A.—No. 3,

52

RELIGIOUS, CHARITABLE, AND

names of the trustees, and the lands so purchased are appropriated towards the endowment of the Bishopric of Christchurch. The remaining 146 acres are let upon leases containing clauses enabling the tenants to purchase at the rate of £5 per acre. The rents, in the meantime, are applied to the same purpose. All these rents are subject to the working oxpenses, being the usual charges for collection, and repairs of the Bishop's residence. At pages 48 and 49— Sections 338e and 338 d, comprising each 50 acres, were sold at £5 per acre. The money arising therefrom was invested in land, also let, and the moneys appropriated. Thursday, 13th January, 1870. —I produce a list marked C, showing the numbers of the town sections granted to the Church Property Trustees, with a column distinguishing such of them as have been let, and the present annual rents derived from them. The terms of years for which these properties have been let will, with a few exceptions, appear from the divisions A and B of Schedule 111. to the Report of the Commission appointed by the Lord Bishop of Christchurch, to inquire into the state and administration of'the Church Property Trust Estates, dated 29th July, 1864, a copy of which Report I produce. The list marked C distinguishes in another column such of the same sections as have been sold or otherwise disposed of. Most of the sections which have since been conveyed to purchasers came into the hands of the present trustees subject to leases to tenants containing purchasing clauses. Of the sections in Christchurch Town comprised in grants of 20th May, 1858 (book 6, p. 452), and sth July, 1856 (book 13, pp. 69 to 82). The sections in Christchurch Town and District included in grant of Bth August, 1857 (book 13, pp. 144 to 153 inclusive), are known collectively as the Jackson Trust Estate, and are mentioned in Schedule V. to the report I have mentioned above. They were the result of contributions by a number of persons through the Reverend Thomas Jackson, the first Bishop designate of Lyttelton. They remain vested in the Bishop of Christchurch. I will furnish an account of the rental, and state the appropriation of the rents of the different allotments. Of section 468, Kaiapoi (book 14.5, p. 78), the only portion at present in possession of the trustees is a piece of land containing 14 acres and 1 rood, in the occupation of Robert Harper, under lease with right of purchase : annual rent, £14 ; purchase money, £140. Section 5,835, Christchurch District (book 14.5 L, p. 135, Christ's College Trusts), was let on lease with purchasing clause, and sold for £75. The rents were applied towards tho annual expenses of the College. The purchase money has been reinvested in the purchase of land ; part of purchase money of sections 10,022, 10,023, 10,024, and 10,025. Section 6,004, Christchurch District, (14.5 L, p. 144) is unlet, and still in possession of the College. Section 68, Christchurch District, comprising 100 acres (14.5 L, p. 153) is let on lease for years at an annual rent of £40. Sections 242 and 243, Lyttelton Town (14.5 L, p. 154), have been sold for £300. It was under contract for sale when it came into the hands of the College. Section 69, Sumner (book 4, p. 367), is still unoccupied in any way. Section 6,000, Oxford, comprising 50 acres (book C. 20, p. 69), was purchased for the College by Messrs. Harman and Stevens, but not being required for the purposes of the College was sold to Mr. Stevens for the amount of the original cost. No money actually passed. Section 10,617, Timaru District (C. 32, p. 207), has been and is under contract for sale for the sum of £160, of which £79 has been paid. The present income is £9 per annum. Monday, 17th January, 1870. —Of section 535, Christchurch Town (book 13, p. 82), I can find no trace except in the grant, which is not registered. I think it, also 88 Christchurch (book 13, p. 801), must have been disposed of before the lands were handed over to the trustees, as was the case with many other sections belonging to the trust. (See Church Property Trust Amendment Ordinance, Session XL, No. 6, Provincial Council, Canterbury, ss. 1, 2, and 3.) Among the papers handed to me, or which I can trace, there are no means of ascertaining the particulars of the sales effected by Mr. Sewell of lands belonging to the estate held for general ecclesiastical and educational purposes. The lands acquired for ecclesiastical and educational purposes from the Canterbury Association were vested in Lord Lyttelton and three other trustees, previous to their transfer to the Church Property Trustees. Mr. Sewell, under power of attorney from Lord Lyttelton and his co-commis-sioners, leased section 1,162, Christchurch (book 13, p. 82), together with another section (1,160), to one J. F. Smart, with a purchasing clause, enabling him to purchase the two sections for £24. The Church Property Trustees subsequent to the grant have conveyed this section to him, Smart, by deed, reciting that the grant to them, so far as related to this section, was in trust for him. All the other sections in the Town of Christchurch, and all the sections in the Town of Lyttelton, which have been granted to the Church Property Trustees, are mentioned in the paper or schedule which I now produce and hand to the Commissioner. (E., pp. 63-6.) That paper contains in one column the number of each section; another column indicates such of these sections as are let; the third column shows which of them have been since sold or otherwise disposed of; and the fourth column shows the respective amounts of the purchase moneys produced by the sales of such of them as have been so sold. I have signed my name at the foot of each page of the paper referred to. I have examined, and, with the Commissioner, compared this list with the schedule produced by the Commissioner. Sections 140 to 144 inclusive, and 168, in the Town of Lyttelton, are vested in the Church Property Trustees, though not included in the schedule referred to. I produce a paper (F, p. 6Q). It contains all the sections mentioned in the grant of Bth August, 1857, to the Bishop of Christchurch and his successors. (Book 13, pp. 144 to 153 inclusive.) The Report of'the Commission of 1864 does not correctly represent the present state of this trust, some of the town sections having since been relet, producing a larger rental. The paper produced contains in the first column the numbers of the sections, the letters R. and T. distinguishing the rural and town sections. The second column shows the annual rent of these sections.