LXVIII

H.—2.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Napier; Frederick Irvine De Lisle, medical practitioner, Napier; John Commons McVay, saddler, Napier; George Thomas Fannin, clerk, Hawke s Bay County Council, Napier; Eobert Bishop, manager Sargood, Son, and Ewen, Napier; Maurice Norman Bower, lown Clerk Napier ; Josiah Pratt Hamlin, licensed Native interpreter, Napier ; Thomas Morgan schoolmaster Napier; Thomas Waitt Balfour, insurance and general agent, Napier; Thomas Morrison, journalist, Napier; Alexander Eccles, chemist, Napier ; John Craig, manager, New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company, Napier ; Patrick Barry, wood and coal merchant Napier ; John Emerson, Inspector of Police, in charge of Hawke's Bay and East Coast District ; Harry Faulkner, caretaker, Becreation-ground, Napier; Charlotte McMillan Emerson, spinster, Napier; Daisy Emerson, spinster, Napier; Florence Hooper, spinster, Napier; Margaret Hooper, spinster, Napier ; Henry Clarke Wilson, clerk, Union Bank of Australasia ; Bichard Major Boberts, draper, Napier ; bydney Beynolds, visitor to Napier; John William McDougall, journalist; Henry Charles Wilson dentist Napier; and James Spence, storekeeper, Napier. This closed the witnesses called on behalf of Inspector Emerson. General efficiency of the Force:— Frederick Sutton, commission agent, Napier, attended, was sworn, and gave evidence, which was taken down by the reporter. _ _ There being no further evidence forthcoming, the proceedings of the Commission at Napier were closed, and the Commission adjourned at 4.30 p.m. until Wednesday next, at 10,30 o clock a.m., at Auckland.

AUCKLAND. Wednesday, Bth June, 1898. The Commission opened its proceedings for public business at the Harbour Board Offices, Auckland, on Wednesday, the Bth June, 1898, at 10.30 o'clock a.m. Present: Messrs. Wardell, Poynton, and Colonel Pitt. Colonel Hume and Mr. Tunbridge were in attendance. General efficiency of the Force :—The following witnesses attended, and, each being sworn, gave evidence, which was taken down by the reporter : Prank Lawry, M.H.E. for Parnell; Arthur Hume, ex-Commissioner of Police; James Hickson, Inspector of Police, Auckland; Martin Grace, Chief Detective, Auckland. At 4.30 p.m. the Commission adjourned until to-morrow at 10 o clock a.m.

Thursday, 9th June, 1898. The Commission sat at 10 o'clock a.m. Present: Messrs. Wardell, Poynton, and Colonel Pitt. • The minutes of the previous meeting read and confirmed. Colonel Hume and Mr. Tunbridge were in attendance. Delegates from Police Force:—Edward Thomas Howell, constable, Auckland; Joshua Hutchison constable, Auckland; and Samuel Thompson, constable, Auckland, attended as delegates from the local Police Force ; and, each being sworn, gave.evidence, which was taken down by the reporter. Complaint of George Everard Bentley :—The following witnesses attended, and, each being sworn °-aye evidence, which was taken down by the reporter : George Everard Bentley, journalist, Auckland ; James Hickson, Inspector of Police, Auckland; Patrick Crean, constable, Auckland ; and Rose O'Brien, matron, Auckland Police-station. Ex-constable John Haddock's case :—As it appeared that the Eight Hon. the Premier had promised to make provision for ex-Constable Haddock's case to be inquired into by the Commission, it was decided to wire to Wellington in reference to the matter, and to give a final decision whether the case could be gone into. Complaint of ex-Sergeant McMahon :— Mr. Jackson Palmer, solicitor for Sergeant McMahon, attended and applied that Sergeant McMahon's case should be inquired into, alleging it was not barred Serjeant McMahon having resigned. The Commissioners decided (Mr. Wardell dissenting) that as ex-Sergeant McMahon's services had been dispensed with in consequence of misconduct, the matter to be inquired into was outside the scope of and barred by the terms of the Commission. The grounds of Mr. Wardell's dissent were that, as Sergeant McMahon was allowed to resign from the Police Force, it could not be said that his services had been dispensed with, and he had all the of a person who had resigned, even though the resignation was enforced. Mr. Jackson Palmer then applied to be allowed to tender evidence to show that, as Sergeant McMahon got into trouble through observing an established rule as to non-interference with a watchhouse-keeper, it was desirable in the interests of discipline that the existence of this rule should be established beyond doubt, or that it should be abolished, in order to prevent a recurrence of a similar trouble in future. The Commission consented to hear evidence on this point. At 5.15 p.m. the Commission adjourned until 10 o'clock a.m. to-morrow.