9

D.—6.

Agent, enclosing copies of resolutions passed at a meeting of certain settlers at Jackson's Bay, and, in reply, to inform you that the Minister agrees with your views as to the impracticability of making payments to the settlers in cash. I have, &c., H. J. H. Eliott, E. Patten, Esq., Hokitika. Under Secretary for Immigration.

No. 12. The Hon. the Minister for Immigration to the Chairman of Meeting of Jackson's Bay Settlers. Sir, — Immigration Office, Wellington, 16th May, 1878. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 4th April, embodying certain resolutions agreed to at a public meeting of settlers held at Jackson's Bay, on sth March last. In reply, I desire at once to disabuse the minds of the settlers as to a mistaken idea which it is to be feared is entertained by them—namely, that the Government is bound to find them employment. The Government fully recognizes the difficulties which the Jackson's Bay settlers have had to encounter, and it has expended more money to enable them to get over those difficulties and to take possession of the soil than has fallen to the lot of any other early settlers in New Zealand. What must now be strongly impressed upon the settlers is the absolute necessity of selfreliance : they have received a fair start, and it only requires stout hearts and strong arms to enable them to subsist in comfort and to flourish irrespective of any Government aid. The sooner, therefore, that Colonial Government expenditure is looked upon as a contingency which may or may not be reckoned upon the better. As it is, such expenditure must, for the present, he almost entirely curtailed, and confined chiefly to the completion of the track between Otago and Westland, which work will be carried on by the Westland County Council, the cost to be supplemented by the Government, on condition of the work being let out in small contracts to the Jackson's Bay settlers, provided the latter are prepared to tender on reasonable terms. With the exception of this road, the Colonial Government expenditure will be comparatively trifling at Jackson's Bay. As regards the mode of payment for the proposed contracts, this will be determined by the County Council. In conclusion, I would urge the extreme importance of every man in the settlement devoting all his energies to the cultivation of his own land, and of thereby obtaining the means of subsistence, without the aid of Government or anybody else. You may rely upon it that those who set themselves steadily to this, will sooner or later reap their reward, and find themselves surrounded with comfort and independence. I shall feel obliged if you will be good enough to communicate the substance of this to the parties concerned. I have, &c., Mr. George Smith, J. Macandrew. Chairman of Meeting, Jackson's Bay.

No. 13. The Officer in Charge, Jackson's Bay Settlement, to the Under Secretary for Immigration. Sir,— Hokitika, 6th May, 1878. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Memorandum No. 67, dated the 12th April, 1878, conveying instructions as to the future expenditure in connection with the special settlement, Jackson's Bay, and limiting the same to the construction of the Paringa and Haast Track, and also to the jetty, subject to the approval of the plans by Mr. Blaekctt. As I have been unable to communicate with the Resident Agent since the receipt of the above on the 23rd April, and as I was informed by him that he had received authority from the Hon. the Minister for Immigration to construct a lock-up, and also to push on the Arawata and Bay Road as quickly as he possibly could, in addition to the items attended to by you, certain expenditure will have been incurred which could not possibly have been avoided owing to the absence of communication; and as there will be no chance until the " Waipara" or " Maori" sail, which will not be yet for ten days or a fortnight, I fear that, as I have only received advices up to the end of March, the expenditure for the months of April and May will have to be provided for, the Resident Agent having gone on with the works above mentioned, in the absence of any instructions to the contrary. I beg, therefore, respectfully to request that you will be good enough to inform me whether all works, with the exception 6 of the jetty and the Paringa and Haast Track, are to be 2—l). 6.