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No. 26. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. (No. 1450.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sir,— 20th July, 1874. Eeferring to your letter of Bth May (No. 121), I have the honor to inform you that it was observed that a letter, signed J. Chapman, appeared in Reynolds' Newspaper about the beginning of the present year, in which the writer stated that on calling at this office to inquire about emigration, he was informed that mechanics were not eligible for assistance. This, however, was a misstatement, as free passagesVere refused to no class of mechanics except "engine fitters," and there was, and is, an understanding in the office that mechanics of that particular class are not required in the colony. I may add that no notice whatever was taken of the letter through the public press. I have, &c, I. E. Featherston, The Hon. Julius Vogel, C.M.G., Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 27. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. (No. 1451.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sir,— 20th July, 1874. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of the Immigration Commissioners' Eeport for the ship " William Davie," forwarded in your letter of May 7 (No. 117), and to express my gratification at finding itso satisfactory. I have, &c, I. E. Featherston, The Hon. Julius Vogel, C.M.G., Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 28. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. (No. 1453.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sir,— 21st July, 1874. Eeferring to your letter of May 7th (No. 125), I beg respectfully to submit that my letter of January 13th (No. 892) sufficiently explains the machinery by which the present emigration is received, selected, and shipped; and I would venture to remind you that in several other despatches I have referred at some length to matters of detail connected with the work of this department. For example, in my letter of July 10 (No. 1439), in which I described the steps taken with regard to the distribution of " The Immigrants Land Act." I may add that it is my practice to send out each month, for the information of the Government, a list of the ships despatched, with the numbers of emigrants shipped, and full particulars as to their port of destination, &c, together with sometimes an estimate of the number of ships to be despatched in the month following. I need hardly say that I shall be very happy to supplement the information thus supplied iv any wav you may direct. I have, &c, I. E. Featherston, The Hon. Julius Vogel, C.M.G., Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 29. The Aoent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. (No. 1457.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street Westminster, S.W., 21st July, 1874. Sir,— Eeferring to your letter of the Bth May (No. 130), covering two copies of your " Handbook," I have the honor to inform you that I have already made arrangements for the reproduction of the photographs intended as illustrations, on very favourable terms. With a view to economy, I first of all put myself in communication with the Heliotype Company, and, after several interviews with Mr. Davis, their principal representative, I received the following tender: — Fifteen thousand copies of thirty subjects, in sizes (prints) not exceeding 7 X 5, on paper 10 x 6£ (royal 8vo.), at 10s. per 100 prints (i.e., £5 per thousand) ; and the long prints not exceeding 12 inches in length, on proportionate paper, at £1 7s. per 100 prints. There will be a charge for making each negative and supplying proofs of 16s. for each small negative, and of £1 10s. for each long negative. (Eevised tender for sixpence per hundred less, in consideration of its being a large order.) With a view to ascertaining the relative cost of this process and that of actual photographic prints, I applied to Mr. Mundy (formerly of New Zealand) for an estimate of the cost of producing copies of the photographs sent per thousand. His tender was £12 10s., and lat once declined it on the ground of its being excessive. I have since received and accepted a tender in writing from Mr. Henry Naidley, copy of which I enclose.