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year; under these circumstances, I desire that, should, as may possibly occur, any instructions transmitted from here be found to conflict with what may have been so arranged, that you will, unless specially advised to the contrary, act in accordance with the latter. I have, &c, The Agent-Q-eneral for New Zealand, London. H. A. Atkinson.

No. 65. The Hon. H. A. Atkinson to the Agent-Geneeal. (No. 152.) Sic, — Immigration Office, "Wellington, 7th June, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 240, of the 15th April, 1875, in which you enclose a copy of a communication you have addressed to the President of the Board of Trade, suggesting certain amendments in " The Imperial Passengers Act, 1855," having special reference to the propriety of increasing the number of articles to be classed as combustibles, and so excluded from forming part of the cargo of emigrant ships. The Government entirely approve of the course you have taken in this matter, and trust that it may result in such amendments of the law as may give further security against the recurrence of such a melancholy accident as the burning of a ship at sea. Pending the legislation indicated, I feel confident that you will, in your arrangements with the shipping companies, take such precautions as will prevent the shipping of dangerous material on board ships conveying emigrants to the colony. I have, &c, The Agent-G-eneral for New Zealand, London. H. A. Atkinson.

No. 66. The Hon. H. A. Atkinson to the Agent-Geneeal. (No. 159.) Sic, — Immigration Office, "Wellington, 30th June, 1875. I have the honor to transmit herewith copy of a letter from his Honor the Superintendent of Hawke's Bay relative to immigration to that province, upon which I despatched to you the telegraphic message of which a copy is also enclosed ; and I shall be obliged by your making arrangements to meet, as far as is consistent with your general arrangements, the wish of his Honor. I have, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. H. A. Atkinson.

Enclosure 1 in No. 66. His Honor the Superintendent, Hawke's Bay, to the Hon. the Minister for Imhigbation. Sib, — Superintendent's Office, Napier, 9th June, 1875. I have the honor to address you in reference to immigration to this province. I believe the " Countess of Kintore," which vessel arrived here yesterday, brought the last shipment the AgentGeneral had to send to complete the number ordered for Hawke's Bay. The immigrants that have been received have, on the whole, been of a satisfactory class, and have been readily absorbed. Had they arrived at the time of year the Agent-General was directed to arrange to send them, it would have been better for the immigrants and more suited to the requirements of the district: what I mean is that had the bulk of the immigrants arrived during the busy season of the year their labour would have been more valuable to the settlers, and the immigrants themselves would have had time to get settled before winter. My present object in writing is to ask that instructions may be sent to the Agent-General to despatch fufl immigrant ships to this province, so as to arrive in each of the months of October, November, December, and January; and I am certain that the province can advantageously absorb say from 1,200 to 1,500 immigrants during the coming year, and if it could be arranged for them to arrive at the season I have named it would be very suitable. I would suggest that the Agent-General should be requested to send in each ship a good proportion of single girls and single men, and to avoid sending large families of young children, as the difficulty in finding places for people so circumstanced is very great. I have, &c, J. D. Osmond, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Superintendent.

Enclosure 2 in No. 66. The Hon. H. A. Atkinson to the Agent-Geneeal. (Telegram). "Wellington, 30th June, 1875. " Kintoee," " Zetland," "Dunedin," "Hindostan," "Cicero," ""Wennington," "Tintem," "Hannibal." Ormond wants emigrants to arrive October, November, December, January. Featherston, London. _ Atkinson.