H.— 21b

20

We publish a report every year of the parish funds, giving an account of the expenditure incurred respecting its property and the disposal of its funds, which I will produce. The whole of the land is fenced in. The incumbent has the house rent-free, as part of his stipend. Memorandum on Pabsonaqe Ebseeves. This reserve is vested in the Eight Eev. the Bishop of Wellington, Stephen Carkeek, George Hunter, and J. C. Crawford, Esquires, as trustees of the Diocese of Wellington for the General Synod, who are willing to place it at the disposal of the vestry of Paul's, Thorndon, for the purpose of erecting a parsonage. The vestry propose to erect a parsonage house on the premises, of the value of from £600 to £700, and to effect an insurance thereon against fire of £500. The vestry, not having funds available for the purpose, propose to raise a loan on the security of the house and land of a sum not exceeding £800, and request the trustees to grant a lease at peppercorn rent and unencumbered by any covenants to the person or society who may be willing to make the necessary advance, such lease to be a security for repayment of the sum advanced and to be determinable in twenty-one years, or at such earlier period as the liability may be liquidated. On the determination of the lease within the term of twenty-one years, the trustees will hold the property for the residue of the said term in trust as a parsonage for the Parish of St. Paul, so long as the vestry keep the buildings insured as aforesaid, and in good repair (due allowance being made for ordinary wear and tear); and in the event of the destruction of or injury to the parsonage by fire, all sums of money received from insurance office to be laid out in rebuilding or reinstating the premises. (Signed) G. Hart, \ r , , , Wellington, 27th September, 1866. C. D. Barraud, I OJlurcnwarclenB - I approve of the above, and, as one of the trustees, am willing to grant such a lease as is required. (Signed) C. J. Wellington. G. Hunter. J. C. Crawford. S. Carkeek.

An account was furnished by Mr. Powles showing that the interest paid on the £800 borrowed from Captain Ehodes to enable the parish to build the parsonage, was paid out of the annual income of the parish.

Roman Catholic Church.

[Evidence taken before Mr. Hart, at Wanganui.] Lot 69, Petre Town, Wanganui. — Church. Mr. Macdonough, being duly sworn, states : My name is Thomas Francis Macdonough, of Wanganui, Postmaster. lam a member of the Eoman Catholic communion in this place. I know the land comprised in the grant referred to by the Eecord, No. 69. There has been no alteration in the trustees as far as I can ascertain. The land adjoins land comprised in grant (Eecord No. 14-68). The land included in the first-mentioned being swampy at the time the grant was made, the adjoining sections comprised in the latter grant were purchased with funds of the Mission, and on this land the chapel is built. On the land in Grant No. 69 a school and house for the schoolmaster are built. The average attendance of children is about forty. It is a day school. The education is simply elementary —reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, and grammar. There used to be a master, who left for want of sufficient funds. The school is at present superintended by a mistress. The church has accommodation for between 500 and 600 persons. The services are regularly performed on Sundays, and generally daily. The average charge to the pupils of the school is 3s. per month. The school and house are of timber, with shingled roofs. The church is of timber, with shingled roof. Lot 86, Petre Town, Wanganui. — Cemetery. Mr. Macdonough, being duly sworn, states : I know the land comprised in the grant referred to, No. 86 on the Eecord, area 1 acre. It is used as cemetery, fenced in, and maintained in order. The land forms portion of a larger cemetery, from which it is separated by the fence. The sexton, who acts for the whole cemetery, receives a fee for each burial as a return for digging the graves. He also keeps the cemetery in order. When land is required permanently for a grave, there is a charge made of £5, which is applied in improving and maintaining the cemetery. With respect to the grant of 250 acres for a school, referred to as entered on Eecord book, No. 62, considerable dissatisfaction exists amongst the Catholic community on account of so large a portion of the town land being set apart under circumstances which, in practice, confine the benefits arising therefrom to the children of persons of one religious denomination.

[Evidence taken before Mr. Domett, at Wellington.] Monday, 11th November, 1869. Mr. Walter Johnston, being duly sworn, states: My name is Walter Woods Johnston. I reside at Wellington. Grant 108 acres, Porirua. No. 1 (N.M. Miscellaneous, p. 35, area 108 acres). —I believe this section is leased to a Mr. Taylor. I know nothing about the rents or their application.