D.—4.

10

WESTLAND. No. 19. His Honor the Supeeintendent, Westland, to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. StE, — Superintendent's Office, Hokitika, sth February, 1874. Eeferring to your circular of the 14th October last, on the subject of immigration, I have the honor to inform you that I shall have great pleasure in co-operating with the General Government in their efforts to promote immigration. The forms forwarded in your letter of the 16th October last have been distributed in accordance with your request. I beg to express my regret at the delay which has taken place in answering your letter. I have, &c, J. A. Bonae, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. Superintendent.

CANTEEBUEY. No. 20. His Honor the Supeeintendent, Canterbury, to the Hon. the Ministee for Immigeation. Sic, — Superintendent's Office, Christchurch, 14th November, 1873. In reply to your circular of the 14th ultimo, I have the honor to inform you that the Provincial Government are willing to take charge of the immigration barracks and depots, and the quarantine buildings, the necessary expenditure being provided for by the General Government. The conditions, however, which, as I understand your letter, attached to such charge are, as it appears to the Provincial Government, open to objection. No doubt it will be necessary for the General Government to have a general control over the expenditure of funds for the disbursement of which they are responsible to the General Assembly of the Colony, and that any action of the Provincial Government should not be otherwise than in accordance with the wishes and plans of those who are so responsible. I am of opinion that the conditions 1, 2, and 3 might lead, if strictly adhered to by the General Government, to considerable embarrassment, and be detrimental to what both the General and Provincial Governments have in view, viz., the beneficial settling of immigrants in all parts of the Province. I would more particularly allude to the condition No. 3. This, in the opinion of the Provincial Government, would be unsatisfactory, and would possibly lead to complications of a disagreeable character. If the Provincial Government are to have charge of the department, it must be the sole source of communication with the General Government on matters connected with it, and the officers belonging to it must be under their direct control. If the Provincial Government accept the position which you ask them to take, they would do so on the understanding that condition numbered 3 is modified in the manner indicated. As to the remaining conditions, they believe that the General Government will not act under them in any manner that will prevent the Provincial Government carrying into effect that which they think, as far as details go, most conducive to the success of the Department. They quite agree that if the arrangement is not found to work well, each Government should be at liberty to put an end to it. The circular contains certain suggestions as to the manner in which immigration and settlement of the country might, in your opinion, be facilitated, and I shall be glad to discuss these with you should you see fit. I have, &c, W. Kolieston, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, &c. Superintendent.

No. 21. The Hon. the Minister for Immigration to His Honor the Supeeintendent, Canterbury. Sib, — General Government Offices, Christchurch, 17th November, 1873. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 14th instant, in reply to a circular letter of mine dated 14th October, in which I asked you to take charge, under certain conditions, of the immigration arrangements within the Province of Canterbury. I confess to some surprise that you should so strongly object to the conditions stated in my circular, seeing how long a time you have allowed to pass without informing me that you entertained .such objections ; seeing, also, that you did not refer to those objections in the correspondence which took place between us when you were at Timaru ; and, especially, seeing that it is not long since I was led to believe you were anxious to obtain the charge I proposed to you in the circular letter. I cannot see any reason to forego the three conditions to which you object. If I understand rightly, your objections arc based upon the assumption that it was contemplated to hand over to the Province the entire control of immigration vrithin its limits. Such was not, however, the intention of the circular ; and I think you will, on consideration, see that it is impossible for the General Government to relieve themselves of the responsibility they owe to the Assembly. The intention in preparing the circular was rather in the direction of asking the Provincial Government, in each case, to act as agent for the General Government. I may point out to you that there is not, in discharging the