RELIGIOUS, CHARITABLE, &c, RESERVES.

25

A.—No. 3.

Copy of a Letter from the Rev. Octavius Hadfield, to F. Wakefield, Esq. Dear Sir, — Bishop's House, Wellington, sth May, 1870. I was unable to reply to your letter of the 23rd ultimo till to-day, not having the necessary documents with me at Otaki. The sum of £800 was lent to the Rev. H. W. St. Hill, by the Trustees, on the security of the property belonging to him at Kai-warra-warra. The house is insured. I remain, dear Sir, F. Wakefield, Esq., Tours faithfully, Government Buildings. Octavius Hadfield.

PROVINCE OE NELSON.

Eirst meeting of the Commission at the Government Buildings, at 11 a.m.

Church of England. Evidence taken before Mr. Domett, Chairman. Thursday, 9th December, 1869. The Rev. T. L. Tudor, having been duly sworn, stated: My name is Thomas Lloyd Tudor. lam a clergyman of the Church of England. I was the resident clergyman of the Motueka District from, I think, 1848 to 1859 or 1860. lam acquainted with the history of the Native Reserves granted there to the Bishop of New Zealand. The lands granted were Native Reserves and Government land. Grant, Motueka. No. 1 (N.M. 5, p. 78, area 660 acres). —This consisted of Native Reserves as did the other lands, except one block of Government land, consisting of about, I think, 250 acres. A school had been established in Motueka by the Commissioners of Native Reserves, which was placed under my management before tho grants were issued. Some time after the school had been established, Sir George Grey came over to Motueka. I told him what we were doing there. He said that he would make some grants of land to support the school. About a week, or two afterwards the official notice arrived of the grants having been made. As far as I know, Sir George Grey went himself to the Land Office, and decided upon the selection of the reserves. Some of the reserves were under lease to Europeans, and the others were in possession and ■occupation of the Natives themselves. Among the latter was the single block of 660 acres recorded as above. I cannot say what was the exact amount of rent received at the time. I believe Mr. Ronaldson has the account, or, if not, Mr. Sutcliffe. The amount was, I think, between £150 and £160. The 660 acre block of land was fenced in, or partly, and put in crop, under my superintendence. Accounts of proceeds and expenditure were regularly kept. I was applied to to superintend the school merely. The management of the land was placed in the hands of trustees, viz., Major Richmond, Dr. Greenwood, and Archdeacon Paul. When the grant was made, the Bishop of New Zealand was on the point of leaving for England, and he appointed these gentlemen his attorneys. They left the leases as they came into their hands until the Bishop of Nelson (Dr. Hobhouse) arrived. Then Mr. Barnicoat made a valuation of the land, and fresh leases on longer terms were granted, the old leases having nearly run out. The new terms were for twenty-one years, and a higher rent being agreed upon. I think it was all let except about twenty or twenty-five acres. I think the rental now amounts to about £350 a year, and I believe it was the same when I left. The copy of tho form of lease can be obtained at Motueka. Most of it is very good land; all perfectly level; some a little stony, and some near the beach (but not much) swampy —probably about fifty or sixty acres. The rents were regularly paid; there were, of course, a few temporary defaulters, but lam not aware of any permanent ones. The 660 acres was never under lease, but farmed dj Mr. Sutcliffe for the benefit of the trust. The school of which I spoke was in abeyance for about three or four years —from about 1857 to 1860. At Motueka the exact dates can be obtained. All the children at the school were Maoris. The latter part of the time the children boarded at the school —both boys and girls. I should say that the total number of both was from twenty-five to thirty ; but these details can be furnished in Motueka by Mr. Sutcliffe. The three requirements of tho grant —(1) Religious education, (2) Industrial training, and (3) Instruction in tho English language— were regularly carried out. The school was open for Church of England Natives only, and the children were brought up in the doctrines of the Church of England. I consider the grant was denominational, and the school accordingly was so too. The industrial training consisted, for the girls, of household work, sewing, cooking, and keeping the house clean. The boys were taught farming. This instruction was successful. Before the school was opened none of the Natives were in the habit of ploughing. When I left, the use of the plough was general. One of the girls educated there was Julia Martin, of Wakapuaka, who behaved so well in saving persons from the wreck of the " Delaware," in 1864. Her house was, and is, as far as I know, kept liko a European's. She was under the training ■of a Mrs. Homan, who had charge of the girls' school at Motueka. The English language was 7