D.-2

1876. NEW ZEALAND.

EMIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND. (LETTERS FROM THE AGENT-GENERAL.)

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

No. 1. The Agent-Geneeal to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. (No. 364.) 7, "Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, "Westminster, S."W., Sib, — 10th June, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7th April, No. 90, enclosing copy of a letter from his Honor the Superintendent of Otago, inquiring whether a receipt given by a person described as the Aberdeen agent of the shipping firm of Messrs. P. Henderson and Co., for the cost of a passage from Glasgow to Otago (of which a copy is appended to his Honor's letter), is to be regarded as a certificate under " The Immigrants Land Act, 1873." In reply, I have to state, for the information of his Honor, that the form of certificate to be used by the Agent-General, or other person appointed by him for that purpose, under " The Immigrants Land Act, 1873," is prescribed in the regulations issued by the Government at "Wellington in May, 1874, of which I append a copy ; and further, that the only person authorized by me to issue such certificates in Scotland is Mr. Andrew, the Provincial Agent of Otago, who has no authority from me to delegate his functions to the agents of Messrs. P. Henderson or to any one else. 2. With reference to your inquiry whether it is with my " sanction that Messrs. P. Henderson and Co. have signed and issued documents which are evidently considered by emigrants to be certificates under the Act referred to," I beg to state that I have not authorized Messrs. Henderson to issue certificates under the Act; and that I have not seen or heard of any documents signed and issued by them of the kind described : that moreover, in the copy of the receipt for passage money, purporting to have been issued by Mr. John Cook, of Aberdeen, and appended to Superintendent Macandrew's letter, I cannot perceive that there is, as a matter of fact, any reference whatsoever, direct or indirect, to the Immigrants Land Act. I feel quite sure that a firm of the respectable character of Messrs. P. Henderson and Co. would not issue, or suffer its agents to issue, certificates having a tendency to deceive their passengers in such a way. But I have thought it right, as the charge has been made, to send them a copy of your letter, and ask for an explanation. I have, &c, I. E. Feathebston, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration. Agent-General.

No. 2. The Agent-Geneeal to the Hon. the Minister for Immigbation. (No. 410.) 7, "Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, "Westminster, S.W., Sib,— 11th June, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 10th April, No. 89, informing me that, in consequence of the unbecoming character of my letter of the 10th Januai'y, No. 5, you had thought it necessary to bring it under the consideration of the Government, and that they had in consequence directed that the record of it should be erased and the letter returned to me. 2. I have already submitted to the Government my correspondence with the Hon. the Premier on this subject, to which I have nothing to add. 3. I am induced to hope that the very full and candid explanations which I have given on the subject may induce the Government to reconsider its decision, and to allow a letter, written on very mature consideration of the important questions referred to me, to take its place in the records of your department. "With this view, I have the honor, with the utmost respect, to transmit another copy of my letter of the 10th January, No. 5, for the further consideration of the Government. I have, &c, I. E. Featheeston, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, "Wellington. Agent-General. I—D. 2.