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in signing (or obtaining signatures) to claims to vote —for they have stated that their proceedings were quite correct —-getting applications to have names placed on tho roll. In my opinion their work did not come near the pakeha law; but the law under which they are now working is Alaori law. Therefore I have decided to go, too, and make known some of the fictitious proceedings that I am acquainted with. I will take with me four persons as witnesses in my own behalf. I think, however, that you (plural) should subscribe some money for myself and companions, who are going to endeavour to obtain justice for ourselves. This talk ends. —From your affectionate and faithful friend, Heremaia te Wake. 1745. The Commissioner.] Alay I ask you, Mr. AVebster, what your object was in handing in this letter ? —The Native is here himself to give evidence. You may call him, and ho will give his evidence. Heremaia te Wake sworn and examined. 1745 a. Where is your place of residence ? —I formerly lived at the Alotukaraka; but lam at present living at AVaihou, down the river. 1746. How long is it since you left the Alotukaraka ?—lt is going on for two years now. 1747. You wrote a letter to Air. John Webster, stating that the proceedings of Lundon and his friends were fictitious ?—Yes; some of them were. 1748. Will you explain what you mean —wherein they were fictitious ?—The falseness that I am aware of is, that I did not sign my own name. 1749. [Form shown to witness.] Did you authorize any one to sign your name to an electoral claim ? —I kuow nothing of that writing. 1750. Do you know who did sign it ?—I never saw it signed. 1 know nothing about it. 1751. Were you asked to sign an electoral claim ? —No; if I had been asked, I should have mentioned the proper lands. 1752. AVill you be good enough to sign your name on a piece of paper ?—[Witness signs his name.] 1753. [Form of claim to vote produced.] Is that your signature ? —That is not my writing. 1754. You allude in your letter to four persons who are able to give evidence ?—Those persons were not present at the place where the documents or papers were signed. lam aware that these people remained away —that they did not go to the place where these applications were signed. 1755. AVill you give the names of those people?—Pereka is one, Henare Puhirere is another—l am not certain it is Henare Puhirere, or his younger brother —Takarawa, and Te lhe Tiapekeke. Perhaps his name is not on tho roll. I have heard his name was on the roll. 1756. AVhere are these people?— They were here on Saturday, and have gone back a short way down the river. 1757. Mr. Williams.] Would you state the number of your party put down as applicants who are on tho roll, and never signed an application ? —A great number. There are some at Kaipara, but their names are here. If you will give the names, I will tell you where they were. 1758. AVhat do you mean by the expression " tetahi tini" ? —lf there is one, there is one ; if ten, that would be many. 1759. Do you suppose there would be twenty or thirty ?—I think there were more than ten. 1760. The Commissioner.] How do you know that these men did not sign ?—Because I know when Patrick Lundon came down to our place the people w rerc absent at Kaipara. 1761. And do you know that their names were written down at that time during their absence ? —I am of opinion they were written, because I have seen their names on the roll. 1762. During what month wero these Natives absent in Kaipara ? —They have been there many years. They come back occasionally, once in Ido not know how many years. 1763. Did they happen to be at this place in the month of Alarch?—l do not know that they came over in Alarch. All I know is that the people are at Kaipara. 1764. Have you any further statement to make ? —lf you question me I. will state what I know. 1765. Mr. Lundon.] Why did you send this letter to Air. Webster?— Because I sent it to him. 1766. The Commissioner.] Had you any particular reason for sending it to him ?—I had a reason. 1767. Mr. Lundon.] AVhat was the reason ? —Aly object was to get some money for myself, so that I might have sustenance-money on the road, for the purpose of paying the expenses of myself and friends. 1765. AVhen you use the expression " Lundon's Alaori friends," do you mean John or Pat Lundon ?—I mean John Lundon. 1769. Are you aware that I knew of these people not signing these papers ?—I suspect that you were aware of all these proceedings. 1770. The Commissioner.] AVhy did you suspect that he was aware of it?— Because he was the person who instructed us in the making out of rolls or applications to have names placed upon the roll. He never ceased talking about that thing every day. 1771. Mr. Lundon.] Did I ever ask you to sign ? —No. 1772. Did I ever go to your place and ask yon to sigu ?—No, you did not come ; but I heard a report that your younger brother came. 1773. Has not my brother gone round year after year on a similar mission?—l do not know of that. 1774. You have said that Patrick Luudon came ouce round to your place ?—Yes, the year when the many names were got. 1775. Did he come on any occasion before that ? —I know of no other visits. 1776. Did you last year go to the Bay of Islands to attend the Revision Court ? —I did go. 1777. The Commissioner.] AVhat was your object in going there ? —I was told by Mr. Lundon. He said, " You had better go over there, as your names will be struck off like dogs." 1778. Did you go there for tho purpose of sustaining your claim ? —I went there to listen and inquire about that matter, because he used to tell us that our names would be struck off. 9—H. 8.

Heremaia te Wake.

March 24,1879,