A.—No. 3

24

RELIGIOUS, CHARITABLE, ftc., RESERVES.

Wednesday. 21th November, 1569. Mr. Boicden. beina: duly sworn, states: My name is Thomas Adolpbus Bowden. lam headmaster (pro. tern.) of the Wellington College and Grammar School. In order to bring it under the terms of the grant, the trustees style the institution a college and grammar school. 1. The first condition of the grant is complied with, i.e., Greek and Latin are taught to all pupils competent to receive such instruction, unless a desire is expressed by the parents to the contrary. 2. The school is not kept open in the evening, tho funds not being sufficient. 3. We admit boys without reference to their religious denominations, or the nationalities to which they belong. We do not know what the religious denomination of the boys is; we never ask the question, and Ido not know what they are. I know that we have some of the Hebrew persuasion, because of the numerous holidays they keep, in the observance of which they are very strict. There is no prayer at the opening of the school, nor any religious instruction given, the school being wholly secular. 4. The children of tho masters are the only free scholars. As the fees go to tho masters themselves, the question of tho funds of the school is not affected by this arrangement. I presume if the trustees had funds for the purpose, their course in carrying out this condition of tho grant would be, to apply the funds to the payment of the fees for free scholars. No visitor has been appointed by tho trustees, as far as I know. There are at present between seventy and eighty scholars. The school would accommodate between eighty and ninety as a maximum. The boys belong to all classes of the community, from mechanics to the Superintendent of tho Province. The trustees have subsidized the masters to tho extent of £50 certain each, and a guarantee to the amount of another £50 only, to bring each salary to £300 per annum, if the fees are not sufficient to pay it. The masters are equal in rank, tho head-master being primus inter pares. There are two boys at present reading Horace and Xenophon; these are the highest boys in the sixth form. With respect to the reserve, I may state that I hear that the Town Board, having granted a lease of the land the school stands on to one Hewitt, who failed to pay his rent, the trustees bought Hewitt's lease, paying up the back rents.

Saturday, 4th December, 1869. Grant, 8 acres 2 roods 28 perches, Cemetery, Wellington. Mr. Woodward, being duly sworn, states: My name is Jonas Woodward. No. 1 (4a., p. 27, area 8 acres 2 roods 28 perches). —The whole of this land, given for a cemetery, is now fenced in, and part or the whole of it used as a cemetery since 1854. The sexton lives on tho ground, in a house built by the trustees. A sum of £150 was borrowed by them under the Provincial Council Cemetery Act. Interest is paid on this sum, at 10 per cent., from out of fees for graves. Grant, 23 perches, Athenaeum, Wellington. No. 2 (N.M. Miscellaneous, p. 60, area' 23 perches). —This land has been applied strictly to the objects of the trust ever since 1842. A circulating library and a reading-room have been constantly maintained there, and courses of lectures were occasionally given for a number of years. The Bishop of Wellington, Mr. Justice Johnston, Messrs. Mantel], W. Lyon, Woodward, Hart, Roberts, the Rev. A. Stock, the Rev. J. Rirtou, Dr. Ralph, &c, &c, were amongst the number of lecturers. The funds have been exclusively applied to maintaining the library and reading-room, and keeping tho building in repair. The Institution has been well maintained and self-supporting from the first, with occasional voluntary assistance from the public and the trustees. Grant, 7 acres 1 rood 17 perches, Cemetery, Wellington. No. 3 (N.M. Miscellaneous, p. 11, area 7 acres 1 rood 17 porches). —No use has been made of this portion of the ground. Mr. George Moore, being present, confirmed the above statement of Mr. Woodward. Grant, 2 roods, 37 perches, Jewish Cemetery, Wellington. Mr. Levin, having been duly sworn, states: My name is Nathaniel Levin. No. 1 (N.M. Miscellaneous, p. 50, area 2 roods 37 perches). —It is a reserve for a cemetery, of which a small piece has been fenced in and used for a burial-ground. The rest is unimproved and unused, as not at present required for the objects of the trust. Copy of a Letter from J. E. Nathan, Esq., to F. Wakefield, Esq. Sir,— Wellington, 28th April, 1870. I have the honor to inform you that the objects of the trusts with respect to a grant of land, No. 49, area 21 perches, have not been carried out, owing to the unsuitableness of the site. The Committee of the Wellington Hebrew Congregation having purchased a piece of land with private funds subscribed for that purpose and erected thereon a Synagogue, I am requested to make application to the Commission for power to the Trustees to sell the piece of land granted, devoting the proceeds to religious purposes. I have, &c, F. Wakefield, Esq., Secretary to the Commission J. E. Nathan, of Inquiry into Religious Trusts, &c. President of the Wellington Hebrew Congregation.