Local Intelligence.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 10, Issue 631, 28 July 1866, Page 2

Local Intelligence.

Grammar School. Several improvements have recently been made in the interior of this school, and Mr West, the new teacher is devoting himself energetically to his duties, with a view of making the Institution deserving of public support.

Ytutorta Catholic School. —This school opens on Monday next, and early in August Mr. O’Callaghan, the teacher, commences a course of lectures on Astronomy for the benefit of the school, which is a new erection and expressly adapted for educational purposes.

Sales.— Mr. Finnimore had an extensive sale of fu;it and forest trees, on Wednesday,. at. which the following average prices were realised : —English oaks, Is. each ; 8 Danish do., 3s. Cd. ; elms, Is. and Is. 6d. ;

horse chesnuts, 2s. ; Spanish do., 4s. ; limes, lOd. and Is. ; sycamores, Is. ; yew, 2s. : bav* lam els, Is. fld. The fruit trees cold at from Is. to 3s. each.—Mr. Lewis had an important sale yesterday of imforted pigs, among which were some purebred i oikshire and Perkshiie boars and sows. The side drew a number of settlers, and good prices were realised,

Steeple Chase Cup. —As we stated at the time, this cup, presented by . Mr. Walker, Aramoho, to the winner of the race, was a magnificent one, and anybody may now satisfy himself of the fact byinspecting the article itself in Mr. Peyman’s shop. Mr. Walker was not the man to do the thing by halves.

Educational Endowment. —We direct attention to the report of the public meeting held on this subject. A committee have now taken the affair in hand, and we hope by judicious management they will be able to carry all parties along with them and succeed in making the endowment available for educational purposes generally.

Wesleyan Tea Meeting. —This meeting, in connection with the Wesleyan Sabbath School, which had previously been postponed, is now advertised to be held bn the evening of Tuesday next, when addresses will be delivered by several reverend gentlemen. It will be an interesting meeting, especially to those who take an interest in Sabbath School instruction.

Shop Breaking.—We are Borry to Bay that the shop of Messrs Moore and Co., Taupo Quay, was broken into on Thursday night, and a number of Crimean shirts and some other articles stolen from it. The burglars removed a shutter, broke a pane of glass, and appropriated whatever they could lay hands on in the window within their reach. There is as yet no clue to the depredators. We have been too much accustomed to honest dealings in Wanganui to take the precautions that are necessary against theft ; Mr. Moore did not think of fastening his shutters as if he nightly expected an attack of thieves ; but the fact that there is such a class in or about our neighbourhood,and that they will not fail to take advantage of any fancied security, must henceforth'be a'warning.to all storekeepers to make their premises impervious to midnight assault.

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT. Thursday, July 26. [Before D. S. Durio, Esq., R.M.] CIVIL CASE. Alex. McMinn v. Committe of the Wanganui Grammar School —Claim £B9 19s. The case was adjourned for three weeks, in consequence of the absence of Mr. Watt, treasurer of the School.

EDUCATIONAL MEETING

A public meeting of the \ inhabitants of Wanganui was held in the Princess Theatre on Wednesday evening, to take'into consideration the present state of an endowment, consisting of 250 acres in the town of Wanganui, given in trust to the Bishop of New Zealand, “ for the education of children of other poor persons, inhabitants of both races and of children of other islands in the Pacific ocean, so long as religious education, industrial training, and instruction in the English language, shall be given to youth educated therein.” There was but an indifferent attendance, considering the importance of the meeting. W. Kells, Esq., chairman of the Town Board, was called to the chair. The chairman, having read the requisition to Major Durie, R.M., and the advertisement from that gentleman calling the meeting, added that, as the subject was one in which they were all deeply interested, he hoped that every one wishful to address the meeting would have a fair and impartial hearing. Mr Morgan rose to move the first resolution as follows :—“ In the opinion of. this meeting it is most desirable that the 250 acres of land in this town, sot apart by his Excellency the Governor fourteen years ago, for educational purposes—and of which the Lord Bishop of New Zealand is trustee —should be appropriated to the objects set forth in the Trust Deed.” Mr. Morgan said the subject was a most important one. The objects set forth in the Trust were not very clear to him, but the inference that he drew from the wording of the Deed was, that a school was to be erected for educational purposes, without reference to sect or creed. Some years ago a small building had been erected on the ground and a kind of school carried on upon a very limited scale, but even that semblanee of compliance with the trust had long since disappeared. The laud which had been set apart for education purposes was in the centre of the town, and was now of great value, but no use was being made of it except by a few scattered tenants, who held long leases from some persons appointed by the Trustee. It was very desirable that the objects of the trust should be carried out, and if a suitable educational, establishment were erected on the ground he had no doubt it would become very prosperous. Mr W. Kirk seconded Mr Morgan’s resolution, which being put to the meeting was unanimously adopted. Mr. H. J. Perliam Baid it appeared to him that the chief question for them to consider was, What was the real meaning of the Trust Deed. He considered that the terms of it were very ambiguous. From what the last speaker had said, it appeared to him that a school had been in existence. Ho (Mr. Perham) was not aware of this fact, at least there was no school now, and his opinion was that there being no school as there should have been if the Trust had beon properly carried out, the trust had lapsed, and the property reverted to the Government. He would move that a Committee be appointed, to take the opinion of counsel on the subject. It having been suggested to Mr Perliam that this was contemplated by a resolution which had been prepared, he expressed himself satisfied. Mr. T. B. Taylor moved the next resolution, to the effect “ That the following gentlemen beappointedaOommitteetocarry out the object of tbo previous resolution, with instructions to communicate with the. Lord Bishop of New Zealand, and adopt such other measures as they may deem n icessary :—Messrs. W. H. Watt, J. Bryce, T. Kells, T. B. Taylor, Geo. Beaven, Alex. Williamson, J. Cummins, Thos. Flannery, Walter Taylor, John Morgan, William Hutchison.” Mr. Taylor dwelt upon the importance of having the Trust applied for general educational purposes. He was of opinion that a great injustice had been committed by making such a grant. It was monstrous to think that fourteen years ago the Governor had divided the town iff such a way, giving the right hand.sido of the main street, Victoria Avenue, for educational purposes, and that the land had been kept perfectly unproductive, no streets made, nor buildings erected, thus completely putting a stop to the progress and prosperity of the town. He believed that Wanganui, as first laid out, consisted of about 500 acres, and they had taken 250 of them in the best part of the town for educational purposes, under a trust which has never been carried out. It was shameful that, with such a princely endowment,

