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No. 25. • The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. (No. 916.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sib,— 23rd December, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 219, dated 22nd October, 1875, forwarding the following documents relative to the " Merope," which vessel arrived at Timaru upon the 23rd September, viz.: —l. Immigration Commissioners' report. 2. Surgeon-superintendent's report. 3. Certified list of births and deaths during the voyage. I notice that the Commissioners remark with approval upon the " extreme cleanliness of every compartment of the ship," the expression of " satisfaction" evident amongst the emigrants, &c. With regard to the presence of pigs on the main deck of the vessel, I beg to explain that, in consequence of complaints from the colony of the nuisance occasioned by these animals, I issued instructions, early last summer, for their exclusion from our ships. It appears that these instructions were brought into force while the " Merope " was being fitted, and that the Contractors had already purchased a number of pigs and had made arrangements for their shipment. Under these circumstances, I consented to their taking half the supply engaged. It was, however, understood that the " Merope " was the last vessel in which this description of live stock was to be carried. The remarks of the Commissioners on the subject of the cooking arrangements have been referred to the Despatching Officer of this department for his careful attention. I have, &c, I. E. Featherston, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington, N.Z. Agent-General.

No. 26. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. (No. 921.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sir,— 23rd December, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 232, of 25th October, 1875, in which you advise me that three families who arrived by the " Helen Denny " at Napier, named respectively Feakins, Friend, and Page, claimed to be sent on to join their friends in Taranaki, stating that a promise had been given them to that effect. I note also that, finding the emigrants had friends in Taranaki, you authorized their transhipment. I have examined the correspondence and other papers in these cases. The emigrants were introduced by Mr. Simmons, the Secretary of the Agricultural Labourers' Union at Maidstone. When forwarding the application forms on 3rd May last, Mr. Simmons remarked that Jacob Feakins and his wife were over age, but requested a favourable consideration of the case, on the ground that the applicant had " several sons in the colony," and would take a party with him. He did not, however, say in what part of the colony the man's friends were living, and the intending emigrants were entered for Hawke's Bay. Mr. Simmons assented to this arrangement, and remitted the outfit money for the persons named on the 21st May, stating that the payment was " for emigrants for ' Helen Denny.' " It is noteworthy, also, that all these persons stated in their application papers that they wished to go to "New Zealand" —omitting any reference to the province in which they desired to settle. Under these circumstances, the Government may, I think, assume that the statement of the emigrants that "a promise had been given to them to the effect" that they would be transhipped to Taranaki at the expense of the Government is unfounded in fact. I may add that any such arrangement is always noted at the time, and either indorsed on the contract ticket or special advice sent to you with regard to it. I have, &c, I. E. Featherston, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington, N.Z. Agent-General.

No. 27. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. (No. 6.) 7, "Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, "Westminster, S.W., Sib,— 30th December, 1875. Referring to your letter No. 188, of 20th August, 1875, respecting the difficulty of changing German money in New Zealand, I herewith enclose copy of Mr. Kirchner's observations on the subject. I have, &c, I. E. Featherston, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington, N.Z. Agent-General.

Enclosure in No. 27. Mr. Kirchner to the Agent- General. With regard to the difficulty of the immigrants changing German money in New Zealand, I have to observe that I never omit to call the emigrants' attention thereto before leaving the Continent. As it happened sometimes that not sufficient sovereigns could be procured in Hamburg, I applied to the