E—No. 4

10. What sum did you receive from the Bishop of New Zealand towards the building of your present residence?—l received £500 in all from the Bishop for general building purposes, including the residence for myself. 11. What buildings have you erected on the Estate in addition to those specified in your answer to question No. 7? —My own residence, building used as overseer's house, new barn and woolshed, 40 feet x 30 feet, in place of one burnt down, and shepherd's dwelling-house at outstation. 12. What may have these buildings cost?— About £899 in all. 13. Have you received any further sum from the Government for the purchase of stock or otherwise?—l received £500 through the Bishop of New Zealand in 1855 for the purchase of sheep with which sum I procured 250 ewes and the necessary rams. Note by Reporter.—The price of ewes was then from 355. to 405,, so that the breeding stock to start with was very small. 14. Were the cattle which are running on the school estate bought originally with Government funds?—No, they have been purchased entirely with my own private funds for school and other public purposes, and have more than amply remunerated the Te Aute Estate for the grazing by the supply of meat and dairy produce to the establishment. The accounts are open to the inspection of the Trustees of the property. 15. Will you please to state what is the number of sheep at present belonging to the School Estate?— About 1448, according to a return which I herewith hand to you. There are other sheep on the College Estate which are taken in to graze on the usual terms for the benefit of the institution. There have been great losses among the sheep at different times from dogs. But for this drawback the number of the School flock would have been much larger. 16. Will you please to state what is the extent of fencing and English grass on the Estate?— Six paddocks of different sizes, substantially fenced and laid down to English grass, comprising about 255 acres, of which 55 acres have been ploughed. Besides the above, arrangements have been made for farther fencing along the boundary of the largest block of land, which will require an outlay of from £500 to £600; but it is indispensible to the profitable working of the sheep that this should be done without delay. 17. What is the amount of balance due by the School Estate to you?— The balance at 31st December, 1861, is as per account current £867 13s. 7id. and the balance unon building account £167 Its. ll|d., in all £1035 lis. 6£d. I beg leave to append the various accounts of his intromissions which have been handed to me by Mr. Williams, and I also add a valuation by myself of the improvements and property belonging to the institution, with a general view of the receipts and the result of their expenditure, which I believe to be substantially correct. So far as I can judge, and I have had considerable experience in forming and improving a sheep station under circumstances nearly similar to those which effected the improvement of the Te Aute school estate, the expenditure has been on the whole very judiciously made. It appears to me, that had Mr. Williams been provided with sufficient capital for improving and stocking the property when it was first placed in his hands, a very different result would have been shewn. It will be observed that the stock of ewes to commence the flock was only 250. Taking into consideration the want of adequate funds to provide suitable buildings for the school and scholars, and for the proper clothing and maintenance of the latter, and also the unsettled state of the Native mind, owing to their intestine feuds at that time, I think that Mr. Williams exercised a sound discretion in closing the school in 1859. No change of circumstances since, has enabled it to be reopened with any better chance of success, nor does there appear to be any immediate prospect of doing so without Government aid, when the heavy debt owing by the institution to Mr. Williams, and which of course must be provided for, is taken into account. To enable the school to be started again, which is most desirable for the sake of the rising generation of Natives in this district, who are growing up in comparative ignorance, I would venture respectfully to suggest that the Government should erect the necessary buildings for the school, schoolmaster's residence aud accommodation of the scholars. That it should farther pay £150 a year for teacher's salary and grant the usual sum per head for scholars, leaving the difference of expense to be provided by the trustees of the institution, without touching any of the surplus income from the stock on the estate. This ought to be devoted exclusively, for, say five years, to the paying off the present debt to Mr. Williams, and to furnish means for the necessary fencing and laying down additional land in English grass as fast as possible, to provide for the increase of the sheep to 5000 at least. By the adoption of such a system of improvement, the free income from the estate ought at the end of the fifth year to be not less than £1000 a year. In return for such a grant and temporary aid as 1 have suggested, the Government might stipulate with the trustees to be relieved of all charges on account of the institution at the expiry of the period above-named. In short, it would simply be a return to the old system, which reserved a certain amount of the annual grant for the express purpose of building schoolhouses and starting the institutions with the view of making them ultimately self supporting. This appears to be the best policy for Government to pursue. H. R. Russell.

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ON NATIVE SCHOOLS.