19

H.—2lb

taught; but prior to that, the education of the children was almost entirely in the charge of a Maori and his wife (one of whom has since gone over to Hauhauism). Mr. Hadfield visited the school daily, and had service there. I have occasionally seen the children at the College. I never went officially :it was purely accidental when I saw them. They appeared at those times much like other Maoris. I once saw ten or a dozen of the boys squatting round a dish of potatoes on the floor in the middle of the room. 1 fancy there may be other reasons besides Hauhauism for the nonattendance. One may be that the Maori parents are unwilling to part with their children, and also that they are discouraged as to the results generally, as well as to what they learnt, and as to their acquirement of civilised habits. The Maoris have told me this themselves. One Maori (I believe my late interpreter could give you his name) said that he did not send his children there because they were so dirty. Ido not know that I can say any more from my own knowledge. I know the Porirua Eeserve (500 acres). I think £75 a year is quite enough rent for the property. Ido not see that, with the short leases given (five years), the tenants could improve. It would take the tenant three years to knock down the trees and clear the ground, so that he would only have two years to get his profit from, having at the same time rendered the property so much more valuable, and of course it would be sought for at a higher rent. It would be throwing money away. I would suggest that the leases should be for fourteen years, in which case covenants might be made for clearing, fencing, and laying down with English grass. I have seen some of the boys from the school write an excellent hand in Maori. As far as the humbug of English is concerned, I never had any proof of its existence. Many of the boys on the farm became bullock-drivers, ploughmen, and shepherds. By Mr. Domett: Were the girls educated at the school sought for as servants by European families in the neighbourhood ? I lived there during a period of more than two years, during which we were often without servants, but I never got any from the school. I think it was a matter of public notoriety that the school was a failure.

Thubsday, 11th November, 1869. Mr. Bannatyne, having been duly sworn, states :My name is William McLeod Bannatyne. I reside in Wellington. Grant, 500 acres, Porirua. No. 1 (N.M. Miscellaneous, p. 10, area 500 acres). —A portion or the whole of this is let to a Mr. Richards, who pays £75 a year rent. This is the only rent we receive. If he has not the whole of it, we get no rent from any one else. As to rent, I make the same statement as Mr. Hadfield. No school has been established at Porirua out of the proceeds of this land. Grant, 19 acres, Kaikokiriki, Wairarapa. No. 2. (N.M. Miscellaneous, p. 57, 190 acres). —I do not know anything about this land. Nor do I know anything respecting the Bolton Street reserve, on which the parsonage is built. Mr. Powles can supply the necessary information. Grant, 38 perches, Wellington. No. 3 (N.M. Miscellaneous, p. 89, area 38 perches).—This is the site of the school in Sydney Street. A school-house has been built upon the section, but no schoolmaster's residence. The school has been carried on there for the last twenty years. There is an average attendance of 80 or 85 children of both sexes. The school is conducted by a schoolmaster and schoolmistress, paid out of pence received from the children, at from Bd. to 2s. a week, supplemented by subscriptions from parishioners. The schoolmaster (Mr. Mowbray) receives £200 a year—£lso when he first came, and since increased to £200. The schoolmistress receives annually £30 a year ; but she has gratuities which bring it to £40 or £50 (not exceeding £50) from collections by the ladies, to which the Bishop contributes £10. An exceedingly good education is given at the school; but we have great difficulties in meeting the expenses of carrying it on. The site of the cathedral was granted from Mr. Tollemache, and that of the Bishop's house was-the gift of that gentleman. Grant, 4 acres, Karori. By a note from the Venerable Archdeacon Hadfield, the Commissioner is informed that the land at Karori, held for church purposes, has not hitherto been improved or made productive in any way. Grant, 3 roods 1 perch, Wellington. Mr. Powles, being duly sworn, states: My name is Charles Plummer Powles. I am parishioners' churchwarden of the Parish of Saint Paul's, Wellington. I know the piece of land referred to in the grant (14.2 8., p. 30, area 3 roods 1 perch). I produce a Memorandum showing an arrangement for a lease of the section in question by the trustees of the reserve, to whom it was conveyed by the Bishop of New Zealand, and for the erection of a parsonage thereon. This has been carried into effect. The land has been mortgaged to Captain Ehodes accordingly. The cost of the house did not amount to the full £800. The interest is paid out of the revenue of the parish ; it is at 10 per cent., and has been paid up to the end of last quarter, 30th September, 1869.