D.—2

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the Government the expectation that an order for any specific number of emigrants, within a given time, could be executed. 8. That while it is equally easy to give an order for 10,000 emigrants as to give an order for 10,000 tons of railway plant, it is not quite so easy to execute the first as the latter. Taking into consideration the above enumerated facts, and further bearing in mind that no other Australasian Colony has ever attempted emigration on such a scale as the present; that since my arrival in England up to the 31st December last 0,878 emigrants have been despatched to New Zealand ; and that whereas the applications from intending emigrants on my first arrival numbered from 20 to 30 per diem, they now amount to from 120 to 150 per diem, —I respectfully submit that the expectations which I held out to the Government have been more than realized, and that the system of emigration inaugurated by me has, on the whole, been attended with satisfactory results, and promises better results in the future. I have, &c, I. E. Eeatherston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington, N.Z. Agent-General.

No. 28. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. (No. 194.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sib,— Bth April, 1873. Eeferring to the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse's Memorandum No. 19, of 23rd November, 1872, in which he states that "the absence of a proportionate supply of Irish in the Government immigration has been unfavourably commented upon in the Colony," and adds, "You are therefore requested to take the necessary steps to secure that the emigration from that part of the United Kingdom shall be proportionate to the population of Ireland as compared with that of Great Britain;" and further, " You have already been instructed by telegram to open a central agency in Dublin. I trust that this has been done, and that henceforth a fair supply of Irish immigrants will be secured." I have the honor to furnish you with a return showing the relative proportion of Irish, Scotch, and English amongst the emigrants forwarded to the Colony up to the 31st December last, as compared with the population of those countries respectively. The census for the year 1871 gives the following totals of population: — England and Wales ... ... ... ... ... 22,704,108 Scotland ... ... ... ... ... ... 3,358,013 Ireland 5,402,759 The number of emigrants sent out between July, 1871, and December, 1872, was as follows: — English and Welsh ... ... ' ' ... ... 3,924 Scotch ... ... ... ... ... ... 627 Irish ... ... ... ... ... ... 921 According to the population of those countries as stated above, the relative numbers should have been, — English and Welsh ... ... ... ... ... 3,924 Scotch ... ... ... ... ... ... 581 Irish ... ... ... ... ... ... 934 On a comparison of these figures, it will be seen that in the case of the Scotch there was an excess of 40 on the proportionate number, while in the case of the Irish there was a deficiency of 13. It will therefore, I trust, be sufficiently apparent to the Government that the complaint referred to by the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse is entirely without foundation. At the same time, I beg to state, that although, as it happens, the relative numbers are exactly what they should have been, the idea of maintaining a fixed proportion has never for a moment been entertained by me, —my chief desire having been to establish throughout every part of the United Kingdom a steady flow of emigration to New Zealand. With this object in view, I continued all the local agencies I found established on my arrival in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and have availed myself of every favourable opportunity of adding to their number from time to time. With regard to the various Agents sent home by the Government, I may state that, being aware that Messrs. Birch and Seaton were appointed on the recommendation of the Superintendent of Otago, I naturally employed them among the Scotch; and although Mr. Farnall was sent home with the view of promoting emigration from Germany, where, as the Government is now aware, the stringent nature of the laws prevented his acting in that capacity, I sent him on at once to Belfast, for the special purpose of encouraging emigration among the Irish. I simply mention this to show that I have not in any way neglected that part of the United Kingdom in the steps already taken to promote emigration to New Zealand. With regard to the Dublin Agency, I have already informed you by telegram, and more in detail in my Despatch of the Bth January last (No. 17-73), that immediately on receiving your instructions I proceeded to Ireland and established the Agency. I have, &c, I. E. Feathehston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington, N.Z. Agent-General.

No. 29. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet. (No. 213.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sib,— 11th April, 1873. With reference to the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse's Memorandum of December 18th (No. 45, 1872), complaining of the alleged absence of scuttles in the ships "Christian McAusland " and " Palmerston," I beg to submit the following observations — 5—D. 2.