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addition of a teacher of practical mining, land surveying, engineering, and mechanical drawing (whose services would be partly utilized for the purpose of the School of Agriculture now being established), the College would have such a teaching staff that the students of the School of Mines would find suitable classes sufficient in number to occupy all their time, and afl'ord them a complete curriculum. I may state for your information that at the- present time chemistry, electricity, heat, and other branches of physics, metallurgy, assaying, and mineralogy, are taught by Professor Bickerton, himself a scholar of the Royal School of Mines, London; mathematics, pure and applied, by Professor Cook, late fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge; geology, palaeontology, and mineralogy, by Dr. Julius yon Haast: palaeontology also comes within the scope of the lectures of Dr. Powell, lecijirer on biology. It is in consequence of having already nearly sufficient means for affording instruction, such as is required by students in a School of Mines, that this College can undertake to establish the school for the very small amount stated iv my letter of March 19th, 1877. I have, &c, "W. MONTGOMERY, The Hon. the Secretary for Crown Lands. Chairman.

No. 7. The Hon. the Seceetaey for Ceown Lands to the Chaieman of the Boaed of Goveenoes. Sic, — General Crown Lands Office, Wellington, 18th June, 1877. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 14th ultimo, in reference to the opening of a School of Mines, and in which you furnish a statement of the subjects on which you are prepared to give instruction to students of the School of Mines, should such be established in connection with your College. In reply, I have to inform you that, with the view of assisting in establishing such a School, the Government will move the General Assembly to vote a sum of £300 for the purpose of procuring suitable models, &c, and an annual subsidy of £150 for five years. The amount of subsidy to be given after that date to be open to be dealt with by the Legislature. I have, &c, W. Montgomery, Esq., Chairman of the Board of Governors, D. Reid. Canterbury College, Christchurch.

No. 8. The Chaieman of the Boaed of Goveenoes to the Hon. the Seceetaey for Ceown Lands. Sib, — Canterbury College, Christchurch, 25th June, 1877. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th instant, in which you inform me that the Government will move the General Assembly for the aid required to establish and maintain a School of Mines in connection with the College. I beg to add that the Board of Governors will, when placed in funds, take steps without delay to establish the School. I have, &c, W. Montgomery, The Hon. the Secretary for Crown Lands. Chairman.

No. 9. The Hon. the Ministee of Education to the Chaieman of the Boaed of Goveenoes. Sic, — Department of Education, Wellington, 18th January, 1878. In reply to your letter of 3rd instant, requesting that the sum of £450, appropriated for the establishment and maintenance of the School of Mines in connection with the Canterbury College, may be paid, I have the honor to inform you that a voucher for the amount has been passed for payment. I have, &c, W. Montgomery, Esq., J. Ballance. Chairman of the Board of Governors, Canterbury College.

OTAGO. No. 10. The Hon. the Seceetaey for Ceown Lands to the Chancelloe of the Otago Univeesity. Sic, — General Crown Lands Office, Wellington, 31st January, 1877. I have the honor to enclose a copy of a resolution passed by the House of Representatives in favour of the establishment of a School of Mines in the colony. In the short discussion which the motion elicited, a report of which is herewith appended for your information, it was intimated that the Government would take an early opportunity of drawing the attention of the governing bodies of the Otago University and of the Canterbury College to the subject, with a view to induce them to pay special attention to the establishment of "mining schools in connection with these institutions.