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No. 24. The Hon. the Minister for Immigration to the Agent-General. Sir, — Immigration Office, Wellington, 26th February, 1880. I desire to point out to you that in the accounts of your department for the months of November and December last the following items appear: (1) William McLellaud, expenses incurred in lecturing in Kirkcudbright, £2 12s. 3d.; (2) Joseph Kenncrley, travelling expenses, £30; (3) Arthur Clayden, travelling and hotel expenses, £26 10s. sd. I presume Mr. McLellaud has been appointed by you for some special purpose in connection with emigration, and I have no remarks to make respecting the account for his expenses, the amount of which is small. With regard to Mr. Kennerley, you will learn from the letter from Mr. Ballance to yourself, dated loth May last,* he offered his services gratuitously in procuring suitable emigrants for the colony, but, as nothing was stated about travelling expenses, I presume you have found it desirable to allow them. With respect to Mr. Clayden, however, it is expressly stated in the letter from the UnderSecretary, copy of which was transmitted to you on the 2nd May,t that the sum of £200 (which was afterwards increased to £250) would be paid to Mr. Clayden, out of which he would have to find his own travelling expenses in the United Kingdom. As the above accounts have been already paid, I have authorized their being passed to credit in the usual manner; and I merely direct your attention to them as, under the existing circumstances of the colony, it is not desirable that the services of any local agents should be continued for a longer period than that stated in my letter of the 6th November, j Whilst on the subject of local agents, it has been brought under my notice that some of the persons who have been sent Home from the colony to act in that capacity have been paid a commission, at a certain rate per head, by shipowners and brokers for procuring passengers for their vessels, without, so far as I can gather, any guarantee being required of the suitability of the passengers for colonial life; the result being that a very large number of unsuitable persons are now in the colony absolutely without any means whatever, having been induced to dispose of whatever property they possessed in order to pay their passages. I shall be obliged by your causing strict inquiry to be made, and, if it is found that any of the persons now employed as emigration agents have accepted any commission or remuneration other than that paid by you, you should at once terminate their engagements. I have, &c, W. Rolleston, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. Minister for Immigration.

No. 25. The Hon. the Premier to the Agent-General. (Telegram.) Wellington, 26th February, 1880. Unemployed numerous and increasing. Warn men without means against coming at present. Send none yourself. Vogel, London. Hall.

No. 26. The Hon. the Minister for Immigration to the Agent-General. Sir, — Immigration Office, Wellington, 27th February, 1880. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th December, No. 1,122, pointing out that you had not received a written reply to your previous letter of the 23rd April,§ and urging the many advantages which would accrue to all parties concerned if an emigration depot for New Zealand exclusively was established at Falmouth. In reply, I regret that your first letter was not replied to more fully ; but it was considered the telegram from the late Government, || dated 24th July last, sufficiently informed you of the decision arrived at. The Government has again carefully considered your letter now under reply, and the conclusion arrived at is, that under the existing circumstances of the colony, and considering the determination to suspend immigration for a time, there does not appear to be sufficient reason to entertain the question at present. I have, &c., W. Rolleston, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. Minister for Immigration.

No. 27. The Hon. the Minister for Immigration to the Agent-General. Sir, — Immigration Office, Wellington, 28th February, 1880. In reply to an application from Mr. Bathgate for an extension of the period of his employment as an emigration lecturer in the United Kingdom, a telegraphic message has this day

* No. 46, D.--1, Sess. 1., 1879. t No. 42, D.-l, Sess. 1., 1879. J D.-la, Sess. 11., 1879. § No. 235, D.-7, Sess. 1., 1879. || No. 2, D.-7, Sess. 11., 1874,