71

A.—3

Could not the Arikis decline to give any permit to a native ?—They do not give them. It has been better lately. They do get some in the night. There were some brought up for drinking on Christmas Day. I fined them myself. I went down to the other end of the settlement. I saw no drunken white men. I saw a few natives. There were others the police brought along. There might have been some at night. Do you think the police really try to enforce the law ?—Yes; they deal with what they see. Did you try to find out where they got the liquor from ?—Yes ; they said they had been brewing from the pineapple. A head of a house came to the police and informed them of an orange-beer, and they broke it up. Do you think they told the truth when they said it was pineapple-beer ?—Yes. You understand that the right way is to punish the white seller of liquor ?—Yes, it is a great trouble to him. 22. Intimidation by Exham, &c. Is there anything in this about Mr. Moss?— Mr. Exham told them that the Federal Court Bill came from England to the Governor of New Zealand, and that is the work that Mr. Moss is doing. He told Mr. Exham, " Why did not Mr. Moss tell Exham and not tell the Arikis?" He said, "I am afraid not; that you will be made a Crown colony." I said, " What is the trouble that we should be made a Crown colony? What have the Arikis done ; they have committed no offence ; they have not killed any one ? The trouble is only between the Parliament and Mr. Moss. The trouble is the election of a President of the Court." I told Makea about this. That is why Mr. Moss's name has been brought in. At 5.30 adjourned till 9 a.m. to-morrow.

Thursday, 30th December, 9 a.m. European petition continued. Mr. Kohn (re Ngatipa) : We asked to see a document produced, showing Makea's signature, authorising the issue of moneys from the unauthorised vote to Ngatipa, and also approval of the British Resident. This has not been done. Permit system. Dr. Craig calls, — Mr. Savage, music-teacher : I was in Mr. H. Nicholas's employ for eighteen months, confidentially, in taking messages, and in the Torea office. Mr. Nicholas sold, weekly, liquor to natives. This liquor mostly came from Donald and Edenborough. This was last year. Sometimes a whole demijohn was brought from Donald and Edenborough. Mr. Nicholas sold liquor to natives with and without permits. I have seen two bottles sold to a native at one time. One native was Tokorua Kuri. I saw the money handed to K. Nicholas, his son. On one occasion I saw H. Nicholas take money himself for a bottle of rum, a Sunday evening. One occasion he said he would not like to be caught at this ; it would not be very nice for him. Mr. Nicholas regularly paid his native labour in liquor. I have sold liquor myself on behalf of Nicholas to a Native without a permit; he paid me 2 dollars. I think it was Tangi. I have seen Miss Nicholas sell liquor on Sundays and Saturdays. Cross-examined by H. Nicholas, who denies this statement. Cross-examined by Mr. Moss: I have been treated by Dr. Craig. I have paid Dr. Craig in cash. I recognise this paper as a petition against the Federal Court Bill. I was engaged for two days in carrying round the petition against the Federal Court. I received it from Mr. Craig. Tararae : I have bought liquor from Mr. Nicholas without a permit. Two bottles of gin. I paid three barrels o{ oranges, value 3 dollars. I had been promised by Nicholas to be paid in money. I have only once bought liquor from Nicholas. Katea was present. Cross-examined by Nicholas : You. I was last year. I was sober. Katea : I received one bottle of gin from H. Nicholas in payment for one barrel of oranges. Tararae was with me, and was paid in the same way. Last year—in March or April. I had no permit. I have not bought drink without a permit from anybody else. I bought liquor by the glass from Ah Foo—sd.; about four weeks ago. No one else present. Tinarau : I have brought drink on the sly from Mrs. Scard, John Banks, from Mr. Nicholas. I have paid $1J to him for rum. I have bought from Mr. Wallis. Kiritea was with me. I was drunk last at Christmas. Eum from Ah Que. One bottle of rum for flj. I have been drunk twenty times this year. We heard we could get drink from Mrs. Scard, so we went to her. Tui: I bought liquor by the glass from Ah Que on Monday before Christmas. No one else saw me. Once, a long time ago, I bought liquor from Ah Que. We went with some coffee to Mrs. Scard, and she sold us one bottle each, which we paid for in coffee. We met a boy on the road, who told us there was liquor there. Inu : I went to the bond ;it was shut. I went to Mrs. Scard, and she gave me a bottle and returned my money. I had a permit. A native doctor prescribed it as medicine. John Banks : lam in the habit of running a sly-grog shop. Ido it for Mr. Hood at his restaurant. I sell drink by the glass to white men, not for natives. I have seen white men shouting. I can hardly make a living out of this sly-grog selling. I have three or four customers a day. I have pretty often seen Europeans shouting for natives. I remember a row at my place. Adjourned at 11.30 till 1.30. Mr. Moss asks Makea Ariki why she will not sign the Proclamation for the reissue and reprinting of the revised Acts on the 6th December. Mr. Moss: What was the reason you gave to Mr. Nicholas for not signing ?—I asked him, " Whose is this paper ? From Mr. Moss ?" I said to Mr. Nicholas, "Do still think there is a Makea. Are you coming back to Makea?" Mr. Nicholas then replied, " Sign your name to this paper." I replied, " You know, Mr. Nicholas, that I will not sign my name to any papers till the Commissioner comes from New Zealand." I also said that I had heard from her own people that if she did not do as Mr. Moss said she would be deported to Fiji. I will not sign now while these troubles are on. Is the reason you will not take Mr. Moss's advice that he will not come personally to you?— Yes. I shall not sign though he comes personally and gives me a satisfactory explanation. Until there is a new person comes she will not sign. All those who have been appointed in Mr. Moss's time I wish to be removed from office. This is the petition of us all—to remove Mr. Moss. Mr. Scard: I have liquor in my house for my private use. It is kept under lock and key during my absence, and I think it is ridioulous to say that any person, native or white, has ever purchased a bottle of liquor from my house. The assertion that rum was sold from my house is more ridiculous, because it is a liquor which Ido not drink, and have very little in my house. Mrs. Scard : I know Tinarau and Tui by sight. It is not true what they say. Mr. Hood: Banks sold liquor without my knowledge. I warned him not to sell liquor. I did not provide any liquor. I lived three-quarters of a mile away, and left him in charge. Takao Karika: I have been in the habit of buying liquor from Henry Nicholas. Some time ago, when the steamer left for New Zealand, I bought two bottles of gin. I paid f4. I bought liquor by the glass from Ah Que many times. I paid 10 cents a glass. Taupua saw me pay for the liquor, and drank with me. Karaitiana Nicholas sold it to me. It was at his private house. I had no permit. I bought liquor from Mr. Nicholas's son without a permit frequently. Taopua : I have bought liquor in Ah Sam's house. I have bought one bottle at Ah Que's. I never drank with Takao Karika. Ah Foo; Ah Que : No sellum liquor. Te Pou : From fifteen to twenty convictions in one month for drunks ; some months none. That includes some Europeans. Some were from imported liquor, and some from pineapple beer. I have had one case of drunkenness on the sly—a negro. Captain Piltz was fined for selling liquor without a permit. I try to find out where drunken men have got the liquor from. I went to Mr. Hood's to look round. I went in from rumours I had heard. I saw no