D.—No. 3

8

PAPERS RELATING TO IMMIGRATION.

removed, the Government are now prepared to receive from your Honor such specific recommendatious as you may see fit to make ; for you will perceive, on reference to the Immigration and Public AVorks Act, that the Government cannot take steps for giving effect to the views of your Honor and the Council until you first recommend the number, sexes, and classes of immigrants to be introduced, and the terms on which they should be introduced. I take this opportunity, with the view of saving time, to forward to you the regulations for nominated immigration sanctioned for the Province of AVellington, which will serve as a kind of model for any that you may recommend. With regard to such other classes of immigration as you may desire the Government to order. 1 shall be glad to receive your specific views as early as possible. The only point on which I think it necessary to make any anticipatory remark is, that the Government are anxious to avoid the taking of promissory notes from immigrants, and they will be glad if, in framing the recommendations alluded to, you are able to avoid adopting that system. I have instructed Air. Blackett to take steps for enabling the Government to come to an early decision in reference to the extension of the AVaikato Bail way, and will lose no time in informing you fully thereon. I have, Ac, His Honor the Superintendent, Auckland. W. Gisborne.

No. 10. His Honor T. B. Gillies to the Hon. W. Gisboene. Sic, — Superintendent's Office, Auckland, 30th June, 1871. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your circular of the 31st ultimo, relative to reserving land along lines of proposed railways for immigration purposes. Permit me to offer a fevr observations in regard thereto, so far as it may be supposed to apply to this Province. 1. You will observe that the only line of railway yet authorized in this Province is the Auckland and Tuakau Railway. This passes entirely through already settled country, within which the Provincial Government possess no waste lands available for settlement. The General Government possess some small portions of confiscated territory. 2. The proposed extension of the above line up the Waikato Valley passes wholly through confiscated lands, with which the Provincial Government have no power whatever of dealing. I would, however, call your attention to the anomalous position of the confiscated territory in the Waikato and elsewhere, which places this Province in a worse position with respect to co-operating with the public works policy of your Government than any other part of New Zealand. Were this position reversed, as I submit with confidence it might now be, without the slightest injustice to any part of the Colony, the Provincial Government would have great pleasure in co-operating with your Government to the utmost extent possible in the direction indicated in your circular. 3. In reference to the 17th and 20th sections of the Immigration and Public Works Act, authorizing the acceptance by the Governor of land in lieu of money chargeable to the Province for construction of railways, I have to remark that the small amount of land available for settlement within the Province, at the disposal of the Provincial Government, renders it impossible that the Provincial Government can offer lands in lieu of money. 4. The only lands I am aware of, which the Province would be glad to be relieved of, are those lands mentioned in my communication of the 25th April last as having been paid for out of the loan of 1856 and charged against the Province, but never handed over, and which the Provincial Government will be happy to agree to hand over to the General Government for railway purposes, at cost price, with interest added. Tour circular was, I have no doubt, specially intended for the Southern Provinces, who have vast tracts of land at their disposal, but in this Province the want of large tracts of good land for settlement has ever been its great want. I have therefore felt bound, in reply to your circular, to call attention to the above facts. I have, &c, Thomas B. Gillies, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Superintendent.

No. 11. The Hon. W. Gisboexe to His Honor T. B. Gillies. Sib,— Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 29th July, 1871. I have to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor's letter of the 30th ultimo, in reply to my circular of the 31st May, relative to the reservation of lands along lines of proposed railways and main roads for purposes of immigration. I would remind your Honor that I have not yet received from you any regulations, as asked for in my letter of the 6th ultimo, for immigration into the Province of Auckland, or any specific recommendation for the selection and transmission of immigrants of certain stated numbers, sexes, and classes, to that Province. The Government strongly feel that a due supply of immigration concurrently with the construction of public works is essential to the development and success of the policy contained in the Immigration and Public Works Act of last Session, and they trust that, with a view to the full participation by the Province of Auckland in the benefits derivable therefrom, your Honor will be able soon to furnish me with the requisite information. The Government will be glad to receive your Honor's co-operation in planting settlements on such portions of the confiscated lands in the Province of Auckland as may be available for that purpose. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, Auckland. AY. Gisboene.