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560. AVill you give an approximate value of these lands ; I merely want your opinion. You cannot state the value absolutely ? —The value of Mangawhsro has been stated. There are 1,000 acres odd in that block. A pakeha offered £3,000 for it, but the land was not given to him. 561. How did you know that these men were supporters of Mr. AVilliams ? It was vote by ballot. How, therefore, do you know they voted for Mr. AVilliams?—Because they said so; because I was one of the persons who induced the people to go and vote—who went to people and asked them whether they would vote for Mr. Lundon. These people said "No ; they were going to vote for Mr. AVilliams." 502. Do you feel certain that fact was within Mi*. Williams's knowledge? —I cannot say; but perhaps tho people who overlook tho polling-booths might know. 503. Did they speak openly of their intention to vote for Mr. AVilliams, or did they conceal any such intention? —They told us openly that they were going to vote for Mr. Williams, wdien I asked them to vote for Mr. Lundon. When their names were left on the roll I suspected then that they had voted for Mr. AVilliams, and that their names had been loft on the roll. 561. Do you remember distinctly that they told you they were supporters of Mr. AVilliams ? — Yes. 505. You stated that you had induced forty of your own people to sign their names. Did you attest those names yourself ? —-I attested their signatures. 568. You first saw them sign their names with their own hands and then you attested them as the attesting witness?— Yes, I saw them signing the applications with their own hands. After they did that, I signed my own. 567. Did you not apply to any people who wore uuableto write ? —I did apply to some people who were unable to write. 565. How did you manage in those cases ? —I told them to let some one else sign their names, as it would not do for me to do so. 569. In those cases tho applicant himself did not sign, but somebody else did? —There was only one case —an old man ; he asked mo to sigu his name. I said, "It would not be right; you had better get someone else to do it." 570. AVhat was his name?—Pehi Maki. 571. And who signed his name for him ?—His daughter's husband signed his name for him. 572. And that was the only case ? —He was the only ignorant one, owing to his being an old man. 573. You appear to have expressed surprise that Mr. Williams was not present at the Revision Court. AVerc you ever informed of the reasons why he was not present ?—I have not heard. 574. Are you not aware that he had been virtually dismissed from his office, aud that Captain Baker had been appointed in his place ?—I did hear that. I heard when I came hero that it was telegraphed that Captain Baker was to take Mr. AVilliams's place. 575. Were these forty names you got tho whole of the names you saw signed ?—Yes. 576. How came you to take such an active interest in signing; was there any organization for the purpose of getting names signed ? —No ; I sawr it in the law that the proper persons to attest signatures were clergymen and magistrates. Therefore I was told I could attest applications, as lam an assessor. I have been nineteen years an assessor. 577. I am afraid you misunderstand me. ' In using the word " organization" I do not mean to imply that there is any harm in it. I only want to ascertain the way in which the claims were got ?— It was my own wish to have their names placed on the roll, as the Maoris wished to have their names placed on the roll. 578. Did it occupy much of your time going round to get these signatures?—l commenced after the Bth day of March. I was two weeks. Tho reason I was able to get the signatures so quickly was that one of our chiefs had died, and the people assembled. I obtained a great many signatures on that occasion; but, as to those who did not attend the meeting, I went afterwards and got their signatures. 579. Did you receive any payment or allowance from any person whatever for doing this work? I wish again to explain that there was no harm in it if you did? —I did not receive one penny, as it was our own wish to have our names placed on the roll. 570. Did you subscribe towards sending any other person round in other directions?—l did not. I omitted one word. I heard a statement made here by Mr. AVilliams that Mr. White had stated that the houses were dogs' houses. 581. Mr. White did not state that in the sense of saying that the Maoris were dogs ; he said the houses were scarcely fit for dogs. Mr. AVhite did not call the inhabitants of the wharcs dogs: he said the houses w Terc scarcely lit for dogs. I should like you to understand the distinction ? —The description of house is not defined by law. The houses iv which the Natives live are the same as they have always lived in with their children. 582. The Commissioner road the description from tho Act: " Occupying a tenement within the limits of a town of the clear value of £10, or outside of the limits of a town of the annual value of £5." That is the household qualification. AVith respect to that, were these households outside of a town, or inside? —They were outside the town. 583. Do you consider they were of the clear annual value of £5 ? —lf another person went to one of these people living in one of these houses and offered him £5, ho could not possibly leave it, because he and his people would be destitute. 584. AVhat would it cost to build such a whare ? How much labour would it cost ?—I will speak about a house that was made for a certain European by my younger brother and my father (my uncle). £6 was paid for that house for Here Kerei. 585. And did it resemble those houses in respect of which your Maori friends claimed ?—Some of their houses are better than that one. Our best houses are wharepuni; some are wooden houses. 586. I am speaking now of the houses you have described just now as being similar to what Maoris and their families always lived in: I am comparing the one built for £6 with those? —This house that was built is of nikau and raupo.
Hone Mohi Taii'hai.
March 10,1879.
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