23

D.—2.

Ireland. Guardian, Armagh, weekly; Observer, Ballymena, weekly; Newsletter, Belfast, thrice a week ; Northern Whig, Belfast, twice a week ; Evening Telegraph, Belfast, daily; Weekly News, Belfast, weekly ; Ulster Examiner, Belfast, weekly; Chronicle, Coleraine, weekly ; Express, G-alway, weekly ; Vindicator, Galway, weekly; Journal, Londonderry, weekly; Standard, Londonderry, weekly ■ Sentinel, Londonderry, weekly ; Independent, Nevvtownards, weekly ; Tyrone Constitution, Omagh, weekly; Tyrone Independent, Omagh, weekly; King's County Chronicle, Parsonstown, weekly. SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT FOE DOMESTIC SERVANTS. England and Wales. Standard, London, twice a week ; Telegraph, London, twice a week ; Echo, London, twice a week ; Christian World, London, weekly; Lloyd's News, London, weekly; Weekly Times, London, weekly ; Gwladgarwr, Aberdare, weekly ; Bucks Advertiser, Aylesbury, weekly ; Bucks Herald, Aylesbuury, weekly ; Express, Bath, weekly ; G-azette, Bath, weekly ; News, Bridport, weekly; Mercury, Bristol, weekly ; Times and Mirror, Bristol, weekly ; Advertiser, Buckingham, weekly ; Times, Cardiff, weekly ; Western Weekly Mail, Cardiff, weekly; Western Daily Mail, Cardiff, weekly; South Wales Daily News, Cardiff, weekly ; Forester, Coleford, weekly ; Gazette, Devizes, weekly; Wilts Independent, Devizes, weekly ; Dorset County Chronicle, Dorchester, weekly; Telegram, Dorchester, weekly ; Chronicle, Gloucester, weekly ; Journal, Gloucester, weekly; Gazette, Newport Pagnel, weekly; Mercury, Heading, weekly ; Berkshire Chronicle, Heading, weekly; Journal, Salisbury, weekly ; Wilts County Mirror, Salisbury, weekly ; North Bucks Advertiser, Stony Stratford, weekly ; North Wilts Herald, Swindon, weekly ; Advertiser, Swindon, weekly ; Advertiser, Trowbridge, weekly; Marvel, Uxbridge, weekly ; Journal, Wimborne, weekly. Scotland. Free Press, Aberdeen, weekly ; People's Journal, Aberdeen, weekly; Journal, Aberdeen, weekly ; North British Agriculturist, Edinburgh, weekly ; Scotsman, Edinburgh, weekly; Daily Review, Edinburgh, weekly ; North British Daily Mail, Glasgow, weekly; Weekly Mail, Glasgow, weekly, Herald, Glasgow, weekly; Penny Post, Glasgow, weekly.

No. 24. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet. (No. 163.) 7, "Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sir,— 2st March, 1873. Eeferring to my letter of 9th January, 1873, in which I promised to state my reasons for not having taken any action towards giving effect to the Hon. Mr. Ormond's instructions to bring before the English public the scheme of forming settlements on the confiscated lands on the East and West Coasts of the North Island, I have now the honor to state briefly some of the reasons which prevented my adopting that course :— 1. The memorandum of instructions was not accompanied by any maps, plans, or tracings of the proposed settlements. 2. In the absence of some definite information as to the position and quality of the land to be offered, it appeared to me quite hopeless to find purchasers for it in England. 3. The first question an intending emigrant would naturally ask would be, whether the Colonial Government was prepared to place him on the conquered land, and to maintain him in the quiet and undisturbed possession of it—an assurance which I, with my knowledge of the Native character, and of the peculiar circumstances of the Colony, was certainly not prepared to give. 4. It was within my personal knowledge that certain members of Mr. Fox's Ministry were inclined to restore a considerable portion of the confiscated laud on the West Coast to the rebel Natives, while other members of the Cabinet were opposed to such a course. And 1 was further aware that the very suspicion of such an intention on the part of the Government had caused great excitement among the settlers in the West Coast districts, who made no secret of their dermination to resist, by force of arms if necessary, the return of the rebel Natives to that part of the country. 5. In order to have sold the lands, I must have delegated my powers in that behalf to local agents in various parts of the United Kingdom, who would in all probability have committed the Goverment to all manner of impracticable engagements. 6. I could not conceal from myself that the proposal to form settlements on the confiscated lands in question would inevitably have been viewed with disfavour by statesmen and others interested in the progress of the Colony, and that they would have regarded it as likely to prove fatal to the Native policy which they had so cordially approved, and the success of which they had watched with so much interest. 7. I feel equally certain that the influential journals of this country would have condemned the project, and would have raised the old cries, however unjust, of the settlers' greed for land, &c, and the result of the very announcement of the scheme would, I feel persuaded, be almost fatal to the prospects of New Zealand emigration. Feeling thus strongly on the subject, I was very glad to receive a telegram and despatch from the Hon. Mr. Sewell, requesting me to suspend all action under those instructions; and I base the expression (in my letter of 9th January) of my hope that the scheme would not be resuscitated, partly upon the announcement of the Hon. Mr. Stafford when Premier, " that a very large extent of the confiscated land had been given back, either through the action of the Compensation Court or by special Executive action on the part of the Government," and that " the Government could give no specific answer as to their intentions with regard to the remaining portion of the lands until they knew what claims there were and what promises had been made :" and further, that "he had 4—D. 2.