Mr. Alexander Mackay, to the Under Secretary, Native Department.

Sir,—

In pursuance with the tenor of your minute on Matiaha Tiramorehu's letter of 3rd December, 1867, I have the honour to inform you that I wrote to Mr. Leggatt, of Moeraki, a member of the School Committee of that district, to ascertain what arrangements could be made for the admission of Native and half-caste children to the district school there, and beg to enclose a copy of his reply. Yon will observe by the last paragraph thereof, that he is anxious to ascertain on behalf of the committee, whether the Government would be inclined to assist them in erecting a branch school adjacent to the Native settlement. The spot alluded to in his letter as the site chosen for the school, is in close proximity to the water-hole which the Provincial Government have consented to proclaim a public reserve for the benefit of both Europeans and Natives alike. I would, therefore, beg to recommend that, in consideration of the benefit and advantage it would be to the Natives of Moeraki, if they desire to avail themselves of it, in having a school opened in the immediate vicinity of their settlement, the Government would be pleased to take the subject into consideration, and, if practicable, afford the committee such assistance for the furtherance of this object as may be deemed expedient.

With reference to the admission of Native children to the district schools in other localities, I am in correspondence with Mr. Hislop, the Secretary to the Education Board at Dunedin, concerning the erection of a branch school at Taieri, and as to the possibility of effecting an arrangement with the school at Waikouaiti for the admission of Native children. At Waimatemate I waited personally on the Chairman of the Local Committee, and requested him to lay the subject before that body at their meeting, and communicate to me the result, which he promised to do. With respect to the Local Board at Arowhenua, near Timaru, I wrote through Mr. Woolcombe, and hope to receive a reply from them in due course.

May I beg to inquire what action the Government mean to take with regard to the payment of fees in these schools, whether it is proposed to be guided entirely by the Act, or whether, in consideration of the promises held out to the Natives of the Southern Provinces on the cession of their lands to the Crown, the Government will be prepared to pay the entire cost of the education of their children? I would beg to point out, while on the subject, that the Natives themselves as a rule, are too poor to contribute to the education of their children with any degree of certainty, and, if the payment of the Government subsidy is to be based on their complying with the conditions of the Act, it will be tantamount to a break-down of the whole scheme; as it is, there are certain seasons of the year, when they are literally starving for want of food; they have nothing to depend on but their crops, and if they are compelled by any cause to part with them, suffering and privation are the consequences, and these are by no means individual cases, but general and of continual occurrence.

Would you be kind enough to advise me whether the Government are desirous of making any arrangements with the district schools, for the admission of Native children as day scholars or boarders, as the present accommodation at their schools is only meant for the first named class?