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obligation to assist in obtaining emigrants for the Katikati Settlement. It is, at the same time, desired the Agent-General should, when he is cognizant of the terms of the agreement, do anything in in his power to forward your [my] views consistently with the entire freedom of the Government from all responsibility in the selection and sending out of any proposed settlers."' Such being your instructions, and as you have received the agreement with sketch plan to enable me to recognize the block, with all particulars of measurements, &c, all of which, when compared and found correct, I am quite prepared to sign, I apprehend, therefore, as all misunderstandings that have hitherto arisen in your mind (to my great anxiety and loss) are now at an end, the printed papers in schedule which you believed you should require to decide if the emigrants w rere desirable are thus rendered unnecessary. I am nevertheless most willing to meet your views in every way possible in the interests of general emigration outside of my special party, and will therefore be glad, in the matter of your Agents or otherwise, to have your valuable assistance, and should feel obliged for a list of your Scotch, English, and Irish Agents, with or without any letters of advice or introduction from you as you may consider most beneficial to the interests of the colony. I note your regret " that I did not think it necessary to furnish you [me] with copy of the telegram sent to you by Mr. Reid on the 31st July, &c. ;" but if you refer to my letter of the 16th October, 1877, you will find I did refer to the telegram to which you probably make reference, but it was not dated on 31st July, as stated by you,-but was dated 11.30 a.m., Government Buildings, Wellington, Ist August, and received by me on board the R.M.S. " Zealandia " after the first order had been given " for all to go on shore." I should, however, state, for your information, that this identical agreement of which you now send me a copy was finally settled by the Hon. Donald Reid and myself in July, 1877, was then printed by the Government at Wellington as a draft agreement, and approved at Wellington, was subsequently confirmed by the special meeting of the Auckland Waste Lands Board on 31st July, and was duly forwarded to you in your capacity as Agent-General in my pamphlet. I have, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand. Geo. Vesey Stewaet.

Enclosure 2 in No. 28. The Agent-General to Mr. G. V. Stewart. Sir, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 9th February, 1878. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the sth instant. In reply, I have to state that if you desire the Agent-General's certificates I do not consider the Minister for Immigration's instructions free me from the necessity of requiring the information indicated in the forms I have sent you. Mr. Macandrew evidently means that lam not to make the Government responsible to the emigrant for the fulfilment of any engagement you may make with him, and he certainly does not intend to upset the clause in the agreement which refers to the AgentGeneral's certificates. I have already had the honor to inform you that I cannot give certificates without the information embodied in the form of which I have supplied you a copy. lam obliged by your offer to render assistance "in the interests of general immigration." As I am not at present sending out emigrants, I will not take advantage of it. I cannot give you a list of the Agents of the department without informing such Agents of the limitation and responsibility of the Government, as otherwise it seems to me I should depart from the instructions I have received. If you will inform me of the part of the country in which you desire to conduct operations, I will send you a list of the Agents in that part, and to each one address a letter such as I have given you a copy in my letter of 29th January. The telegram of Mr. Reid, concerning which I expressed my regret you did not send me a copy, was the one of which I gave you a copy in my last letter, which urged you not to leave the colony, and pointed out that the agreement was not finally settled. Considering that you had led me to believe that the agreement was virtually settled, and that you raised a question of the personal good faith of Mr. Reid, I naturally feel both regret and surprise at not being informed of this communication until the arrival of last mail. Tou do not say if you wish the agreement sent to Mr. Turbitt, or if you will come to London to sign it. I have, &c, G. Vesey Stewart, Esq., Julius Vogel, Martray House, Ballygawley. Agent-General.

Enclosure 3 in No. 28. Mr. G. V. Stewart to the Agent-General. Sir, — Martray House, Ballygawley, 14th February, 1878. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th instant. With regard to Mr. Macandrew's instructions, your interpretation of his views on the subjectmatter of the certificates appears to me to be very much strained: his own words on this point show that the Agent-General will " do anything in his power to forward your [i.e., my] views, consistently with the entire freedom of the Government from all responsibility in the selection and sending out of my proposed settlers." However, as you now wish these particulars in the schedule to be signed by my proposed settlers, I will endeavour to carry out your views, and having given you all the information you required at the time with reference to Messrs. X , G , C , P , and X ,