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WELLINGTON. No. 46. The Hon. the Ministee for Immigeation to His Honor the Supebintendent, Wellington. (Circular.) Sic, — Immigration Office, Wellington, 16th October, 1873. I have the honor to forward herewith copy of an Order in Council, dated the 15th instant, establishing a system of free nominated emigration to the Colony, trusting to your cordial co-opera-tion with the General Government in their endeavours to bring population to the country. I also enclose copies of forms intended to be used by persons nominating their friends, which I shall be obliged if you will circulate through the medium of Provincial officers and schoolmasters. These application forms, you will observe, are returnable to the Immigration Officers. If you agree to the proposal I have made you by printed letter dated 14th instant, to take charge of the immigrants on arrival, I shall be glad if you will assist and direct the Immigration Officer in your Province in respect to his treatment of these applications. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, Wellington. Julius Vogel.

No. 47. His Honor the Supebintendent, Wellington, to the Hon. the Ministee for Immigeation. Sib, — Superintendent's Office, Wellington, 20th October, 1873. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your circular letter of the 16th instant, enclosing copy of an Order in Council establishing a system of free nominated immigration to the Colony, and also 100 forms intended to be used by persons nominating their friends, and requesting me to circulate them through the medium of Provincial officers and schoolmasters. In reply, I beg to inform you that I have caused the 100 forms received to be distributed amongst the schoolmasters, and, on your furnishing me with a further supply, I will have them distributed amongst the various local bodies of this Province. I have, &c, William Fitzheebeet, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Superintendent.

No. 48. The Hon. the Ministee for Immigeation, to His Honor the Supebintendent, Wellington. Sic, — Immigration Office, Wellington, 2nd February, 1874. In accordance with my verbal promise to your Honor, I now send you copy of a Memorandum concerning a special settlement proposed to be established in Westland. The Memorandum gives the bare outline of the plan discussed between the Superintendent of Westland and myself. As I understand your Honor seriously contemplates the establishment of special settlements, I will add a few words in addition to the Memorandum, as in its present state it is, as I have said, a mere outline. I think it very desirable that in parts of the country thinly settled, or in which the settlement is practically not to any extent commenced, encouragement should be given to settlement in a concentrated form by the establishment of special settlements. Supposing immigrants to mainly constitute these settlements, I am of opinion that the Immigration Department is justified in rendering assistance. The vote taken for immigration is for "location " as well as for " introduction " ; besides that, there are various provisions in the Public Works and Immigration Acts which evidence the approval of Parliament to what has always been regarded by me as a part of the immigration and public works policy—the promotion of settlement. That special settlements, with the exception of the Scandinavian and Colonel Feilding's, have not been more actively promoted, is to be attributed to the very great demand, in the settled districts, for the immigrants who have already arrived. The time will shortly come when employment may not be so immediately and so generally available to newly-arrived immigrants, and it will be important to have special settlements in course of formation ready at once to receive them. Families of immigrants will for many reasons be most suitable for special settlements, and these will precisely be the immigrants who will first feel any slackness in the labour market. Without, therefore, laying down any rule against specially recruiting in the United Kingdom for immigrants for the purpose of the settlements, I am inclined to think that very desirable settlers may, with advantage to all concerned, be obtained by allowing immigrants who arrive in all parts of the Colony to volunteer for such settlements, should they wish to do so after perusing the regulations and conditions on which they are founded. A great advantage gained by this course will be, that it will avoid the risk of the settlements, in their earlier stages, being overcrowded. I am of opinion that the first success of a new settlement will much depend upon its preparedness to meet the purpose for which it is designed. By sending a few settlers to prepare in anticipation for others, and to make these additions pave the way to further additions, is to adopt a plan most likely to satisfy the settlers in the early days of their adventure. The success of special settlements will very much depend on there being some means of employment open to the settlers during the first two years. If such employment be available, there is no reason why the settlers should not pay, at convenient periods, a fair value for the land they are to acquire. 3-D. 5.