73

H.—B

The following circular was produced by Air. Lundon, and read out in English and then in Alaori :— " Circular. "Auckland, 6th Alarch, 1879. —Dear Sir, —Tt is desirable every elector should be on the electoral roll who is in any way connected with the timber, grain, or shipping interests. Enclosed please find blank forms to bo filled in for every person in the district, both European and Native, who has the necessary qualification —viz., a householder of auy description, lodger, and the owner of lease or freehold to the value of £10. Please fill in and have forms properly attested and deposited in tho hands of the Registration Officer of the district ou or before the 31st of March, 1879, and oblige. —I have, &o, " G. Holdship. " Air. J. D. Hayes." 2085. I suppose you give this part of your evidence by way of showing that,, politically Europeans may have as black skins as Alaoris, or may do as black things as Alaoris ? —A thousand times worse. My experience of the Alaoris is, that they are thoroughly honest. They do not know how to be otherwise. They are ignoraut of the law. 2086. Do you wish to add anything further ?—About Air. Hare's evidence in AVhangaroa, I know that he has been objected to twice, and I believe that the claim is as good as any of those now on the roll. Tho same with the Flavell family, and tho same with the Snowdon family. I may state that I was invited by Air. AVilliams to a meeting at Kawakawa, and I there made the same statement. Aien with beards on their faces were called minors, and were not allowed to be put on the roll. The evidence of Air. AVhite at Alongonui, and his letter, astonished me. I understand the purport and meaning very well; but all the rest of this about " Lundon's friends " was a hint to Air. Williams to object to all. That is the way I take it. 2057. I would not comment on that if I were you, Air. Lundon. You had an opportunity of cross-examining Air. AVhite.-—I thought I could go over the evidence. 2088. Yes, where you intend to give rebutting evidence iv support of your statement.—l have seen some of the houses, and say there are some of them better than the one Air. White lived in for the last twenty years. I have seen some good raupo houses, and especially the one owned by Timoti Nopera. The Alaoris generally have their houses apart —they have sleeping-places and eating-places away from each other ; whereas Europeans build them all under one roof. The evidence of Air. A'on Stunner I regard as a wdiole fairly, with tho exception of that with regard to the Harris family. I have taken a deal of trouble to place these people on the roll. There is one place in A'ictoria Valley where the title was individualized. One thousand eight hundred acres was individualized by the Natives themselves in that locality, and yet their names were objected to. 2089. How many individualized?—l cannot say, but you will find out in Percy Smith's office. Air. AVhite said there was no case on record in his county of Alaoris having individualized. This was not tho fact. Air. Yon Stunner said the reason the Harrises were objected to was because their father was returned for Alotukaraka. He is not returned as a freeholder, but as a householder. 2090. AVas his father at tho time the owner of the property ? —Ho was not. The deeds were made to the whole family twelve months before. And Jimmy Harris has a three-roomed wooden house; Nui Harris had a good raupo house ; and Anson has a family of seven or eight children by a half-caste wife. He has two or three houses—places for himself and wife, places for his family, and places for cooking —all within a yard or so of each other. Tawhio has had a good wooden house for years, and two good raupo houses as well. He is objected to. Tommy Harris's house is on the roadside at Taheke, aud 1 look upon his as a house within the meaning of the Act. AVith regard to the evidence of Te AVake, he has boasted here lately to the Chairman of the County Council and the Natives that he will do me all the harm he can. His dislike has arisen this way: I hold a seat in the County Council for Hokianga ; and he and others had a contract to make a road for their own accommodation. The half of the money was paid by the Government, and the other half by the County Council. Tho Government refunded £150 of the money. The land which the road has gone through is Native land, and I advised the Chairman to get five reputed owners to sign a paper to the effect that the road was for the use of the public before the money was paid. That advice was followed. The money was withheld, and To Wake threatened to do for the County Council or me. He headed a party to Alotukaraka, with arms in their hands. That is the only provocation I have ever given him. lam quite certain he will come to trouble, and bring trouble on the district. 2091. You suggested another reason yesterday about tho payment of money to Air. Tole ?— He said he would collect the money when he got back, and pay it to me for Air. Tole. There wero other Natives present at the time, and they agreed to subscribe. Hove Alohi has paid £5. Ido not know that I have anything further to add. 2092. Cross-examined by Mr. Williams.] You stated, Air. Lundon, in the early part of your evidence that in one year you asked Air. Cochrane to sign a number of those papers for you ? —I asked him to get them signed. 2093. AVill you state what year that was ?—After Patrick Lundon's were objected to. I thiuk it would bo 1875. 2094. Aud this plan of yours succeeded ? —Yes. 2095. That is to say, the names were not objected to ?—They were not. 2090. Do you know why? —I believe because the friends of Air. AVilliams attested them. 2097. That is your supposition ? —Yes. 2098. I should suppose so, for you have imputed motives to almost every transaction I have done ?—I had good reason for it. 2099. Do you know of any objections that were made iv 1875 ?—I do not know that there were any at all. There may have been. There was not an election going on, or I would have known more about it. I would have paid more attention to it. 2100. Did you ever hear that I was taken seriously ill about the month of April, 1875 ?—I might have.

Mr. J. Lundon,

March 26, 1879.