outlay which I have incurred in the service of the colony. It is true I have no legal claim, but I venture to think there is a moral obligation. I have a letter from the Immigration Minister to the Agent-General, in which the question of my engagement was left to his discretion; but when I reached Home Sir J. Vogel had just received a telegraphic message from the Government which precluded him from incurring expenditure. I therefore proceeded to work on my own responsibility and at my own cost and expense —expending £500 in travelling through England and descanting upon the advantages which New Zealand presented to labour and capital. The result I need not describe. The Press throughout the United Kingdom affords ample testimony as to this, and I have no hesitation in saying that through my efforts and labour a wider and more extensive interest has been excited in New Zealand than has ever been created through any individual instrumentality. I may say that Sir J. Vogel in a letter to Mr. Macandrcw admits the value and extent of the services which have been rendered by me. I shall not further dilate upon this now, as I trust that is unnecessary, and that the Government will see its way to reimburse me the outlay which I have incurred, either in money or in land. Soliciting the favour of an early reply, I have, &c, William Jackson Barry. The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington.

No. 9. The' Under-Secretary for Immigration to Mr. W. J. Barry. Sir, — Immigration Office, Wellington, 12th May, 1880. I have the honor, by direction of the Hon. Mr. Rolleston, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 20th ultimo, applying to be reimbursed the sum of £500, which you state you had expended in travelling throughout England descanting upon the advantages which New Zealand presented to labour and capital. In reply, I am to inform you that Mr. Rolleston has read all the correspondence in this office on the subject of your employment, but he is unable to find any promise or undertaking which would be sufficient to justify the Government in entertaining your application. I have, &c, H. J. H. Eliott, Mr. W. J. Barry, Dunedin. Under-Secretary.

By Authority : Geoege Didsbttey, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBBo. Price 3d.]

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