D.—2

68

A copy of this communication shall be forwarded to Mr. Samuel Cochrane, who is specially referred to by Mr. Bradley. I think it right, however, to point out that I have always regarded the emigrants drawn from the North of Ireland as of a very desirable character, and the ship's books show that numerous selections have been made from this class. I have, &c, I. E. FEATnEESTON, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington, N.Z. Agent-General.

No. 107. The Agent-Geneeal to the Hon. the Ministee for Immigration. (No. 47.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sib, — 22nd January, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 327, of 16th November, 1874, forwarding copy of the Immigration Commissioners' report upon the ship " Gutenberg," which, you inform me, arrived at Lyttleton upon the 25th October. I am glad to learn that the health of the immigrants had been good, and that only one death (an infant) had occurred during the passage. I observe the Commissioners' remarks respecting the manner in which the married people were berthed, "the bunks being made to hold two families, without any division between them." This description is not, I think, strictly accurate, as a division board was placed between the bunks; but it was not carried sufficiently high, and when the beds were made, there was no real separation between the two couples. I protested against this arrangement of the berths before the vessel left Hamburg, but, as it was according to the requirements of the German Emigration Officer, I was unable to effect any alteration in that instance. I informed the contractor, however, that in the case of all other vessels a proper division between the berths must be made. I have, &c, I. E. Feathekston, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington, N.Z. Agent-General.

No. 108. The Agent- Genebal to the Hon. the Miutstee for Immigeation. (No. 50.) 7, "Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, "Westminster, S.W., Sir,— 22nd January, 1875. Eeferring to your letter of 26th October (No. 319), and your telegram of the same date, on the subject of Scandinavian emigration, I have the honor to inform you that all the arrangements for the despatch of the "Fritz Reuter " to Hawke's Bay having been completed at the date when I was instructed by you by cable to despatch all emigrants of that nationality to Wellington, I did not think it expedient to alter the destination of that ship. When I received your letter, now under reply, in which Hawke's Bay is named as well as Wellington, I was satisfied to find that I had therein exercised a right discretion. 2. You have correctly understood the general order of my arrangements as to continental emigration. I may, however, with advantage recapitulate them for your information as they at present stand. Since the month of Ostober, in which your letter under reply was written, a considerable proportion of the number of Scandinavians and Germans to proceed under my old contract with Messrs. Louis Knorr and Co., have been despatched to the colony. By the " Humboldt," which sailed on the 10th of October from Hamburg for Wellington, 298 Swedes, as well as 58 Prussians, 14 Germans of other states, and 17 Swiss, were despatched ; by the " Fritz Reuter," which sailed on the 16th December from Hamburg for Hawke's Bay, 284 Swedes, as well as 37 Prussians, 95 Germans of other states, and 27 persons of various continental nationalities, proceeded to the colony. Only about 400 now remain of the number for which the contract with Messrs. Knorr was concluded, and I hope to be able to despatch these with the 1,665 included in the transferred Queensland contract in the course of the present year, should Messrs. Sloman be able to provide the requisite tonnage. I shall then proceed to carry into operation the agreement which I have entered into for the despatch of the 4,000 which Mr. Kirchner has undertaken to select. 3. I must, however, speak with reserve and uncertainty on the prospects of continental emigration. The obstacles raised by the different Governments to the emigration of their subjects during the period of life when they are liable to military service—the period at which they are also, I need hardly add, especially fit for purposes of colonization —are already considerable, and tend, I am sorry to say, rather to increase than diminish. The new military law of the German Empire will raise the number of men strictly liable to be called to arms in the event of war to a total of 2,800,000 men. In Europe, at present there are, in round numbers, not less than twelve millions of men held bound to military service ; and the bond of conscription is most sternly exacted in the countries of Northern and Central Europe, from which the colony has hitherto been most desirous to attract emigrants. 4. It is not so easy as you have been led to suppose to obtain that large proportion of single women suitable for domestic labour, which you wish me to secure, from.Germany. I have, however, spared no pains to carry out the wishes of the Government on this subject, and in order to give my agents a due sense of the importance I attached to this class of emigrants, I agreed, as you may have observed in my contract with Messrs. Louis Knorr and Co., that the rate of payment for the passage of single females of suitable character and qualities should be £14, while in the case of single men and married couples it was at the rate of £10 per statute adult. In my previous agreement with Messrs. AVinge and Co. in 1871,1 had also agreed that while married couples should at that time be charged £10 per statute adult, single females should have free passages.