REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE

sth Witness. Henry Newson Brewer, Sub-Collector of Customs, late of Kawhia, now residing at Raglan, sworn :—I received two copies of a Government Proclamation contained in a " New Zealand Gazette" of the dale of 2Gth March, 1860. 1 showed them to Messrs. Yates on the day 1 received them ; the Messrs. Yates took and read them : this occurred on a Sunday evening within about a week of the date of the Gazette. I cannot say the exact day, but within a fortnight from the date of the Gazette. On the 25th April last I was going along the beach ; L. Yates came and met me, and told me that the Natives, he understood, were coming to rob them of the guns. He said he wished me to be present in order that I might see what they did ; I consented to be present. I went for a short time into their parlor. Shortly after one of the Yates' said the Natives were in the store, and he wished me to go into the store. Yates said it would be better for me to get my servant a half-caste, to interpret for me, in case anything should be said hereafter that they interpreted wrongly to me. 1 went and fetched the servant named Mary Aubrey. Hone Te One and Matui were in the parlour when I was there. A Native then got up and asked me if I would allow Yates to let them have the guns ; this was in the store where the Natives were assembled, perhaps 30. I answered, I would not allow them. I told them that if they took them they would make the Governor very angry with them, and that they were only making a rod for their own bottoms. 1 wished them to let the guns be, till Mr. McLean came. I told them I expected Mr. McLean every hour. The Natives said they would not wait; they did not care for Mr. McLean or the Governor. 1 did not at that time give any advice to resist the taking of the guns. They (Natives) then went up stairs and brought down 7 or 8 guns; they then went into the counting-house and took others, making 14 altogether. The Natives divided the guns among them and went outside ; the store was then locked up. I returned to Yates' to dinner. Hone Te One and Matui were dining there. After dinner, one of the Yates said the Natives had come back and wanted caps. I advised Yates as long as the place was fast, to keep it locked, and if the Natives insisted upon getting the caps, to let them break it open. L. Yates said, we will not unlock the store this time ; if they have them, they shall break the store open. About ten minutes after, I went in the verandah and found the store door open, and the store full of Natives; the door had not the appearance of having been broken open. I don't know who opened it. I said to L. Yates, I thought I told you to keep the store door locked, and to let the Natives break it open. He said, I am not going to take the advice of one man. We know more of the Native character than you do, and if you be so foolhardy, and run the risk of your life through not giving up your gun we are not going to do so. The Natives took a quantity of boxes of caps and some shot. I did not see Hami tender money ; he might have done so. I cannot speak Maori. The Natives were all peaceable ; I witnessed not the slightest violence—no angry actions ; the Natives were dressed as usual. I had a gun then when I was at Kawhia. Two Neitives, previous to my going to Yates' that day, came and demanded my gun. I would not give it up, and told them they should not have my gun without they took me with it ; the two Natives could talk a little English ; they said, presently we will have it ; this occurred on the morning of the 25th April, previous to my going to Yates.' The gun remained in my possession all that day. On the following day the application was renewed. I made the same reply, and asked them to go with me to Matena, who was outside Yates' premises with a number of other Natives. We went to Matena; I said, Matena, these two men are come for my gun : I wish you to tell them, one and all, I will not give it up, and if they take my gun they will have to take me with it. They never asked me again, and I still retain it. On the 10th May, whilst we were getting ready to leave Kawhia, a number of Natives met together at Takatahi, and had a " runanga." I was present most of the time. Matena got up and spoke, and by what I could make out, he said, if the Natives said any more, he would tell all he knew about the gun affair. Shortly afterwards, I said to Matena what is that about the guns that you would tell all ? He looked hard at the Yates, and did not speak for a few minutes. He then laid hold of my coat, and asked me to go to my house with him. He spoke to Bishop, a European, and asked him to go with us as an Interpreter. When there, I said, " Now Matena if there be any underhand work about these guns tell me what it is ?" He then said they (Natives) did not steal the guns ; that Yates agreed with him, previous to the taking of the gnus, to sell them to the Natives; the price of the guns, powdei, shot and caps, was £133. Shortly after I saw W. Kumete, and told him what Matena said. He stated that until that day at the meeting he thought it had been a theft, but what he had heard drop on that day had opened his eyes. He left me to speak to Natives on the subject. He came to my house in the evening with Takerei, Hone Paringaringa, and other chiefs. They wanted to talk and tell me about the guns ; they said they had seen Matena and he had told them about the guns. They came next morning with Matena, Hone te One, and many others, and wished me to write to Mr. McLean, in order that the blame might be taken off them and put upon the proper shoulders. They said, if I would write to Mr. McLean, and that if Mr. McLean wished to see them, they would go to Raglan to Mr. McLean, but they would not go to Auckland —their object being to clear themselves. The "James" departed from Kawhia after the proclamation, and before the guns were taken away. If Yates were disposed they could have sent the guns away by her. 1 received instructions from Mr. McLean to get the names of Europeans anxious to leave. After the guns were taken away, I received instructions from Mr. McLean to go round to the European settlers and tell them they must leave immediately ; and he ordered me to charter two vessels on behalf of Government to convey the Europeans either to Raglan or Manukau. The Europeans have left Kawhia. Cross-examined by Defendant.—You did once or twice urge upon the Natives not to seize the guns until Mr. McLean arrived. I cannot say which. I cannot state to the Court what they replied to these observations. I don't know the name of the Native who first commenced taking the

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