EDUCATIONAL RESERVES.

55

A.—No. 3;

Government as a Post Office and its adjuncts. The building, originally a market house, erected before the land was transferred to the Municipality, has been considerably added to by the Municipality, and is now rented by the General Government for the purpose above mentioned at a rent per annum of £271, arrived at in part by a percentage allowed in that shape upon the amount so laid out. The income so arising forms part of the revenue of the Municipality, and is expended upon the public works of Christchurch. The one fronting upon Armagh Street is partly occupied by the Fire Brigade for engine-house and offices ; partly by the Provincial Government as a lock-up for female prisoners ; and another portion is occupied by a stable used for the horses belonging to the Municipality. There is also upon it a small vegetable store, for which a rent of 7s. a week is paid by the tenant. This also forms part of the City Reserve. It is in contemplation to pull down this small store. No other revenue is derived from this latter portion of the reserve. Mr. Davie, being duly sworn, states :My name is Cyrus Davie. lam Chief Surveyor of the Province of Canterbury, and reside at Christchurch. I know the Reserve No. 46, in red, situate in Lyttelton, book 4, p. 346, containing 1 acre, abutting on tho Town Reserve. It is still vested in the Superintendent. I believe burials have taken place there. Reserve No. 45, Town of Lyttelton (book 4, p. 349), for a Roman Catholic Cemetery, remains vested in the Superintendent. Reserve 50a, near Heathcote Ferry (grant recorded book 4, p. 352), is not used as a cemetery. It was intended as an addition to Reserve No. 50, and was omitted by mistake from the conveyance of 23rd December, 1868, to the Church Property Trustees. Section 67, Dampier's Bay, Lyttelton (grant recorded book 4, p. 371), was originally 2 acres. Of these 2 roods and 20 perches were dedicated for a road under Ordinance of the Provincial Council No. 3, of Session XXIV. The residue has been conveyed to the Church Property Trustees. No use has been made of it. Sections 159, 158. On section 158, Akaroa Town, the old Roman Catholic Church stood. These sections were fenced in, but the church was blown down and the cemetery abandoned many years ago. They bury in a new reserve. Nothing is done with sections 159 and 158. On part of the reserve including sections 138 to 144 inclusive, and 148 to 154 inclusive, in Akaroa Town (C. 21, p. 127), recorded in Land Office as Reserve 113, in red, the Roman Catholic Church stands. The land is enclosed, and service is performed there when opportunity serves. The church is of wood, shingled, and will hold about 120 worshippers. Section 116, in red, containing 2 acres near Akaroa Town (C. 21, p. 145), is used as a cemetery by the Roman Catholics. It is partly fenced with a wooden fence. There are but few graves. On Reserve 90, in red, Banks' Peninsula (C. 29, p. 178), there is, I believe, a schoolhouse, used occasionally as a place of worship (Akaloa). Wednesday, 12th January.—Reserve No. 101, in red, above Lyttelton, 52 acres 1 rood and 30 perches, for a botanical garden, has been conveyed to the Municipality of Lyttelton. Reserve 117, in red, comprising 2 acres (C. 29, p. 179), is still vested in the Superintendent. The Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, and Church of England denominations have made provision for cemeteries elsewhere in this neighbourhood. The ground is at present unused. The Reserve 97, in red, 2 roods 14 perches (C. 29, p. 204), in Akaroa Town, for a parsonage, is a piece added to the Parsonage Reserve No. 55, in red, one of the Canterbury Association Reserves, Nos. 53, 54, and 55. (See Mr. Townsend's evidence, p. 51.) It will be inclosed with those. Section 166, in red, Lyttelton District (Kaituna Valley), 6 acres (C. 29, p. 206), is at present unused. I am one of the Church Property Trustees, and heard the Rev. Mr. Eraser's evidence respecting Reserve 172, in red, and from circumstances recalled to my mind by his evidence I am satisfied that a mistake has occurred in the conveyance of this land to the Church Property Trustees. The Rev. Mr. Fraser, being duly sworn, states :My name is Charles Fraser. lam Minister of the Free Church of Scotland, residing at Christchurch. I know the land comprised in Reserve No. 190, in red, in Port Lyttelton (grant recorded C. 20, p. 57), comprising 5 acres of land in what is called " Gibbie's Flat." The original application for this land stated the objects to be for a church, school, and manse. It was in course of being fenced in when I was there last, nearly three years ago. On section 138, Banks' Peninsula (C. 17, p. 5), there has been built a church of timber, shingled, at a cost of about £400, accommodating about 120 worshippers. The ground is fenced. It was erected about five or six years ago. There was regular worship held there for two or three years ; and since the regular worship, occasional services have been held by members of the Presbytery up till within the last month, and these will be resumed as opportunity offers. On section 139, in red (C. 20, 55), there have been some interments. It is partially fenced in. Reserve 194, in red, on the Springs Road (Lincoln District), is fenced in. A church capable of holding 100 people has been built, of timber, shingled. Divine service has been for some three years, and continues to be, performed once every fortnight. There is a manse of timber, shingled, also built upon this reserve, and this has been occupied, for the last two years, by the minister and his family. The minister also preaches, on the alternate Sundays, at Prebbleton and Lincoln, or at Southbridge and Selwyn. Section 172, in red, at Pigeon Bay, in Banks' Peninsula (C. 27, p. 207), containing 10 acres of land, appears to have been conveyed to the Church Property Trustees in mistake. The reserve was made in compliance with an application made by me, wherein the object of the reserve was stated to be church and school purposes in connection with the Church of Scotland. The ground formed part of land comprised in a pre-emptive right belonging to Ebenezer Hay, and his consent to waive his right was obtained by me. We have availed ourselves of it for teachers' use, i.e., in respect of firewood, &c.