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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES;

CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO PROPOSED IMMIGRATION INTO THIS COLONY FROM CANADA AND NOVA SCOTIA.

Laid on the table of the House 25th June, 1856, and ordered to be Printed.

IMMIGRANTS FROM CANADA. To His Excellency Colonel Wynyard, C.8., fyc., fyc., administering the Government of the Colony of New Zealand; The humble petition of Samuel John Stratford, respectfully sheweth— That on the departure of your petitioner from the City of Toronto, in September 1854 numerous individuals, at present residing in Canada West, required that your petitioner should make all the necessary inquiry for them, as to the possibility of their obtaining land in NewZealand ; that, if the land was to be obtained on reasonable terms, and a good report of the country could be sent to them by your petitioner, they would be induced to dispose of their property and emigrate to New Zealand. That in accordance with these directions, your petitioner has memorialized the Land Board of the Province of Auckland, and suggested to them that the parties beforementioned would like to reside in the same neighbourhood, so that they could assist one another ; and it is the opinion of your petitioner that, after full inquiry since his arrival in Auckland, these individuals would like to obtain a location near to Mongonui or Wangaroa. That the Land Board of the Province of Auckland have fully considered the subject of the memorial, and declare that they have not at their disposal any land either at Mongonui or Wangaroa, but, if they had, they would not hesitate to comply wi'.h the desire of your petitioner ; at the same time, they beg to refer your petitioner to the General Government, who might possibly put them in a condition to make the necessary arrangements in the matter. That your petitioner has been credibly informed that there is abundance of good land in the possession of the Natives in those districts, which they would be ready to sell to the General Government: yonr petitioner, therefore, respectfully solicits that your land agent in that part of the country, be empowered to select some land applicable for the purposes beforementioned, and endeavour to purchase the same, with the intention of forming a Canadian Settlement. That your petitioner has also been told, that a certain amount of good land, has already been purchased in the neighbourhood of Mongonui for the General Government, but that the boundaries have not yet been surveyed ; if such is the case, and the land be fit for settlement, would the General Government be pleased to order the same to be surveyed ; proper plans, and a full description, etc , of the land to be sent to the authorised agent in the City of Toronto, so as to assure the individuals that no mistake or disappointment could accrue to them, should they dispose of their lands in Canada and undertake the journey to New Zealand.

C.-No. 8.