J.—s

14

i. 274. Tou did not think the election would be invalid ? —No. 275. Mr. Lumsden.] Tou stated just now that the Natives were given to migratory movements at times. Can you state whether there was a large number of Natives at that time gathered together in ' this district ? —Actually at Kawakawa at the present time there are comparatively few. Since the war they have scattered very much over the country. Numbers have gone up miles inland, so that actually at Kawakawa there would not be at present more than from forty to fifty voters. 276. Tou cannot state that the 250 Natives mentioned by you would have voted had a poll been held ?—I only stated the probable number that might have voted had they chosen to avail themselves of the privilege. 277. Mr. Macandrew.] What proportion of the number of Natives mentioned in this return are under twenty-one years of age ? —I suppose between one-third and one-half the population. I must state that the population at Kawakawa and Hicks Bay is very much larger now than when that census was taken. 278. Hon. Mr. Stafford.] They must die off very rapidly ?—They do die off rapidly. 279. Mr. Williams.] Is not this the district from which the Ngatiporou tribe sent out men to fight?—lt is. 280. Have you any idea how many men went to the fight ?—I have seen at one time, I think, as many as 250 in the field. 281. And did not these men come from the districts of Waiapu and Kawakawa? —Many of them came from Kawakawa and Hicks Bay. 282. Mr. W. Wood.] Are the people of these four separate districts all of one tribe ? —They are of one tribe, but separate families of that tribe, commonly called hapus, meaning from the same ancestors. 283. Do you think they would have voted for the same candidate ?—I cannot say as to how they would vote. 284. Is it customary for men of the same tribe to vote for the same candidate ?—I am not aware. 285. Tou know of a paper being sent round among the Natives. I think I understood you to say that you sent round with that paper an intelligent Native, to whom you gave instructions to take down the names of the Natives ?—To take down any names he could get. My particular object in sending him was to explain to the Natives how they were to proceed at the polling, so as to save time, there being only one day. 286. He did take a list of names ? —He did. 287. Did he take a list of names of those who would vote for one candidate, and those who would vote for another ? —No. He took their names merely as voters. 288. How many names had he on that list ?—I am not quite sure, but I daresay about 200. He only went a certain distance, owing to the heavy flood. I desired him to go as far as possible. 289. Did any of them refuse to give their names, or say they did not intend to come ? —No, they did not. 290. Have you the list in your possession ?—lt is at Waiapu. 291. Did you receive any request as to bringing down all papers connected with the election?— All correspondence. I brought letters received from Mr. Locke; but I did not think it necessary. 1 was not asked to bring the list of names. 292. Can you say distinctly that there are over 100 names on that list ? —Tes. There are over 100, and approaching 200 so far as I recollect. I think the chief Morgan sent me a list of names from his own district. 293. Has your son's foot quite recovered ? —Tes. It was in January it happened. 294. Just at the date of the election ? —The day previous to the election he was to have started early in the morning, but he was hunting horses, as 1 have already stated, and met with the accident which prevented his attendance at Kawakawa. 295. How far are you from any other European ?—There is one European atTe Awanui—a storekeeper, but he can neither read nor write. 296. Mr. Macandrew.] Is it possible that the Natives whose names appear on this list might have considered that they were polling —that they were recording their votes ?—I have heard it stated by a gentleman present, but I did not understand it so, because Maori Gazettes were freely distributed through the district, clearly pointing out that the 15th was the day for voting. 297. Was that the mode of polling on previous occasions?— Well, no. On previous occasions the poll was not taken. A list of names was taken and sent in. 298. Did you have Natives coming to vote in that desultory way previously ? —They might have done, some of them, but not the whole of them, because I had notices freely distributed among them. 299. What was your object in sending these notices round ?—To save time. We had only one day to poll the votes, and, if I had not acted as I did, the time of the Eeturning Officer would have been taken up in explaining to many of the Maoris what they were to do. 300. To inform them as to the mode of polling their votes ?—Tes. It takes a long time to clearly explain the matter to Natives if they do not happen to be well up in it. 301. What was the object of taking the names down if simply your desire was to impart information? —I desired also to get an idea of the numbers that would be at the poll. 302. Mr. W. Wood.] By what process did you lake the votes?— There are voting papers provided, and each voter, as he comes to the booth, gives his name and states for whom he votes, and his name is put on the paper and witnessed to by the person appointed. 303. Mr. Tole.] Tou could have ascertained their numbers without taking down the name of each voter? —The object was to secure greater accuracy. 304. Mr. Macandrew.] This Native whom you sent round, was he to suggest to the Natives which candidate they should vote for? —I think he did in some instances. I know in some of the latter papers he put down the name of one candidate, Hotene, but not ou all of them. 305. Mr. Tole.] Tou did not give him instructions to get the names in this way ? —No, I did not. My desire was simply that the Natives should be informed how to proceed. 306. Not to advise them for whom they should vote ?—No.

Mr. J. H. Campbell.

26th July, 1876,