THE LYTTELTON SCHOOL SITE.

Press, Volume XXIV, Issue 3217, 22 December 1875, Page 3

THE LYTTELTON SCHOOL SITE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PBESS. Sib, —I have this moment read Mr H. R. Webb's letter respecting the Lyttelton school site in your issue of this date. It is true that I stated at Tai Tapu (and I think also at Prebbleton) that I believed that there was no valid title in the name of the Superintendent for the Lyttelton school site. My ' reasons for the above belief were as follows :— About one month ago an inquiry was made by the Education office at the Public Record office, whether there was any deed conveying the Lyttelton school site to the Superintendent for the purposes of a school, and the answer given was that no such document could be found. On the 28th August, 1872, the chairman of the Lyttelton school committee wrote to the late Board of Education offering the Market place in Lyttelton as the contribution of the townspeople of Lyttelton towards the one-sixth of the cost of erecting a school, &c, valuing the said Market place at the sum of £1600 sterling. This offer was accepted by the late Board on the 9th September, 1872. After a lapse of three years—that is to say, on 2nd September, 1875, the officiating chairman of the Lyttelton school committee wrote to the Minister of Education, enclosing a fresh valuation of the old Market place, amounting to £2350 instead of £1600. Of course the Minister replied that the old valuation must be adhered to. Coupling this attempt to Teopen the question of the value of the site of the old Market place with the fact that the record keeper had returned for answer that no such document could be found, I was perfectly justified ip expressing my belief that there was no valid title deed. The result of my statement has been most. fortunate, for in consequence of it, on Saturday last, the 18th instant, Mr H. R. Webb came to the Government buildings, and succeeded, with the aid of his Honor the Super" intenderit, in discovering the Crown grant of the Market place, in the name of the Superintendent, for a school, dated 7th November, 1872. I beg to fender my thanks to Mr H. R. Webb, chairman of the Lyttelton school committee, for having given mc an opportunity of making the above explanation. Yours, &c, J. Cbacboft Wilson, Late member for the Heathcote. December 20th, 1875.