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dephia not later than the middle of April. It is desired that you will collect materials for furnishing a report to the Government on the Exhibition on such matters as may be of practical interest to the colony, such as, tools, implements, machines, and processes of manufacture ; motors and transportation ; apparatus and methods for the increase and diffusion of knowledge ; objects illustrative of efforts for the improvement of the physical, intellectual and moral condition of man, &c. Attached are copies of Parliamentary papers relating to the Exhibition. The sum of £3,500 has been voted by Parliament for the expenses of the Commission, and the Commissioners desire your particular attention to the estimated manner of its expenditure as detailed on p. 3 of H. 5 A. The Bank of New Zealand lias purchased gold specimens for the Commission to the amount of about £450, particulars of which were despatched to you by the last San Francisco mail. If you can arrange it, it would be well to contract with some local bank to buy the gold at the close of the Exhibition on terms to be agreed upon between you, and arrangements for the final disposal or return to New Zealand of the other exhibits might also be made by you in anticipation of the close of the Exhibition. As liberal concessions have been made by the railway and steamer authorities between here and Philadelphia, it is possible that similar concessions might be obtained by the Agent-General or your ■elf for goods carried between England and the Exhibition, provided that arrangements have not already been made by the British Executive Commissioner, Mr. P. Cunliffe Owen, C.B. Attached is a copy of the Catalogue of exhibits so far as finished. The Commissioners suggest that you should insert in it descriptions of such exhibits as you intend to transmit to Philadelphia, and forward it by the 20th February, or so soon after as possible, to Mr. Bothamley, a; Philadelphia. The date of receipt of the Regulations issued by the British Commission rendered it impossible to comply with the rule that materials for the Catalogue should be sent in by Ist December, 1875. In a memorandum (H. 5 A. No. 3) to the Colonial Secretary this was pointed out, and it was added that full particulars should be transmitted to Philadelphia at the same time that they went to England. It is, however, useless to do this now until details of the important collections which it is hoped you will succeed in gathering together in England shall have been incorporated with the Catalogue sent from here. A notification to the effect that the complete Catalogue will be furnished by 20th February, or so soon after as possible, will be sent to the British Executive Commissioner at Philadelphia by the •outgoing mail. Further particulars with regard to some exhibits, notably wool, will be inserted in the Catalogue by Mr. Bothamley on his arrival at Philadelphia. A circular despatch has been received from the Secretary of State for the Colonies with regard to a building to be erected by the British Commission to be called the " Central Executive Offices for Great Britain and other of Her Majesty's Colonial Possessions." You will observe that Lord Carnarvon desires to be informed " how often, and to what extent, this temporary accommodation will be required." The Commissioners have recommended that you should be put in communication with the Colonial Office on the subject, and that your appointment as a Commissioner for New Zealand should also be notified to the Secretary of State. It is impossible within the limits of a letter to note fully the views of your colleagues on every subject connected with the commission entrusted to you, but they hope that the information herein afforded as to the steps they have taken within the colony will be of assistance to you in carrying out the terms of your appointment to the important post of representative of the colony at the Exhibition. I have, &c., W. H. Levis, James Hector, Esq., C.M.G., M.D., F.R.S., In the absence of the Chairman. Care of the Agent-General for New Zealand, Victoria Street, Westminister.

Enclosure No. 2. REPORTS OF THE AGENT IN CHARGE OF EXHIBITS. A. T. Botiiamley to the Hon. W. Mantell. Sib,— Ogden, U.S.A., 22nd February, 1876. I have the honor to inform you that, in accordance with your instructions, I left Wellington on Friday, 14th January. Owing to the mail steamer not arriving I was delayed in Auckland till 19th January, and reached San Francisco on the morning of Sunday, 13th February. On the following day I called on Mr. A. P. Bacon, general agent of the Pacific Mail Steam Shipping Company here, and he expressed his willingness to carry the Exhibition goods by the Pacific Mail Steam Shipping Company's ships to New York by way of Panama. On inquiry of Mr. Grubbs, freight agent of the Central Pacific Railway Company (San Francisco to Ogden), it appeared that that company was willing to carry goods free, but the companies east of Ogden refused to make a similar concession. Further inquiries were made by telegram with the eastern companies, but without success, and by 4 p.m. that afternoon information was received that the eastern companies adhered to their former resolution. The freight by railway would have been (£l2) twelve pounds per ton; I therefore elected to send the goods by way of Panama, at a charge of (£2) two pounds per ton, which would cover the transmit across the isthmus. If there had been a great difference in the time taken in transmit by railway and by steamer, I