0.—6

V

REPORT.

Sir, — Wellington, 23rd August, 1905. I have the houour, on behalf of the Commissioners, to hand you herewith, for presentation to His Excellency the Governor, our report on the Porirua and other school trusts, together with the evidence and an appendix. I beg respectfully to state that the secretary of the Commission, Mr. Walter Leslie, has performed his duties, sometimes of an arduous character, indefatigably and with courtesy and ability, The Commissions with which we were honoured are returned herewith. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, J. Prendbbgast, The Right Hon. the Premier, Wellington. Chairman.

To His Excellency the Right Honourable William Lee, Baron Plunket, Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies. Mat it please Your Excellency, — We, the Commissioners appointed under Your Excellency's Commission, dated the 22nd May, 1905, the scope and period for return whereof were extended by enlargements dated the Ist, Bth, 19th, aud 24th July, and the 7th and 21st August respectively, have the honour to submit our report on the various trusts into the administration of which we have been called upon to inquire, with such recommendations and suggestions as the facts revealed in evidence appear to call for. We found it necessary to ignore the strict rules of evidence, and to receive much of a hearsay character, to which we have endeavoured to attach a proper value. We have also had recourse to all records of previous Commissions and parliamentary Committees which have dealt with these and cognate matters. We propose to frame our report so as to deal with the several trusts in the order in which they appear in the schedules of the several commissions issued to us. Porirua. This trust was created by a grant from the Crown, dated the 28th December, 1850, in the following terms: "Whereas a school is about to be established at Porirua under the superintendence of the Right Reverend George Augustus, Lord Bishop of New Zealand, for the education of children of our subjects of all races, and of childien of other poor and destitute persons being inhabitants of islands in the Pacific Ocean : And whereas it would promote the objects of the said institution to set apart a piece or parcel of land in the neighbourhood thereof towards the maintenance and support of the same, which piece or parcel of land has by a deed from the Natives been ceded for the support of the said school: Now know ye that We, for Us our heirs and successors, do hereby grant unto the said George Augustus, the said Bishop of New Zealand, and his successors .... In trust nevertheless, and for the use and towards the maintenance of the said school so long as religious education, industrial training, and instruction in the English language shall be given to the youth educated therein or maintained thereat." It is now held by trustees appointed by the General Synod of the Province of New Zealand, commonly called the Church of England, under legislative authority. The trust consisted on the 31st March last of —(a.) The block of land described in the said grant, and known as Whitireia, containing something over 500 acres, now valued as pastoral land at from £4,000 to £5,000, but which will in all probability in a few jears have a value much beyond what can be derived from mere sheep-farming or grazing operations for which it is now used. At present the land adjoining at Titahi Bay has been to a certain extent very profitably cut up and sold to residents in Wellington desirous of having country residences with a little