41

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evidence taken, is published in the Appendix to the Journals of the House of Eepresentatives of that year. The following extract from the report of the Koyal Commission referred to, gives a clear idea of the condition of the Trust in 1869 :— " The Trusts of the four grants, comprising in all 7,799 acres of land (since slightly altered in extent and boundary by exchanges) for tho Te Aute Native School or College, appear to have been accepted upon the understanding that a school would be erected upon part of the estate at the expense of the Government; that a sum of £500 would be granted by the Government for the purchase of sheep ; and that a certain allowance of at least £300 per annum would be granted by the Government towards the maintenance of the school, payment of a schoolmaster, and improvements of the estate. The school was not so erected. The £500, on account of the high price at the time, sufficed to purchase 250 ewes only. The annual grant was continued for the years 1854 to 1859 inclusive. During these years a school was maintained ; the attendance at which, though small, was as considerable as under the circumstances stated (see evidence of the Eev. S. Williams, p. 4) it would have been reasonable to expect (see, also, report of Mr. Henry Eobert Eussell, Appendix to Journals of House of Eepresentatives for 1862, E. 4, p. 31). Upon the cessation of the annual grants (practically in 1859), the estate producing no income applicable to the support of a school, and having sustained a severe loss by fire, the school was discontinued. The object of the management since has been to improve the property until it should be capable of producing an income in some measure adequate to the support of a school. The annual profits beyond those which have accumulated in the form of improvements have been insufficient, after payment of current expenses and interest, to repay the moneys advanced, and leave a debt due from the estate at the end of the year 1868 amounting to the sum of £767 7s. Id. The annual value of the estate has been increased from £10 in 1853, to between £500 and £600 at the present time. The sheep have increased to the number of 6,137 at the muster in 1868; and it is clearly shown that the improvements of the property have been judiciously effected. '•' It will, nevertheless, be apparent that, while the object of the management—the rendering the estate productive of an available income—has been nearly attained, the children of the Native donors of the land have grown up to maturity, deriving little or no benefit from the Trust. This has led to complaints from donors and representatives of donors, having some show of reason in them." Shortly after that report was made the estate was let to the Eev. Mr. Williams, at a rental of £500 per annum, the lease expiring in February, 1878. It appears to the Committee that the sum so agreed to be paid was the full annual value of the estate at the time the lease was entered into, but that, on the expiration of the term next February, it will be worth a much larger sum, probably three times as much ; but the Committee have no reason to suppose that there is any intention ou the part of the trustees to let the estate for less than its actual value. The Committee have arrived at a very decided opinion that the management of the estate by the Eev. Mr. Williams has been good, and that its increased value is largely due to his exertions. Nor have the Committee reason to think that the conduct of the school has been deserving of the blame which the petitioners attach to it. It appears to be true that the children at present attending the school come from a distance, and no children of the original owners of the land are at present in attendance; but this, in the opinion of the Committee, cannot be attributed to any mismanagement on the part of the gentleman in charge, and it seems to be certain that in no case has admission been refused to children of the petitioners or other of the original owners. The Committee are scarcely of opinion that it comes within their province to recommend to the trustees any special mode of securing tho greatest advantages from the estate, as these gentlemen act according to their own judgment on their own responsibility; and especially as the Committee have no reason to think that the management has hitherto been injudicious. John Beyce, Bth November, 1877. Chairman.

Ko te kupu a te Komiti mo eunga i te Pukapuka-inoi a Te Hapuku me ona hoa 168. E ki ana nga kai-inoi i hoatu c nga rangatira me nga tangata o Te Auto Ahuriri i mua atu o nga tau kotahi tekau marima kua pahure ake nei tetahi whenua c toru mano c wha ranei mano te nui kia tiakiua hei whakatunga hei whatahaerenga i tetahi kura hei painga mo nga iwi Maori a i whakatapua hoki c Ta Hori Kerei te Kawana o Niu Tireni i taua wa tetahi piihi whenua i te taha o tera hui katoa c whitu mano c rima rau eka. Eki ana hoki nga kai-inoi i timataria tetahi kura i te tau 1855 etc Wiremu, Minita, engari i runga i te tv whakahaere o taua kura kihai nei i paingia c nga Maori ka iti haere te haere atu o nga tamariki kite kura a tutakina ana ; engari i roto i nga tau c toru kua pahure nei kua whakatuwheratia ano te kura engari ko nga tamariki c tae ana no nga iwi o nga kainga matara a c whakahengia ana tera c nga kai-inoi, notemea i kiia taua whenua hei painga mo nga Maori o Ahuriri. E ki ana hoki nga kai-inoi kihai i tika te reti i utua c Te Wiremu a c mea ana hoki ratou me wehewehe te whenua me reti i runga i te tikanga karangaranga kia taea ai te reti tika i te mea hahore he mahi huna ; a c inoi ana ratou kia whakaritea he tikanga c pai ai te whakahaere a nga tau c haere ake nei. Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei atu kite Whare : — Kua tino kimihia c te Komiti nga tikanga o tenei pukapuka-inoi ko te take ho mea tenei c whakaarohia nuitia ana c nga tangata o Ahuriri. Ko nga tangata kua korero ite aroaro ote Komiti Ko Karaitiana Takamoana, M.H.E.; Ko Henare Matua", o Ahuriri; ko Te Korehi, kai whakamaori, o Ahuriri; ko Te Wiremu, Minita, ko ia nei te kai-whakahaere ote kura iTe Aute. Kua ata tirohia hoki c te Komiti te pukapuka o nga korero a nga tangata i korero i te aroaro o te Komiti o te Eunanga Whakatakoto Ture kua ata whiriwhiria hoki te kupu a nga Komihana i tuhia i te tau 1869 mo Te Aute ko taua kupu i taia ki nga pukapuka o te Whare i taua tau. Tenei tetahi wahi o taua kupu hei whakamarama i te ahua o taua mea i te tau 1869 : —