d.-Ia

1875. NEW ZEALAND.

IMMIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND, (FURTHER LETTERS TO THE AGENT-GENERAL).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

No. 1. The Hon. Sir J. Vogel to the Hon. the Ministee for Ihhigeation. 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sib— 3rd May, 1875. I have the honor to enclose herewith copy of a letter of general instructions, which I have forwarded to the Agent-General. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Julius Vogel.

Enclosure in No. 1. The Hon. Sir J. Vooel to the Agent-Geneeal. 7, "Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, "Westminster, S.W., Sib,— 30th April, 1875. You are aware that the Government have referred to me a large number of questions and a great mass of correspondence relating to emigration, and have asked me to give instructions upon the whole subject, as well as upon many matters relating to your department. In discharging the duty thus devolved ou me, I desire to abstain as much as possible from reviving old controversies, excepting to illustrate the alterations I propose. I. Constitution of youe Office. 2. It has forcibly presented itself to me that you require a much more complete system of recording documents than you have at present. The imperfection of your records is due partly, perhaps, to the various officers having acted too independently, and partly to the practice which appears to prevail of personal communications where written memoranda would be preferable. I think you will find it most desirable, and very efficacious in remedying defects, to clearly notify to all the officers, that Mr. Kennaway, Secretary to the department, occupies just the same position as the Under Secretary of a Government department holds, on the one hand to the Minister at its head, and on the other to the various officers. You should, for administrative purposes, regard your department as one under a Minister. The Secretary of the department should be considered to hold direct relation with the different officers ; and the business should pass through his hands, just as that of the Commissioner of Customs (whether referring to Lighthouses, or Customs, or Distillation) passes through the hands of Mr. Seed, Secretary to the Customs, or as the very varied business of the Public Works Office (whether relating to Railways, Roads, or Gold Fields Works) passes through the hands of Mr. Knowles. 3. I shall refer separately to some of the officers when I deal with the changes I propose to introduce. But I must at once say that the rank and the range of duties of each officer ought to be clearly defined; and that it would be well for each officer distinctly to understand his position as regards both points. 11. Selection of Emigbants. 4. I have come to the conclusion that it is necessary to introduce some changes in the mode of selecting emigrants. In the Scotch agency, which has worked very well, the practice has been to require written certificates from " employers or others" of an applicant, and from " applicant's minister or clergyman." Your practice is to require the signatures of two or more householders, "one of whom should be applicant's employer," to a printed form; though in a large number of cases, as I am informed by Mr. Ottywell, you refer back for what he calls " special" certificates, which are no more than in the Scotch agency would be called ordinary ones. In one of your letters you admit the facility

Pr. O. 74-75.