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adoption. lam glad to inform them that we had a very good passage, making the voyage in 95 days. You will be aware that we came out as special immigrants to work a new coal-mine which was opening up on tho west coast of New Zealand by the Westport Colliery Company, under certain promises which appeared in the columns of tho Barnsley and district newspapers previous to our leaving England, for this colony. However, we are sorry to say that, although we have been in the Nelson depot since 28th November, we cannot hear that there is any more likelihood of us reaching our destination than there was the day we landed. The general manager of the Westport Colliery has his home in Nelson, about a quarter of a mile above the depot, and goes down to Westport for three or four weeks together. However, he has been in Nelson for the last fortnight, but has not yet so much as owned us nor given us any satisfaction as to when we are to enter the Company's employ. As soon as we heard he was in Nelson I was appointed, along with three: others, as a deputation, one from each county in England. When we saw him, he said they knew nothing of our coming out here. The first he saw of it was in one of the Newcastle newspapers in Australia, and a lot of suchlike rubbish. From him we went to the Immigration Office, and saw Mr. Greenfield, who produced all the correspondence that had taken place between the Government and the general manager in relation to our beingbrought out. I asked the Immigration Officer if he would give me a copy of the letters. He lent mo the Government schedule of correspondence between the Government and the general manager of the above-named colliery, copies of which I send for your insertion in the Barnsley Chronicle. The following are correct copies, as taken from the printed schedule of Government correspondence for the years 1878 and 1879, commencing with July, 1878, and ending June, 1879 :— SIE, — Immigration Office, Wellington, N.Z., 29th January, 1878.* Application having been made by the general manager of the Westport Colliery Company for immigrants, selected by their agents in Great Britain, to be allowed free passages to the colony, I have the honor to request you to be good enough to grant passages to such coal-miners and others as may be selected by tho Company, upon the same terms a& free passages are allowed to persons eligible as ordinary immigrants to this colony. The immigrants intended for the Colliery Company should be forwarded in ships to tho ports of Nelson or Wellington, as you find most convenient. I have, &c, G. S. Whitmoee, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. (for the Minister for Immigration.) Enclosure in Above. Sib,— Westport, 17th January, 1879. Our Company, very shortly, will require a number of coal-miners for the working of our coal-fields here. It is desirable to import these miners from the Old Country from time to time as required. I have therefore to request that you will bo pleased to grant free passages to such people as our British agents may select, from either the Clyde or London, to Westport, upon the same terms and conditions as granted to agricultural labourers and others, we agreeing to engage these people for twelve months after landing at Westport. I havo, &c, A. J. Brass, Tho Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. General Manager, Westport Colliery Company. Sib, — Immigration Office, Wellington, N.Z., 6th March, 1879. Referring to my letter of the 29th January last, I have the honor to enclose herewith copy of a letter from the manager of the Westport Colliery Company,! requesting that the Government will allow fifty coal-miners to be selected for the Company through your department, and to request that you will be good enough to give effect to Mr. Burns' application. I have, &c, Robeet Stout, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. Minister for ImmigrationEnclosure in Above. Slß,— Wesfport, Ist March, 1879. I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 54, of the 29th January, 1879. Referring to ruy letter of the 17th January, I think, on duo consideration, that the selection of miners for our work should be made by the AgentGeneral, who has better means at his disposal for the selection of immigrants. I would therefore feel obliged by your giving instructions to select, say, fifty flrst-olasp coal-miners, from some of the best coal-mining districts in either Scotland or England; men of small stature preferred, and with families, as they are steadier as a rule when married. The wages at present are 10s. per diem, or an equivalent in tonnage. The working hours are nine hours for five days a week, and all work ceases at noon on Saturdays. Of course, we may have night shifts, but this will be arranged for as a tonnage rate on the same basis. It would be desirable that tho Agent-General should make some inquiries into the character of the men, both as to their moral conduct and also as to their skill as workmen, as the late strikes have exhibited most melancholy traits of depravity and bad conduct in many of this class. This is another reason why it would be advisable that the Agent-General should select these people, as his agents in the various centres of population will know all these things better than any private agent can possibly do. It is possible that our Company may have a ship or steamer coming direct from Britain to Westport; therefore before the Agent-General ships those miners he had better put himself into communication with our agents, Messrs. Neilson and Maxwell, 88 and 90, Cadogan Street, Glasgow, to ascertain this. At any rate, I trust. you will land these miners in Westport in the usual manner, as you do for agricultural labourers, &c, in other parts of the colony. We will require many more miners than fifty, but these will be enough to start with. The local miners are now very hard to be got, and many of them very indifferent workmen. I have, &c., A. J. Bukns, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration. General Manager, Westport Colliery Company. These are copies of the letters which the travelling agent, Mr. Holloway, showed us in Barnsley previous to us getting our forms of application to come out here, so that you will see that the New Zealand Government and their agents at Home have acted the part of honorable gentlemen so far as they are concerned. I may say, further, that both the Hon. tho Minister for Immigration and the Immigration Officer have done all they could with the Westport Goal Company and their manager to induce them to find us employment, and failed. The only answer they can get is, " We are not ready for them yet, and don't know when we shall be." The Government, seeing that this Company have acted as they have towards us, they are in communication with the other coal-mines in the colony, seeking to get us employment. I might

* No. 23, D.-l, Sess. 1., 1879. t No. 31, D.-l, Seas. 1., 1879.