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Sub-Enclosure to Enclosure in No. 21. Extuact of Letter from Mr, Siianlt. My Dear Bbotiiek,— 20, Queen Street, Exeter, 26th August, 1873. I have safely received the passage ticket, for which, whether I use it or not, I give you my best thanks. I have communicated with Mr. Ifeatherston, Agent-General for New Zealand, and in return have been, so to speak, inundated with a lot of official papers, one of which informs me that official notification has been received by him of the purchase of the ticket in Napier, and informing me that the first ship sails for Napier on 28th October next. Some of the papers sent to me for filling rather grate against my feelings, they seem so much, as it were, in forma pauperis, and in no place in any of them do I see any allusion to circumstances when the passage has been prepaid. One of them is a certificate from two householders, who must declare their belief that I can't pay more, and as I have not to pay anything, and they don't know what you can pay, how can any one certify to this ? Among others is one that " I fully intend to work for wages in the Colony," which I don't. Mr. Culley, the agent here, says no doubt the prepayment supersedes much of these forms, but he does not seem to fully comprehend the matter. I suppose prepayment is not common. William A. Siianlt.
No. 22. Tho Hon. J. Vooel to the Agent-Geneeal. (No. 2C3.) Sic, — Immigration Office, Christchurch, 24th November, 1573. By a telegram which was despatched from Wellington on the 20th October, you were instructed to " send shipload immigrants direct Bluff." You had previously been communicated with respecting the necessity for arranging that, at tho least, ships should frequently call at tho Bluff and land some immigrants there, so that I do not doubt that, before receiving this letter, you will have despatched a vessel in compliance with the telegram I have quoted. The demand for labour in all parts of Otago is, and is likely to continue, so great, that a supply of immigrants for the Southland district cannot be obtained out of those arriving in vessels chartered for Port Chalmers. I shall therefore be glad if you will arrange for ships calling at the Bluft' with immigrants, at intervals of about six weeks. I have, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. Jtjlius VogeJj.
No. 23. The Hon. J. Vogel to the Agent-Geneeal. (No. 264.) Sib, — Immigration Office, Christchurch, 24th November, 1873. Referring to my previous letters respecting the " Punjaub," I now enclose for your information printed reports of the evidence, &c, in proceedings before the Magistrates here, against the captain of that ship, together with a. memorandum by the Crowa Solicitor, and a report on the cases generally, by the Immigration. Officer. As to the case respecting the fittings of the " Punjaub," I desire to direct your attention to the fact that, by the decision of the Magistrates, the approval of the fittings at home shuts out any remedy here, no matter how bad those fittings may prove. The Magistrates moreover consider that the clearance of the ship affords proof of the fittings having been approved. The Act requires the fittings to be approved by the Emigration Officers; but the charter-party requires the approval of someone appointed by you. lam not clear whether you do not allow the Emigration Officer to act for you. At any rate, if any officer of yours gave a certificate in the case of the " Punjaub" he must have given it before the fittings were completed. Under the terms of the charter-party, it seems that the approval of your officer shuts out any subsequent remedy, no matter how unsatisfactory the fittings may prove to be. I judge from previous correspondence that you have more confidence in the officers of the Emmigration Commissioners than I have. From information which I have received, and which I regard as trustworthy, I am led to believe that those officers constantly accept remuneration from the persons interested in vessels. Be that as it may, I have the honor to positively instruct you that you place no reliance whatever in the examinations of the officers of the Commissionei's. I desire, no matter what the expense, that the fittings of the' vessels be examined by an officer appointed by yourself, and responsible solely to you. You should rigidly insist on the condition that the fittings are completed at least twenty-four hours before the time appointed for the emigrants to go on board the ship. I have to request that you will in every case send to me by first mail a copy of your officer's certificate. Seeing how much the comfort, and even the lives of passengers, may be imperilled by negligence on the part of officers appointed by you to give the certificate, I have to urge upon you to require that the inspection by those officers shall be complete and most careful as to every detail of the fittings. It is of so much importance that the medical comforts and medicines should be on board, and should be of good quality, that I suggest to you to appoint some one to examine the comforts and drugs, and to vouch for their being in proper quantity. I have already instructed you to send surplus supplies of medical comforts other than strong drinks. The charter-party appears defective in another particular, inasmuch as the bond for its performance is to the Agent-General, and I am advised that only the Agent-General can recover under it. I addressed you on this subject last mail. I commend to your notice the remarks of Mr. Duncan, the Crown Solicitor, forwarded herewith.
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