7

EDUCATIONAL RESERVES.

A.—No. 3.

Thursday, 11th November, 1569. 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. Iladfield. 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 tho children, at from Bd. to 2s. a week, supplemented by subscriptions from parishioners. The schoolmaster (Mr. Mowbray) receives £200 a year —£150 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 wo 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 Iladfield, the Commissioner is informed that the land at Karori, held for church purposes, has not hitherto been improved or made productive in any Avay. 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 Rhodes accordingly. The cost of the house did not amount to the full £800. Tho 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. We publish a report every year of the parish funds, giving au 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. Tho incumbent has the house rent-free, as part of his stipend. Memorandum on Parsonage Reserves. This reserve is vested in tho Right Rev. 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 St. Paul's, Thorndon, for the purpose of erecting a parsonage. The vestry propose to erect a parsonage house on the promises, 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 bo 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 tho determination of the lease within the term of twenty-one years, the trustees will hold the property for tho 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 bo laid out in rebuilding or reinstating the premises. (Signed) G. Hart, \n\ i a Wellington, 27th September, 1866. C. D. Barraud, j b)lm,cllwaraensI 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. Crawfoed. — S. Carkeek.

An Account was furnished by Mr. Powles, showing that the interest paid on the £800 borrowed from Captain Rhodes, to enable tho parish to build the Parsonage, was paid out of tho 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 McDonough, of