EDUCATIONAL RESERVES.

A.—Ho. 3.

11

-charge left the place to reside in Wanganui. The premises were then left in the charge of a farmer who afterwards became tenant at a rental for the premises and stock thereon of £150 per annum, subject to a provision for the resumption of the premises by the Chairman of the Wesleyan District, in the event of opportunity offering to re-establish the school. His term expired in 1866. Since then the stock has been sold. The net proceeds amounted to £359 15s. 6d. From the commencement of the school till the close, the accounts were regularly audited by Government Inspectors. The land has been let for a term commencing in September, 1867, often years, at annual rents of £125 for the first three years, and of £150 for tho last seven years. The tenant is under obligation to keep the two residences in repair, and to lay certain portions down in grass, and erect certain fencing. Provision is also contained in the lease for retaking possession of twenty acres adjoining the " minister's house," if an opportunity should occur of resuming educational operations. The school-house, dormitories, &c, subsequently to the abandonment of the school, have fallen into decay. One of the buildings, to utilize it, was repaired and put up as the Sunday school on the town church ground. The rents are accounted for to the annual Wesleyan District Meeting, and applied to church purposes. During the period from 1859 till the school closed, there was a capitation allowance by the Government of £10 for every child educated at the school. The actual cost must have been nearly £20 per head per annum. The difference was made up by funds in hand, and in part of the produce of tho land. The Rev. William Morley, Wesleyan minister in Wanganui, also present, assents to the correctness •of the foregoing evidence of the Rev. George Stannard. Evidence taken before Mr. Domett and Mr. Hart, at Wellington. Monday, Ist Novembee, 1869. Wesleyan Reserves, Wellington. Mr. Lewis, trustee of the Wesleyan Estate, attended, and suggested that his evidence should be taken to-morrow. The Commissioners furnished Mr. Lewis with a list of the trusts upon which his evidence would be required. The Rev. William Kirk was requested by letter and formal summons, to attend at 12 o'clock to-morrow.

Tuesday, 2nd Novembee, 1869. Mr. David Lewis, being duly sworn, states : My name is David Lewis. I reside in Wellington, and am Commissioner of New Zealand Company's Land Claims. lam one of the trustees of the lands in Wellington granted to the representative of the Wesleyan Methodist Society. Grant, 1 acre 6 roods 11 perches, Wellington. No. 1 refers to copy grant p. 91, N.M. Miscellaneous (area 1 acre 6 roods 11 perches). The piece of land distinguished in the plan on the grant as reserved for a Wesleyan Chapel, is occupied by the Wesleyan Church in Manners Street, and the Wesleyan minister's residence adjoining. The church contains 800 sittings, and has recently been erected at a cost of about £2,500. The piece of land distinguished in the plan on the grant as reserved for a Wesleyan Cemetery adjoins the Catholic Cemetery, contains one acre, and was granted with a view of building a minister's residence, and is at present vacant. Endeavours have been made to let it, but unsucessfully. These two pieces of land are comprised in one grant, and vested in the following trustees : —David Lewis, William Clark, David Kinniburgh, James Entwistle Watkin, and Charles Edward Luxford. Grant, 1 rood, Wellington. No. 2.—The land comprised in the grant recorded p. 68, N.M. Miscellaneous (area 1 rood), was purchased by Sir George Grey, and was granted to form a road from Wellington Terrace to part of the Town Belt, known as the Wesleyan Reserve. It is part of town section 457, and is now used as a road to the grammar school. The above pieces of land, by conveyance and appointments under " The Religious, Educational, and Charitable Trust Act, 1856," are now vested in the following trustees: —David Lewis, William Clark, James Entwistle Watkin, David Kinniburgh, and Charles Edward Luxford. Grant, 73 acres 1 rood 22 perches, Wellington. No. 3. —The land comprised in the grant recorded p. 49, N.M. Miscellaneous (area 73 acres 1 rood 22 perches), was granted to the Rev. James Watkin, superintendent of the Wesleyan Mission, in 1852, being at that time under the supervision of the Wesleyan Missionary Society in England. Mr. Watkin expended a considerable sum of money in putting up a post and rail fence on all sides of the reserve. As far as my knowledge extends, it was found impracticable to put up any school at all, lam not aware that there are any records in the Colony of Mr. Watkin's administration. lam aware that in 1854, a district meeting was held in the southern portion of New Zealand. After a full consideration of the matter of building schools, it was decided by the ministers then assembled, that the prospects of success for an institution of that kind were more hopeful, and the need more pressing, among the tribes on the West Coast to the north of Wanganui. It was thought that an institute might be built in the Ngatiruanui country ; but that was also found impracticable. Ultimately a site was fixed at Kai Iwi, north of Wanganui, when it was thought that that was as much as the Society could effect at once, leaving the land in Wellington to be dealt with for the benefit of the institution to be erected hereafter. It was in 1855 that it was found that there was a discrepancy in the grant, so that the Religious, Charitable, and Educational Act could not be dealt with legally, viz., that the grant vested the land in the Rev. James Watkin personally.