D.—IB.
1873. NEW ZEALAND.
IMMIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND. (FURTHER MEMORANDA TO THE AGENT-GENERAL).
Presented to loth Houses of the General Assembly by command of His Excellency.
No. 1. Memorandum No. 170, 1873, for the Agent-General, London. With reference to your letter of the 13th May last, enclosing Messrs. Shaw, Saville, and Co.'s remarks on the subject of the complaints of Edwin Major, Charles Jones, and Simon Fraser, passengers by the "Jessie Readman," I have the honor to inform you that the Government accept their remarks as disposing of those complaints. With regard to the complaint of Mr. Heape, a passenger by the " Agnes Muir," the Government will refund to Mr. Heape the amount of his deposit (£3), and request you to recover the same from Messrs. Shaw, Saville, and Co., as has been agreed upon by that firm. AVith regard to allowing passengers other than Government emigrants to be conveyed in vessels chartered by you, I have only to repeat, that although representations adverse to doing so have been made in the Colony, I feel that you are the best judge of what should be done in this matter. I have, &c, Immigration Office, Wellingtonj 2nd August, 1873. G. Maurice O'Rorke.
No. 2. Memorandum No. 174, 1873, for the Agent-General, London. Referring to my memorandum No. 160,1873,1 forward herewith copy of the final report of the Immigration Commissioners upon the ship " Halcione," with enclosures. I would desire to call your attention to the remarks of the Commissioners that " in some cases a closer medical inspection of tho emigrants" before embarkation would have been desirable. I have, &c, Immigration Office, Wellington, New Zealand, G. Maurice O'Rorke. 19th August, 1873.
Enclosure in No. 2. The Immigration Commissioners, Wellington, to the Under Secretary. Sir,— AVellington, 4th August, 1873. We have the honor to report that we visited the Quarantine Station on the 16th July for the purpose of inspecting the immigrants landed from the "Halcione,*' and as the day was exceedingly wet, we mustered the people in their several compartments. On closer inspection, the immigrants proved to be a much better class of people than we expected, judging from what we saw of them when we first went alongside the ship, and the Surgeon-Superintendent informed us that they had wonderfully improved in health and spirits in landing, consequent no doubt on their being able to obtain fresh provisions, and having more light and air than they had on board the vessel. On the 19th July we again visited the Island, for the purpose of superintending the embarkation of such of the immigrants as had to be forwarded to Picton, Nelson, and other adjacent ports. This was done without difficulty, the steamer " Wellington" having proceeded to the Island after taking on I—D. 18.