The Three Kings Institution.

Letter from the Rev. James W. Wallis in 1876.

Many of our readers are doubtless aware that for a number of years past a great outcry has been made by certain parties in Auckland and elsewhere against the manner in which the trusts of the Three Kings estate have been administered by the Board of Trustees, and that efforts have from time to time been made to dispossess the Wesleyan Church of this property on the ground page 18 that the conditions of the original Government grants have not been, complied with. The resolution of the late Conference to reestablish a native training institution, and to connect with it a department for the training of a few English candidates for the ministry, has had the effect of rousing to an unwonted degree the envy and indignation of a clique of pretended vindicators of the "claims and rights of destitute humanity," who, under the doughty championship of the editor of the Southern Cross, have not scrupled to vilify the characters of the trustees by charging them with violating "not only truth, and justice, and humanity, but law also," and have threatened them with prosecution in the Supreme Court and we know not what other fearful consequences. The particular species of cant which these gentlemen have employed to conceal their real motives is, of all others, the most odious and despicable; for, as was well remarked in one of the replies which the strictures of the Southern Cross called forth, "under cover of fervent zeal for destitute children," they "misrepresented facts, and scattered broadcast the severest charges against their neighbours." They found, however, a bold and uncompromising antagonist in Mr. Reid, and when, with premature and overmuch confidence, they congratulated themselves on having established the truth of their original position, Mr. Buddle appeared on the scene with a letter and memorandum from Sir George Grey, which showed how entirely the conduct of the trustees has harmonised, in so far as circumstances would permit, with the conditions laid down in the original documents. We purpose to summarise, as briefly as we can, the contents of Mr. Buddle's able letter and the memorandum accompanying it in order that our friends who have been misinformed by unscrupulous detractors may see that the trustees and the Conference which supported them have not been guilty of the dishonesty and inhumanity with which they have been charged.

The questions raised by the editor of the Southern Cross had respect to the nature and objects of the several trusts; to the manner in which they have been administered; and to the recent action of the Conference regarding them. The first grants of land were made by Governor Fitzroy, and were intended for the exclusive purpose of a native training institution. Nothing beyond this was contemplated at that time, the idea of a general educational establishment not having entered into the original plan. The properties thus granted consisted of 192 acres of land at Three Kings (on which school buildings were afterward erected), the allotments now held in Grafton Road, and an allotment in Parliament Street, designed as a site for a native church in connection with the institution. These properties were granted for the purposes of a native training institution, and for no other page 19 object. Buildings were accordingly erected at Grafton Road by means of voluntary contributions raised in Auckland, aided by grants from the Mission Fund. For a period of ten years the Wesleyan Missionary Society assisted in maintaining the operations of this institution by an annual grant of £200. It was opened by Governor Fitzroy, and was for several years conducted by Mr. Buddle, the average number of students being about 20. It will thus be seen that the training of native teachers and preachers for service in the Wesleyan Methodist Church is not only in harmony with the objects of these trusts, but is, in fact, the most legitimate method of fulfilling those objects.

The determination to erect a central school at Three Kings was subsequent to the completion of the above arrangements, and arose out of a proposal by Sir George Grey, who expressed his satisfaction at what had been accomplished, and his willingness to render further aid. The objects contemplated in the grants of money and land which were accordingly made, and the conditions upon which they were bestowed, are expressed in a letter and memorandum from Sir George Grey to the Rev. Walter Lawry, the General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Mission, hearing date May 13, 1853. The letter stated that "the Governor recommends to Her Majesty's Government that the sum of £1,600 per annum be placed at the disposal of the Wesleyan Church in New Zealand for educational purposes in the two Northern provinces, and £700 per annum for the Southern provinces, "and for the support of schools in connection with that Church which are already established, or may hereafter be established in these Islands." The memorandum provided as follows:—1. New Zealand shall be divided into convenient districts for educational purposes in connection with the Wesleyan Church. 2. All schools so established shall be conducted on the principle of religious education, industrial training, and instruction in the English language. 3. Schools may be of three kinds, viz., colleges, central schools, and primary schools; each educational district to lave at least one central school, to be made the means of multiplying primary schools. 4. The most promising scholars in primary schools to be eligible for transfer to central schools 5. The most promising scholars in central schools to be eligible for election as pupils in college of district in which situated, and "it is hoped that ultimately it may be found practicable to qualify native teachers for the ministry." 6. "Maori or half caste children, or the children of inhabitants of islands in the Pacific Ocean, as well as orphans or destitute children of European parents, are to be eligible for admission into any schools which may be supported from the Government grant, upon such conditions as may in the case of each school be determined by the page 20 Auckland District Meeting." 7. Grants of land to be made upon the usual trusts to the Superintendent of the Wesleyan Mission in New Zealand. 8. The annual grant made by Government to be applicable to the three following purposes, in such proportion as the Auckland District Meeting may determine:—(1) The support of existing schools, and the establishment of new schools (2) To provide means for educating, in the colleges or in the central schools, scholars to be trained as teachers, who, in addition to other duties, shall teach in the primary schools. (3) To provide sums for the payment in part of salaries of accredited teachers who shall have passed an examination before, and shall have received a certificate from the Auckland District Meeting, or such persons as they may appoint. 9. It is proposed that as soon as practicable, at least twenty teachers in primary school shall receive an annual allowance of £10. 10. The funds appropriated to the purposes of schools supported by Government grant shall be administered by the Auckland District Meeting. 11. Annual reports of the state of the schools, and of the mode in which the annual grants have been distributed, to be furnished to the Governor by the Auckland District Meeting.

