9

D.—2

I shall be glad if the Government can see their way to accede to Mr. Press's proposal, and afford him, as well as other immigrants of a similar class, accommodation at the immigration depots, as no doubt such accommodation would prove very convenient to new arrivals on their first landing in the colony. I have furnished Mr. Press with a letter to the Immigration Officer at Wellington. I have, &c, Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 18. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. Sir, — 7', Westminster Chambers, London, Ist November, 1879. I have the honor to report as follows as to the proceedings of my department during the month of October :— In pursuance of the instructions which I have received during the past month by telegram from the Hon. the Premier, I shall endeavour to avoid engaging any vessel for despatch of emigrants during the month of December; but probably there will be a number of nominated emigrants who, under existing engagements, will require to be provided with passages during the month of January, and for them I shall probably have to engage one or more vessels to sail during that month, but the number will not, I believe, be large. As I have remarked in previous monthly reports, the number of persons nominated by their friends in the colony wishing to avail themselves of the Government passages has been, and apparently would continue to be, unprecedentcdly large; so that there would, I believe, be no difficulty in filling two or three ships a month with this class of emigrants only: whereas in previous years it has never been found possible to collect a sufficient number of nominated persons to fill even one ship. This is to be accounted for by the extraordinary depression which exists, more particularly in all the agricultural districts of the United Kingdom, and which is compelling numbers of persons connected with agricultural pursuits to leave the country. Mr. Clayden is still continuing to hold meetings and give lectures in various parts of the country, and his efforts are mainly directed towards inducing persons with capital to proceed to the colony. I have, &c, Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 19. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. Sir, — 7', Westminster Chambers, London, 3rd November, 1879. Referring to the telegrams* which have passed between the Hon. the Premier and myself respecting the suspension of emigration, I have the honor to inform you that I have taken steps in accordance with the directions contained therein. The number of nominated persons desirous of availing themselves of their friends' invitation is, however, still very large, and I shall probably have some difficulty in postponing the time of their leaving for the colony, without giving some dissatisfaction. Nominated people, as a rule, look upon themselves as having a right to passages, and this feeling is of course increased since the system of requiring part-payment in the colony of the passages of male adults has been initiated. The three ships engaged some time ago to sail with emigrants for Otago, Canterbury, and Auckland, on the 12th, 26th, and 28th of this month respectively, will all embark full complements of nominated people; and to meet existing engagements I shall probably have to despatch a ship conveying nominated emigrants for Wellington, Nelson, "Wcstland, Marlborough, and Taranaki, some time in January or February. In reference to my telegram to the Hon. the Premier of the 23rd October,f I would remark in confirmation thereof that since April last I discontinued entertaining applications for free passages except from nominated people and from a few others who were expressly recommended to me by Mr. Clements, Mr. Sutherland, Mr. G-. M. Reed, and a few others personally connected with the colony; but these latter did not exceed two hundred in number. In fact, at the end of April I caused an advertisement to be inserted in a large number of newspapers, stating that, in consequence of the enormous number of applications for passages, such applications were not invited, and, if sent in, could not be replied to. In the case of a few applicants who offered to pay half passage-money, I granted passages on their being found to be suitable emigrants ; but even this I discontinued, as I advised you in my monthly report dated Ist August last.

* Enclosures in No. 2, D.-IA, Sees. 11., 1879. t D.-U, Sess. 11., 1879. 2—D. 2.