D.—No. 7

4

PAPERS RELATING TO IMMIGRANTS

No. 2. From Hon. W. Reeves to His Honor the Superintendent of Otago. Office of the Resident Minister for the Middle Island, Dunedin, 13th February, 1872. Sir, — In reply to your letter of this day's date, enclosing copy of a letter to the British Agent for Otago, and a list of persons whom you desire to be brought out and landed at the Bluff, I have the honor to inform you that the persons therein named can be brought out only as nominated Immigrants under the regulations recently enacted, and now in force throughout the whole Colony. Those regulations require the prepayment of five pounds for every adult, and two pounds ten shillings for each child, between the ages of one and twelve, except in the case of single women, between the ages of twelve and thirty-five, who will receive free passages. As it is desirable that no time should be lost in bringing out such a number of suitable Immigrants, and as you state that their relatives at Riverton are prepared to furnish security, if required for the passage money. I would suggest that the Provincial Government should advance the money, and take the security offered, in order to expedite the arrangement. As I leave Dunedin to-morrow, the 14th instant, and the mail will leave Lyttelton on Saturday for England, I shall be glad to receive an early reply. I have, &c, W. Reeves. His Honor the Superintendent of Otago.

No. 3. From His Honor the Superintendent of Otago to the Hon. W. Reeves. Superintendent's Office, Dunedin, 14th February, 1872. Sir, — In reply to your letter of yesterday's date, in which you suggest that the Provincial Government should advance the necessary funds towards payment of passage of the persons therein referred to, I have to state that, relying upon all advances required for Immigrants being paid out of the Loan, the Provincial Council, at its last session was not asked for any appropriation under this head. The whole of the immigration therefore which the Province has been carrying on during the current financial year has been paid for by my special order, on the faith of the Provincial Treasury being recouped as it has been from time to time. I submit, however, that it would be more satisfactory if the payments were made direct by the General Government. With respect to the passage of the persons now in question I shall request tire Agent of the Province to take Promissory Notes at the rate of seven pounds for each statute adult, but in the event of there being more favourable Colonial regulations in force in England I see no reasons why these persons should not have the advantage thereof. There would, I think, be a manifest unfairness in placing Emigrants, nominated in the Colony on a worse footing as regards passage cost, than that in which they would be if selected by the Agent-General; and if, as I understand, the Colony is now engaged in forwarding Scandinavian Emigrants to Wellington and Canterbury, at its own sole expense, I confess to some feeling of disappointment at there being any hitch in respect to the introduction into Otago on similar terms, of a batch of English-speaking Immigrants of the class of those referred to in your letter now under reply. I have, &c, J. Macandrew, Superintendent of Otago. The Hon. W. Reeves in Dunedin.

No. 4. From Hon. W. Reeves to Agent-General, London. Resident Minister's Office foi the Middle Island, IN ew Zealand, Memorandum — Christchurch, 16th February, 1872. I annex herewith copies of correspondence that has taken place with his His Honor the Superintendent of Otago, in reference to certain nominated Immigrants. The Agent-General will gather therefrom that His Honor the Superintendent has written to Mr. Auld, informing him that a number of persons nominated by Mr Finlay Murchison, of Riverton, Otago, will be brought out to New Zealand at the expense of the Colony, and that he has also written to me, requesting that I will instruct you to have these people landed at Invercargill. In answer to the communication addressed to me the Agent-General will learn that I pointed out