A.—2.

No. 18. The Secretary of State for the Colonies to His Excellency the Administrator. (Circular.) Sir, — Downing Street, 20th November, 1882. With reference to my Circular Despatch of the 6th of September last, on the subject of the appointment of a Committee under section 20 of " The Arrears of Eent (Ireland) Act, 1882," to set in motion the clauses of the Act relating to emigration, I have the honour to transmit herewith an extract from a report addressed to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland by the Committee, and to request that you will furnish me with the views of your Government upon the question raised in the seventh paragraph of that report. I have, &c, The Officer Administering the Government KIMBEELEY. of New Zealand.

No. 10. Reply, A. -1, No. 27,

Enclosure. Extract from a Eeport addressed to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland by the Committee under Section 20 of "The Arrears of Eent (Ireland) Act, 1882," dated Dublin, 10th October, 1882, No. 31146-82, Miscellaneous. 1. We have the honour to report that, in accordance with our instructions, we have been in communication with the Agents-General of Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, and New Zealand, and with the Emigration Agents of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, and Western Australia. For convenience of reference, we have tabulated the information so obtained, and we add a few general remarks. 2. The object of our inquiries was to ascertain what facilities are offered by the above Colonies to emigrants, in the way of reception at depots before embarking and after landing; of free or assisted passage ; and of opportunity for obtaining employment. 3. All these points we had full opportunity, thanks to introductions from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, of discussing with the representatives of the Governments of those Colonies in London, to whom we are indebted for the ready communication of all the information we sought. We regret that the particulars which we are thus enabled to give do not promise much for the end we have in view, namely, provision for emigrants from Ireland of the poorer classes; for, unquestionably, in regard to climate, resources, and rates of wages, the Australasian and South African Colonies compare favourably with the countries of the North American Continent. 4. It is almost needless to state that the cost of passage to Australia and New Zealand is in all cases so high that unless the whole, or almost the whole, be met by a system of free or very liberally assisted emigration, those countries are closed to emigrants under "The Arrears of Eent (Ireland) Act, 1882." 5. In Queensland alone are facilities offered for any considerable amount of free emigration; but we were informed that the number of Irish applying for passages is at all times in excess of the proportion of that nationality allowed by the laws of the Colony. 6. In several of the Colonies emigration is assisted, and in all but Natal the nomination system appears to obtain. Under this system colonists nominate their relatives or friends in the United Kingdom, subject to the approval of the Agent-General in London, paying a largely reduced fare, and taking charge of the friends on their arrival. Thus the Colonial Government is relieved from all responsibility, while the benefits of select immigration are secured to the Colony. 7. But the advantages of the system are confined to the colonists and their friends at Home. Under existing laws, the Colonial Governments have no power to nominate, and there is no prospect of the laws being altered, unless to meet an exceptional case. We are not without hope that an exception might be made in some cases in favour of agricultural labourers and women fitted for general domestic service, if approved by the colonial authorities in London ; and we recommend that a special application be addressed through the Colonial Office to each of the Governments we have named, asking if it be possible for them to provide free passages for such numbers as they shall determine of emigrants from Ireland of the above-mentioned classes.

No. 19. The Secretary of State for the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor. (New Zealand, No. 51.) Sir, — Downing Street, 28th November, 1882. I have the honour to transmit to you, for the consideration of your Government, a copy of a letter which has been received from the War Office, respecting a claim advanced by Mr. Luke Madigan, late 70th Foot, for a grant of land on account of his military service in Now Zealand. I request that I may be

Reply, A.-l, No. 24.

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