they should be without a first-class selfsupporting school, and that they had to go begging round the town for 6s and 10s of of one and another, to help to support the existing Grammar School—a school without a chimney, (laughter). He thought the Bishop ought to account for the revenues of the estate with which he had been entrusted, or else the House of Representatives should be petitioned on the subject. Mr. Hackett seconded the resolution, and said that Mr, Park.es, ; who was Sur-veyor-General At the tirne 1 the trust was made had expressed himself as very unwilling to survey land, for such a purpose, believing that it would only, retard the prosperity of the placo, ;and his words had been fully verified. Mr Hutchison said he went fully along with the objects of the meeting, but there were several difficulties in the way of any effective action being taken. The terms of the trust were" very ambiguous, and as he read it (but he spoke under correction if he. were wrong) it did not appear that there had been any misappropriation of the funds, and it wovldlbe wrong to make any such charge. The trust was for the education of poor children, evidently what we would call pauper children in the old country, and fortunately there was no such class in this community and he hoped there would not be for a long while to come. The ready answer of the Trustee therefore would be, that he was quite prepared to carry out the trust, but there were no objects on which to expend it—as soon, as the children for whomit was intended made their appearance, education and industrial training awaited them. In these circumstances the only course which appeared to him likely to result in a practical result was an application to the legislature setting forth that inasmuch as there were no objects on which to expend the trust, according to the terms on which it had been originally granted, it would be expedient to alter it 3 character in so far as to make it available for extending and improving education generally in Wanganui. Mr T. B. Taylor read the following letter he.had .received from Major Durie: — Wanganui, 24th July, 1856. My Dear Sir, —Having an engagement for to-lnorrow evening, 1 am unable to attend the public meeting that I have convened, relative to the Industrial School Estate. As no doubt a committee will be formed, will you he good euough to state that I shall be happy to communicate with said committee, and give all the information in my power. In the meantime,' I ma'y state that I am only waiting for the arrival of the Rev. Mr Taylor, from Auckland, previous to inviting'tenders for the erection of a Grammar School in Victoria Avenue for Europeans only. I am, dear Sir, Yours truly, (Signed) D. S. Durie, Trustee for the Industrial School Estate. Mr W. Taylor moved an adjournment of the meeting till the 22nd day of August next to enable the Committee to bring up a progress report. Mr. Beaven seconded the motion. He said the Trustees had attempted a school and it had proved a complete failure. There had been a small shanty used for the purpose just prior to the breaking out of the war, and the sham of educating a single family had been kept up to hoodwink the public. He was of opinion that the whole grant should revert to the town as the intentions of the trust liad failed. If the Trustees could do no better than they bad done, which was a mere pretence, they should relinquish the grant altogether. Mr T. R—Taylor agreed with the laßt speaker. It was during Sir George Grey’s former administration that the grant was made, and as he was now here a second time as Governor, this was the best time to get the grant upset. Although it was a general educational grant, it was in reality looked upon as an endowment for the Church of England, and he was of opinion that it was a great injustice that nearly half of the town should be handed over for the especial benefit of any religious body. The resolution was put and carried, and a vote of thanks to the Chairman having been voted, the meeting broke up.