SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1861, 22 July 1887, Page 16

SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

The monthly meeting of the School Commissioners was held on Tuesday. Present : Mr- J. P. Maitland (chairman), Hon. Dr Menzies, Hon. W. H. Reynolds, Messrs J. Green and W. H Pearson.

Application was made by the Southland County Council for a bonus of £300 towards the expense of roadmaking on blocks I and 11, Wendon district. — It was decided to obtain from the county council a plan showing the particular road lines on which it was proposed to spend the money. A letter was received from the Waikaia Progress Committee urging the necessity of opening part of run 194, .the lease of which shortly expires, for settlement. — Consideration of the matter was postponed, pending a report on the land.

Applications were received to lease section 6, block XI, Greenvale ; section 15, block IX, Waikaia; and section 1, block VIII, Wendon. — It was decided to offer the sections for 14 years' agricultural lease. .Accounts amounting to £81 19s lOd were passed for payment.

An interesting discovery was made on the 27th May, at Winchester Cathedral, during the construction of the monument to hold the skeleton of Bishop Courtenay. A workman, on making an opening in the choir wall, exposed De Blois' leaden coffer, in which that bishop had enshrined the bones of his uncle Richard, the second son of the Conqueror, who was killed by a stag in the New Forest. Richard's bones were thus preserved by King Stephen's brother, and the coffer, after some seven centuries, remains perfect. The inscription denotes that the coffer contains the bones of Richard, but the words " Beorn Dux " lead antiquaries to believe that the coffer also holds the bones of Earl Beorn, nephew of Canute.

The Southland Times states that Mr C. Bradshaw, who bought the wreck of the ship North* umberland at Napier, is making a good thing out of it. The vessel has broken up, but the work of recovering her cargo is proceeding rapidly.