J.—4

1878. NEW ZEALAND.

PETITION OF ALEXANDER GRANT.

Presented to the House of Representatives 22nd October, and ordered to be printed 2Sth October, 1878. To the Honorable the House of Representatives of the Colony of New Zealand. The Petition of Alexander Geant HuilBLT SH0WET1I,— That the following gentlemen, to wit, T. M. Haultaiu, J. L. Campbell, .T. May, and — Prime, being met and constituting a meeting of the Auckland Board of Education, held at Auckland on the twelfth day of October, 1877, did threaten with punishment or censure the said Alexander Grant, schoolteacher, without allowing him to be heard in his own defence, without giving him previous notice that they were to deal with any complaint against him, and in his absence, and did thus violate the terma of the Act under which they held office. That the said gentlemen did then and there threaten the said Alexander Grant with punishment which they had no power of their own action legally to inflict; and that the said gentlemen did then and there embody charges in their finding in the matter of the complaint of the said Alexander Grant against Richard J. O'SuUivan, Esq., Inspector of Schools, which charges were censured on your petitioner, and were contrary to facts. That in presence of the aforesaid meeting of the Auckland Board of Education false accusations affecting the character of your petitioner, to wit, " that he had acted very treacherously " et alia, and statements contrary to facts (which statements did also injuriously affect the character of your petitioner) were uncontradictedly published in the New Zealand Herald, of 13th October, 1877, as having been made by the said Richard J. O'Sullivan, Esq., with the evident purpose of influencing the members of Auckland Board of Education, at the meeting aforesaid, in their decision on the matter of aforesaid complaint. That your petitioner was intimidated by the threat of dismissal communicated to him by the Auckland Board of Education on the occasion aforesaid, inasmuch as the aforesaid gentlemen, to wit, Haultain, Campbell, May, and Prime, are members of the present Auckland Board of Education, from endeavouring to obtain redress otherwise ; and therefore humbly applies for redress to your honorable House. And your petitioner will ever pray. Ai.ex. Gbant. Note. —For Report, oide I. —2. By Authority: George Didsbuby, Government Printer, Wellington—1878. Price 3d.]