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to legislate upon the subject of Crown Lands, and it would require a lapse of at least eighteen months before any legislation by the General Assembly of New Zealand could be effective in providing remedies. I doubt the advisability of pointing out these defects in a document to be made public. Should the Government or the Members of the General Assembly contemplate proposing amendments in the Regulations, I shall be most willing to point out those particulars in which I, from experience, find the details of the Regulations defective.

I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
W. H. CUTTEN,
Chief Commissioner of the Waste Land Board, and Commissioner of Crown Lands.

IMMIGRATION REPORT.

Immigration Department,
14th October, 1862.

Sir—
I HAVE the honor to present the following report on the Immigration Scheme:—

Immigrants’ Bills.

The following is the amount collected from 1st April to 30th September, 1862:—

Total for six months £2983 12 1
Total for six months ending 31st March, 1862, 4457 18 5

Total for twelve months, £8441 10 6

The above amount is somewhat less than I expected to realise, but the winter months are generally less productive, and the last winter was a season of depression in money matters amongst the community in general, and had a corresponding effect on the returns for Immigration. The return for September is considerably less than that of the five preceding months, in consequence of the rush to the Dunstan diggings.

The disposition on the part of many of the defaulters owing passage money to defer the payment of the debt to the latest period; and in some cases to repudiate the claims of the Government altogether, is no less apparent now than in former years. In accordance with my instructions from the Government I took immediate steps to recover, by legal measures, the bills due by immigrants of long standing in the colony. There were thirty-four defaulters sued; the Supreme Court cases having been conducted by Mr. Howorth, and those coming under the jurisdiction of the Resident Magistrate by myself. I herewith enclose a list of the parties sued, with remarks on each case.

The discontinuance of the District Court, and the long interval elapsing between the sittings of the Supreme Court, have retarded our operations, but as there is now a near prospect of the appointment of a Resident Judge, this delay will not again occur. The plan I have proposed to myself is, if possible, to clear off each ship in succession, and take such other steps as I find circumstances may demand. I find it utterly useless to continue any further correspondence with defaulters in the Province of Southland, as they seem determined to take no notice of my communications, and I would respectfully suggest that the Government should employ a solicitor in Invercargill, to recover, by legal measures, the monies due there.

Immigration Fund.

The following is the present state of the Immigration Fund:—

The total amount of debt due by immigrants is £46,979 18s. 5d. The amount due, according to the time allowed by the British Agents for payment, is £37,136 18s. 7d.

The following are the present divisions of the Immigration Scheme:—

1. Guaranteed passages by bona fide settlers.

2. Parties paying the whole of the passage money of their friends at this end.

3. Applications by bona fide settlers for single females to be brought out free.

Guaranteed Passages.

In accordance with the resolution of the Government to resume Immigration on the Guaranteed Passage Scheme, I have the honor to report that sixty-eight applications by bona fide settlers in the colony, guaranteeing the payment of the passage of their friends, have been forwarded from this office to the British Agents. The system now adopted and approved of by the Government is, that two persons’ names, both being bona fide settlers, and I have used every precaution to have sufficient security for the repayment of the loan before entertaining the application. The number of souls indicated by the 68 applications is 231.

In addition to this, I have entertained and accepted applications from persons paying at this end the whole or a part of the passage money of their friends. The sum of £2327 was paid into the Treasury on their account, and £129 is still due on good security.

Female Immigration.

There have been 180 single females suitable as domestic servants, sent for by