may be forwarded through the said Agent or Agents.

4. All correspondence with the said Agent or Agents shall be conducted by the Superintendent, with the advice and consent of the Executive Council; and all communications from the Superintendent, or from the said Agent or Agents, shall be laid before the Provincial Council within ten days after the despatch or receipt of the same; or if the Provincial Council be not then sitting, within ten days after the opening of the next Session thereof.

5. It shall be lawful for the said Agent or Agents to enter into all such contracts, and generally to do all such things, on behalf of the said Province and of the Government thereof, as he or they shall from time to time be authorised to enter into, or to do by instructions under the hand of the Superintendent, issued by the advice and consent of the Executive Council of the said Province.

6. It shall be lawful for the said Agent or Agents, to resign such office, and by writing under his hand or their hands, to appoint some fit person in his or their stead; and such person shall be taken and deemed to be Agent, as though he had been appointed as hereinbefore required; provided that every such appointment shall cease and determine twelve months after the date thereof, unless it shall be allowed and confirmed by an Ordinance of the Superintendent and Provincial Council.

7. It shall be lawful for the said Agent or Agents, at their discretion, to delegate and employ Agents under them for the purpose of promoting immigration to the Province of Otago, or for any other purpose, or upon any occasion whatsoever touching the affairs of the said Province. Provided always that in all such cases such Agent or Agents shall act strictly in accordance with the instructions which shall be issued to them from time to time by the Superintendent.

8. James Crawford, junior, Esq., and John Auld, Esquire, Writers to Her Majesty’s Signet at Edinburgh, and William Walker Cargill, Esquire, Banker in London, shall be, and are hereby appointed, all or either of them, jointly or severally, to be the Agent or Agents in the United Kingdom for the Province of Otago.

Passed the Provincial Council the thirteenth day of November, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.

ROBERT CHAPMAN,
Clerk of Council.

Assented to on behalf of the Governor, at Dunedin, the twenty-eighth day of December, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.

W. CARGILL,
Superintendent.

I HAVE assented to this Ordinance, not withstanding the alterations made on the original Bill, and adhered to by the Council, when requested to reconsider them, for the following reasons, namely—Because of the necessities of the Province for a supply of labour without delay;—Because, on the present occasion, of having the means of averting the confusion arising from separate Agencies independent of each other, in place of one Agency wholly responsible to the Province, and having power as heretofore to appoint its Sub-Agents and Correspondents in the United Kingdom;—Because of my conviction that it will be one of the first acts of a new and enlarged Council to expunge from this Ordinance a principle so fraught with confusion and with damage to the Province in respect of the home responsibilities, to be exacted on its behalf;—And finally, because of present satisfaction to Otago settlers in being enabled to get out their friends as assisted passengers.

W. CARGILL,
Superintendent.

(Extract.)

RULES to be observed by the Agents for Otago in regard to Emigration.

SELECTION.

The Agents shall carefully satisfy themselves that the parties are of sound mind and body, healthy, skilful in their callings, of industrious habits, and good moral character. The Certificates of their possessing these qualifications to be transmitted along with them.

Parties producing letters from kinsfolk or friends in Otago, and whose names are also upon the list sent home, if found qualified as above, to have a preference over all other applicants.

A preference also to be given to married couples with families if otherwise qualified as above.

In general, selection to be made in such way as that there shall be an equal number of both sexes. Young unmarried females, not members of families, to be placed under the guardianship of the heads of a family or a matron.

Each party of Emigrants to be selected, with a view to the supply of the kinds of labour in demand in the settlement, as the Agents shall be advised.

EXTENT OF AID.

Parties having sufficient funds of their own shall not be entitled to aid from the Immigration Fund. And parties aided shall give obligation to repay the sums advanced on their account by such yearly instalments, in number and amount, as shall be arranged between them and the Agents.

SHIPS.

The ships to be chartered from Ports most convenient for the bulk of the passengers; to be uniformly First Class; and in victualling, accommodation, and otherwise, to be at least equal to other passenger ships between London and New Zealand.

Superintendent’s Office,
Dunedin, 28th December, 1854.