D.—2.

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

Note. —ln the monthly reports from the Agent-General, the detail of sailing of vessels with emigrants and shipment of materials has been omitted. No. 1. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. Sir, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, Ist May, 1879. I have the honor to report as follows as to the proceedings of my department during the month of April:— From the date of my last report the number of applications for passages and information respecting the colony continued to increase to such an extent that as many as a thousand letters were received in one day. 1 found it expedient therefore to withdraw all the advertisements, and on receiving the Hon. the Premier's telegram stating that I was to arrange for the year for only two thousand emigrants in addition to the thousand already ordered, I was compelled to stop accepting any more families or single men, as the number already approved will probably be sufficient to provide the number required. The number of nominated persons wishing to obtain passages has also very much increased ; and to these, of course, I give priority. I propose to make a special arrangement with the New Zealand Shipping Company to lay on two of their passenger ships to take a special class of emigrants, who propose to settle and farm in New Zealand, and who will take with them a moderate amount of capital. There will be only one class of passengers taken, and the accommodation will be superior to that given to ordinary emigrants, but not equal to that of saloon passages. The cost will be about £23, of which, in cases I approve, I propose to contribute a portion—say about .£lO. I propose also to utilize Mr. Reed's and Mr. Berry's services in obtaining the right description of persons to go out by this opportunity. I have every reason to believe that a very useful body of colonists will be introduced into New Zealand by this means. Mr. Reed, with my approval, has taken on the office-rooms formerly used by Mr. Cochrane, at Belfast, and will open them as an office at which information relating to New Zealand can be obtained, and where applications for free and assisted passages can be made. I have, &c., Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 2. The Agent-General to tho Hon. the Minister for Immigration. Sir, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, 20th May, 1879. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, No. 70, of 11th March,* informing me that it will be sufficient for me to obtain the usual certificates of health and character of any emigrants from Canada the Rev. Mr. Ogg may desire to have sent out to New Zealand. 1 have, &c., Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Agent-General.

* No. 32, D.-l, Ben, 1., 1879.

1880. NEW ZEALAND. EMIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND. (LETTERS FROM THE AGENT-GENERAL.) [In continuation of D.-2, Sess. 11., 1879.]