PAPERS RELATIVE TO NATIVE SCHOOLS.

9

A.—No. 3

Enclosure 3 in No. 1. Repobt on St. Maby's College (Roman Catholic), North Shore.—Visited 13th December, 1866. The total number of boys in the school is fifty-three, of whom five are Maoris, and three halfcastes. The Provincial Government pay £10 per head for each of the remaining forty-five. The school is situated on ten acres of land belonging to the Roman Catholic Bishop of the diocese. The trust property of upwards of three hundred acres, is in the immediate neighbourhood. There is a district chapel on the ground, and a priest resides on the premises, but has nothing to do with the management of the institution. Mr. Hugh Mcllhone, who was at the Normal establishment at Dublin for six months, and holds a third-class certificate, has the general management of the institution, and is responsible for the teaching of the school. The salary of the manager and matron is £75 per annum, with rations. A gardener and assistant matron receive £50 per annum. An officer of the institution, said to be assistant teacher, receives his board as remuneration for his services. None of the Maori or half-caste pupils are capable of reading without the greatest difficulty the simplest sentences, and only one was able to attempt writing, and that in a slovenly manner. It will be seen from the attached list of pupils that, with one exception, the Maoris and half-castes have been recently admitted, and I thought it advisable in this case, as in that of the Three Kings Institution, with a view of testing the general efficiency of the school, to examine the two first classes of the whole school. I dictated the same monosyllabic sentences which I gave at the Three Kings School; only nine boys out of the whole number (including Europeans) were capable of attempting to write these down, and only one succeeded with tolerable accuracy. Only two boys wrote down, from dictation, the following numbers :—998,965 ; 91,876 ; 66,010. There appeared to be an entire absence of anything like order or method in the school. In personal cleanliness the boys were very slightly in advance of those in the Three Kings Institution, though the proximity of the school to the sea might well favour a better state of things. I was informed that they bathed twice or three times a week. Their general appearance was very untidy. The boys all sleep in a large dormitory, about 50 feet long by 27 feet wide; it contains forty beds, two feet wide, from which it will be seen that in a number of these narrow beds two boys are placed to sleep. The schoolroom below, which is also used as a dining-room, was, on the day I visited North Shore, so affected by smoke from the kitchen, as to make it unfit for the purpose of instruction. I have applied to the Roman Catholic Bishop for information as to the management of the trust estates in connection with this and the Nazareth Institution in Freeman's Bay, and will forward his reply as soon as T have received it. Auckland, 17th December, 1866. "W. Rolleston.

Sub-Enclosure 1 to Enclosure 3 in No. 1. Copy of a Letter from Mr. Rollestoh to the Right Reverend Bishop Pompallieb. My Loed, — Auckland, 17th December, 1866. In addition to the information accorded to mo on the occasion of my visit to the Schools under your Lordship's administration, I have the honor to request that you will favour me with such information as you are able to give on the following points : — 1. The nature of the title under which the land upon which the School-buildings at North Shore and Freeman's Bay are situated, whether belonging to the Church or held in trust for educational purposes. 2. The extent, position, and character of the lands held in trust, the proceeds from which are wholly or in part appropriated to the maintenance of the Industrial Schools at North Shore and Freeman's Bay. 8. The amount of such lands which are leased, with the rentals accruing therefrom. 4. I shall also esteem it a favour if you will furnish me with a statement of the cost per head for the general maintenance of the scholars in these institutions, together with a balance sheet showing the receipts (from all sources) and expenditure at both schools, for the year ending 30th September, 1866. I have, &c., The Right Reverend Bishop Pompallier, Auckland. W. Rolleston.

Sub-Enclosure 2 to Enclosure 3 in No. 1. Copy of a Letter from the Eight Reverend Bishop Pompallier to Mr. Rolleston. Bishop's Residence, St. Anne's, Mount St. Mary, Sib,- — Auckland, 12th January, 1867. In compliance with your letter of administration and kindness dated 17th December, 1866, requesting answers to some queries you mako therein, I have the honor of enclosing the three present documents, which I hope will give clear answers to the queries, and satisfactory information for the solicitude, wisdom, and benevolence of the Colonial Government, towards the very important work of the education of the young Natives, half-castes, orphans, and other destitute children of the white people of the Colony. I hope this reply, a little deferred on account of the past solemnities, will still not be too late. The three above documents are marked by No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, for a clear and ordered exposition. The document No. 1 has been made in my general administration office gives the answers to your three first queries, and is signed by myself. The two other documents give answers by balance-sheets to the fourth query, and are signed by the respective managers of St. Mary's College, and of Nazareth Institution. 3