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306. You went on to say that you would not put in any except those who lived on the land ?— Yes; but I did not say that then. I said that in Palmerston in 1886. 307. Who were the people he was going to admit?—Hene, Napier, Hari, Bu. I mentioned those names to Wharekine and Hake as those I would put into the land. I did not speak of it for Horowhenua alone, but I spoke of the lands in this district. 308. You have always been under the impression that you were the person to settle the locations and names to go in ?—Yes; I am the elder of all those persons who fought. 309. Has there not always been a dispute between your party and the other party as to the area? —Yes ; that was Kemp's dispute. Kemp and his son-in-law agreed to go through the list. 310. I am asking you whether there has not always been a dispute between the party you represent and the party Davis represents as to the lands to be allotted to each party? —Eu and I have had a dispute about that; I said that I was to divide the land. 311. Have you ever claimed, on behalf of your party, more than half?—l have always claimed to have a greater area than half. 312. Did you not say this in the Court at Otaki: " I have always been prepared to accept an equal division of the land; you offered me one-third, and we agreed to fight it out in Court"? — I said so because at that time my hands were tied by the Court, and Kemp had joined issue with his son-in-law against me. 313. You said just now that you always claimed one-half, and in the Court below that you were prepared to accept an equal division. Which is true?—l have told no untruths. What I said before the Court in Palmerston was this : " That when Eu came to me and proposed that we should go to Wellington and divide this land, I said, ' No, I will settle about the division myself,'" and from that time the trouble commenced. I intended to have the best part of the block. 314. Did you or did you not say in the Court below that you were prepared to accept an equal division? —Yes; I said so because my hands were tied by Kemp. 315. Why did you say just now that you had always claimed more than one-half? —Up to that time I always had. 316. Did you not go to town to Mr. Bell and have a document prepared giving each side half ? — No; Eu and Kemp went down and made a deed, and when they brought the deed to me I said, " No ; I shall have the larger portion." 317. Is not this your evidence in the Otaki Court: " About that time Eu Eeweti wrote asking me to go to Wanganui to talk about Horowhenua. I went, and he asked me to accompany him to Wellington, with a view to getting the transfer of the land. On arrival at Palmerston we met my sister, and Eu proposed that his section should have 700 acres"?—l did not say so. We did not go to Palmerston ; we went straight on to Wellington. 318. "My sister would not agree " ?—I never said so. That was a talk a long time before that. 319. Where did you meet your sister ? —I did not see her. They had had a meeting before Eu and I came up there—to Palmerston; and, when I got to Wanganui, there he was. 320. Had not you and Eeweti a conversation before you went to Wellington ?—Yes. 321. Where did you have it?—At Wanganui. 322-. And Eu had had a previous conversation with your sister, had he not ? —Before that. 323. Eu had proposed to your sister that his party should have 700 acres, and your (Nicholson's) party should have 500 acres, and the sister had disagreed. Was not that so? — What my sister told me was that she wanted more land. I was not then residing upon the land. 324. When you and Eμ met at Wanganui, did you not say that the land should be equally divided, and Eu agreed to that ?—I said, "We will divide the land equally," and that I should have the division of it. 325. You and Eu went on to Wellington?— Yes. 326. And Ku had the deed prepared by Bell, Gully, and Izard?—Yes. 327. With a plan showing the land divided into two equal portions?— Yes. 328. And you chose half of the other people's land?—No, I did not. Eu had put his mark on the map, and I found that he had made his pick for himself. I then said, " I will not agree to this." 329. But you said that you would prefer the portion that Eu had picked ? —I did not agree to the division made by Eu; 1 said, " I must divide it myself." I also said that I did not want to have any deeds drawn up, and I would like to let it go back to the Government, and let the Government divide it. 330. " We then went on to Wellington, and Eu called on Bell, Gully, and Izard, and in the evening came to me with the deed. He was accompanied by J. M. Fraser. They suggested we should decide on a division of the land. I chose the portion I preferred; they demurred, saying I wanted all the best of the land. I then went out and met Kipa, who advised me not to agree to Eu's proposal. He afterwards told Eu not to agree to mine." Is that your evidence? —Kipa had a petition in Parliament. 331. Further on :"I then withdrew from the negotiations, and said I would look to the "Government to put me in possession of my land. Kemp approved, and we waited upon Mr. Lewis next morning." You have told us of certain houses of Watene's being burnt down. Now, the first burning of the houses was in 1869, was it not ?—Or 1870. 332. Prior to the Court sitting ?—Yes. 333. The second burning took place after the Court ?—Yes. 334. Who was Watene asserting a claim there on behalf of?—He was asserting a claim on behalf of themselves. 335. Who ?—The people who were there—Waretini, Ti Hitau, Kararaina. 336. Of the people who had a right on the land?— Yes; and the wife of William Pomare's and a daughter of Tutaki's, Hine Matiori. We do not dispute her claim.
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