D—No. 3

16

PAPERS RELATING TO THE INTRODUCTION

the land as suggested, but that it appears the Superintendent or Deputy Superintendent has power to reserve land for public objects under the Regulations of 1855, say, for the purpose of locating immigrants under the provisions of " The Wellington AVaste Lands Act, 1870." I have, Ac, John Knowles, A. F. Halcombe, Esq., Provincial Secretary, AVellington. Under Secretary.

No. 18. Mr. Knowles to the Provincial Secretary, Wellington. Sir,— . Public Works Office, Wellington, 17th April, 1871. I am instructed by Mr. Gisborne to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of tho 10th February and 17th March, and to thank you for the arrangements which you have devised and carried out in connection with the location of the Norwegian immigrants by the " Celceno." The location of these foreigners being entirely exceptional, the arrangements seem to have been adapted to the exigencies of the case, and judiciously carried into execution. I am, however, to point out, that as the immigrants were promised by the Home Commissioners a free passage to New Zealand because of their being pioneers, your originally proposed charge for passage money cannot be made, and Mr. Stewart will bo instructed to deduct from their wages only such amount of indebtedness as may have been incurred since their arrival in Wellington. I shall be obliged by your informing me at as early a date as practicable the amount of indebtedness of each immigrant, so that instructions may be issued to Mr. Stewart to make the deduction in the manner proposed. I have, Ac, John Knowles, The Provincial Secretary, AVellington. Under Secretary. P.S.—I note that in your letter of the 17th March the location for these immigrants is stated at twenty acres, while in your letter of the 10th February it is stated at only ten acres. AVhichever ono of these arrangements has been made, it had better not now be disturbed; but it will bo necessary that in the instructions proposed to be sent to Mr. Stewart from this office no uncertainty should exist.

No. 19. The Provincial Secretary, Wellington, to Mr. Knowles. (Telegram.) Marton, 15th April, 1871. Came through bush from Palmerston yesterday. Immigrant- satisfactorily provided for, but the weather has been dreadful, and the roads almost impassable. I return to Wellington by Thursday's coach. Halcombe, Provincial Secretary.

No. 20. Mr. Halcombe to the Hon. the Minister for Public Works. Sir,— Wellington, 24th April, 1871. Referring to my former letter on the subject of the location of tho Norwegian immigrants per " Celceno," at Manawatu, I have the honor to inform you that on the 13th February I left Wellington with the whole party per steam ship " Luna," taking with them the supplies obtained by means of the advances authorized by the Government. Wo arrived at Foxton on the following day, and on the 15th of the same month I moved the party with little difficulty to their destination at Palmerston, where I placed them on the land which it had been decided they should occupy, and which is on the line of tramway in the formation of which they are to bo immediately employed. The accounts of my expenditure in connection with these immigrants have been sent in. The whole expense incurred amounts to the sum of £289 10s. 4d., of which £264 4s. lOd. should be refunded by the immigrants, leaving a balance of £25 ss. 6d. as the total cost to the Government on their account since their arrival in AVellington. This balance, I may explain, is made up of the following sums, viz., £5 honorarium to the interpreter, £10 my personal expenses, and £10 6s. which, from want of being able to ascertain exactly the expenses of carting, Ac, incurred in their behalf, I had under estimated in making up their accounts. I trust the Government will not now require this amount to be charged to them, as, having to the best of my ability made them understand, and they having agreed to, my statement of their indebtedness, I think it would be unadvisable to disturb that settlement. I cannot but think the result thus shown of the cost of the location of these people in a part of the Province hitherto considered as most inaccessible, to be highly satisfactory. The average indebtedness of each immigrant family is under £14; and of this amount, £2 per family is charged for their passage per "Luna;" £2 represents their maintenance in AVellington and their transit with their goods and supplies from Foxton to Palmerston ; and they have in their possession provisions for some months and a supply of tools, which represent the remaining £10. Thus the uncovered cost to the Government for these immigrants, who number fifty-four souls, will be about 14s. 6d. for each adult since their arrival in the Colony ; and but for my error in making up their accounts, to which I have referred, it would have been a fraction over 9s.