Such were the terms upon which grants were made under the governorship of Sir George Grey. The Southern Cross charges the Wesleyan trustees with having "for years almost completely disregarded" those conditions, and "misapplied the funds for purposes entirely foreign to the objects of the trusts." The falseness of this accusation is shown by Mr. Buddle in his replies to the following inquiries:—"Have the three kinds of schools required been established?" Yes: the Three Kings institution partook of the nature of a college and a central school. Native teachers and ministers were trained there, and 150 boarders were under education at one time. A central school existed at Taranaki, and primary schools at Mokau, Kawhia, Aotea, Raglan, Waipa, Kaipara, and Hokianga. "Were the schools open to all the children specified in the memorandum?" Yes, so far as the funds would allow. Sometimes as many as 24 European children were educated at Three Kings with Maoris and half-castes. The Government grants were supplemented by grants from the Weslevan Missionary Society at the rate of £200 per annum for four years, and £500 per annum for six years. "Were the funds administered as required?" Yes: the different schools were expected to raise all they could on lands connected with them, and grants of money were distributed according to their respective claims. "Were annual reports and accounts furnished to the Government?" Yes: detailed accounts of receipts and expenditure were regularly furnished, and were published in Government papers. As to reports, the schools were regularly inspected by page 21 gentlemen appointed by the Government. Reports of a favourable nature were furnished by Mr. H. Carleton, Mr. H. Taylor, and others, but the Southern Cross had the dishonesty and want of candour to refer solely to the only depreciatory report sent in, against the unfairness of which Mr. Buller had protested. It would not be easy to tabulate the educational results. Teachers were trained who for years rendered good service in primary schools, and native ministers were prepared for successful labour among their countrymen. Many of these trained teachers are now dead, but some are still usefully employed in native districts, including five native ministers, some of whom rendered good service to the Government in the late troubles. The closing of the schools was rendered inevitable by the war—a war, we may add which missionary and educational influences long held in check; and which might, but for the rapacity and clamour of a section of the community which always opposed conciliatory measures, have been entirely prevented. During the period which has followed the closing of the schools, the proceeds of the various trusts have been applied in the only way practicable under the circumstances, viz., to the support of schools and general mission work in the Maori districts.

"Is the present action of the Wesleyan Conference in harmony with specified trusts?" The editor of the Southern Cross affirms that it is not, and characterises it as a "flagrant proceeding" In his simulated concern for "the claims and rights of destitute humanity," he argues "as though the trusts of the Three Kings estate were vested in the trustees for the exclusive benefit of destitute Europeans;" whereas the only object of a portion of the grants, and the most prominent one of the remainder, was, as has already been shown, the training of native teachers and ministers under the direction of the Auckland District Meeting. The Wesleyan Conference has not funds at command to embrace all the objects set forth in Sir George Grey's memorandum. If the Auckland District Meeting (which was legally empowered to determine the application of funds) has resolved, and the Wesleyan Conference of New Zealand has followed out the resolve, that inasmuch as all cannot be undertaken that was originally proposed, it shall select that object which it deems the most important—by what process of reasoning can it be shown that this amounts to a "malversation of trust?" Supposing the Wesleyan Conference were foolish enough to hand over the estate to the parties who have made all this ado about "destitute children," etc., in what better way would they carry out the "specified trusts?" Would they undertake to establish three classes of schools, to give religious instruction, industrial training, instruction in the English language, to receive children of page 22 inhabitants of the islands of the Pacific Ocean, etc. ? Nothing of the kind. They only propose to carry out one of the objects specified in the trust, and that a manifestly secondary one Plainly they are prepared after all to do what would, in fact, be much more like a "malversation of trust" than anything which they have been able to prove against, their opponents. The Southern Cross seems especially irate at the idea of one or two English students for the ministry being placed by the Conference under training at Three Kings; but the students to be so trained will derive no support from the funds of the institution, and the arrangement complained of was made in order that the two classes of students might be mutually helpful to each other. We have thus concluded our abstract of Mr. Buddle's letter, which we believe has effectually silenced all opponents whose position or character in any way entitles them to notice. The editor of the Southern Cross was evidently not prepared for such an array of facts as Mr. Buddle has produced, and he accordingly beat as hasty a retreat as possible from a contest in which he had fared so ill. Before doing so, however, he ventured to insinuate that the Wesley an trustees were probably about to secure the means of erecting buildings at Three Kings by the sale of property which was legally inalienable. It need hardly be said that our friend has here found a mare's nest, the property offered for sale being allotments in Auckland which the Wesleyan Conference holds by right of purchase. Nor was it to be supposed that this lusty knight-errant would allow so favourable an occasion to pass without sneering at the objects of mission work. We have neither space nor inclination to discuss this matter here, and will now conclude by assuring the editor of the Southern Cross how profoundly indifferent we are to his "own opinion" of the utility of training Maori preachers and of the quality of Maori Christianity. On questions of this nature men commonly express their, views with great freedom and confidence, when it would rather befit them to use a little occasional introspection, and thus see to what extent they are themselves in sympathy with the spirit of that Gospel which brings a message of peace to earth, and aims to establish goodwill among men.