The Bishop of Christchurch to the Under Secretary, Native Secretary's Office.

Sir,—

I enclose copies of two letters addressed to me by His Excellency the Governor. The letter written in November 1863, was an indorsement by me of an application to the Governor, made by the Rev. J. W. Stack, for some assistance from the public funds for Maori purposes in furnishing the school buildings at Kaiapoi, which had been erected, since my application for an additional grant in 1861, by private contributions, aided by a grant from the Provincial Government of Canterbury. The latter part of this letter is, as you will see, an application from myself for some aid in providing school buildings in the Chatham Islands.

I have received no answer to either of these letters.

Enclosure No. 1 in No. 7.
Copy of a letter addressed by the Bishop of Christchurch, to His Excellency Sir G. Grey, K.C.B., 12th November, 1863.

Sir,—

I forward a letter to your Excellency from the Rev. J. W. Stack, the Maori Missionary of this Province, and I shall feel grateful if your Excellency will give it your favourable consideration.

The mission was originally set on foot by local exertions, and the working of it in assisting the Maoris in providing for their religious and educational wants, and in maintaining kindly feelings between them and the settlers in their neighbourhood, has been very satisfactory.

I am about to try the same experiment in the Chatham Islands, which come within my diocese, the Maoris of which have agreed to contribute £60 per annum towards the maintenance of a Native clergyman, who will also undertake a school.

May I venture to ask your Excellency whether any grant in aid can be made to me from the public funds of New Zealand for school buildings in those islands, if the success of the mission should warrant my proceeding to build?

Enclosure No. 2 in No. 7.
Copy of a letter addressed by the Bishop of Christchurch, to His Excellency Sir G Grey, K.C.B., 23rd October, 1861.

Sir,—

In the year 1860, I received £200, being the contribution from the General Government towards the building of a Maori school in the Province of Canterbury.

This sum I have expended at Kaiapoi in the erection of a house for the schoolmaster, on a site of 20 acres of land set apart from the Maori reserve for church and school purposes, in connection with the Church of England; and a school has been opened, which meets for the present, though with great inconvenience, at the master's house.

I am desirous of erecting, on the same site, school buildings, with dormitory and offices, sufficient for the accommodation, if possible, of at least 20 Maori children; so that the benefit of education may be extended to the young of other parts of the Province, as well as to those of Kaiapoi.

Some contributions for this purpose may be obtained from individuals in this Province; but as the cost of maintaining the schoolmaster is at present defrayed entirely by such voluntary contributions, I cannot reasonably expect any such amount of assistance as will enable me to erect the proposed buildings.

I have ventured, therefore, to apply to your Excellency for an additional grant of £200, to be appropriated in the erection of these buildings.

The division of the Kaiapoi reserve among the Maoris, which is now being made under the sanction of the General Government, renders it highly probable that the Native population is that district will be considerably increased, and I need not remind your Excellency how needful it is that their children should be trained and fitted to use the advantages which such division of the land will place within the reach of the industrious and well-disposed.

With the earnest prayer that your Excellency may be the means, under God's blessing, of establishing in the Northern Island such relations between the Maoris and ourselves as ought to subsist between fellow subjects and fellow christians.