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and they had to be taken off. I took the course of going outside to have the inquiry held to get the convictions recorded against me taken off my defaulter's sheet. I took a course which rendered me liable to dismissal. I was absolutely refused a hearing before the Commissioner, either to prove my charge or to refute the charges made against me. 401 a. Did he give reasons for refusing a hearing ?—lt is all here in this correspondence : — Police Station, Manners Street, 28th January, 1896. I beg to report that I feel aggrieved at the way in which Inspector Pender spoke to me in Court yesterday morning, when Grace Harper, who I had charged with being drunk and disorderly, was fined £1, or four days' imprisonment, and the Justices who were on the bench spoke so low when passing sentence that neither the prisoner nor myself heard them. Then the prisoner asked me twice what she was fined. The first time she spoke to me the Inspector shook his head, as I understood, for me to cease speaking to her; and the second time she spoke to me, asking the same question, the Inspector stood up in Court, in presence of a good number of people, and said to me in a most insulting manner, " You must not speak to that woman, or be making appointments with her." Now, I respectfully request an explanation, and if not given, that my report be forwarded to the Commissioner. I may add that the above-named woman is a low prostitute. John Foley, Sergeant-major Kamsay, in charge of station, Wellington. Third-class Constable 640. Forwarded to the Inspector.—D. Ramsay, Sergeant-major. 28/1/96. The Sergeant-major,—l understand it was by your instruction Constable Foley forwarded this report. Please say if such is the case. Please also return to this office the previous correspondence relative to the case of Grace Harper.—P. Pendeb, Inspector. 31/1/96. Mr. Pendeb, —As I informed you verbally, when Constable Foley came to the police-station and told me that he felt annoyed at the remarks the Inspector used towards him in the Courthouse with regard to Grace Harper he asked me to take him in before the Inspector, so that he could have it out. I replied, "No ; If you wish to see the Inspector on such a matter you must put your request in writing to him." Previous correspondence herewith. —D. Ramsay, Sergeant-major. 31/1/96. The Sergeant-major.—lt should be clearly understood that any member of the Force who wishes to see me can do so at any time in the presence of the Sergeant-major.—P. Pendeb, Inspector. 31/1/96. Noted and returned.—D. Ramsay, Sergeant-major. 31/1/96. The Commissioner, — District Police Office, Wellington, N.Z., 7th February, 1896. With reference to the attached complaint of Constable J. F. Foley. I beg to state that on the morning of the 27th ultimo Grace Harper was brought before the Court here and fined £1 on a charge of having been drunk and disorderly on the public street. After her case had been disposed of, she stood a little on one side of the Court while the other cases were being heard. While she stood there and the business proceeding I noticed Constable Foley, who was in uniform, advance towards her in view of the Justices and the public, and enter into conversation with her. I looked towards him and shook my head ; the constable evidently understood my meaning and drew back from her, but very soon after he was in familiar conversation with the woman, disregarding my instruction that he was not to do so. lat once stood up from the table and told the constable he was not to speak to the woman, and that is all that passed. The constable's statement to the effect that I said that he was not to make an appointment with the woman is quite untrue, and I am afraid has been introduced into his report for the purpose of giving his report some foundation. It is also untrue to say that my manner was in any way insulting. This woman is one of the most notorious prostitutes and brothel-keepers, perhaps, in the colony ; and apart from the fact that the constable should not converse with persons in the Court at all and interrupt the business, it was very unseemly to see him in uniform talking familiarly with a woman of Grace Harper's well-known reputation. In my opinion, members of the Force who freely converse with such persons commit a serious offence ; and, as I am held responsible for their conduct, 1 submit I should be wanting in my duty if I did not promptly interfere when anything of the kind came under my notice. I may say, however, that I did not for a moment suspect Constable Foley was speaking to this woman for any immoral purpose. The constable is a respectable well-conducted man, but knows very little of police discipline, and I am afraid in making this report he has allowed himself to be made the tool of others. I forward the whole of papers connected with the case. p. Pendeb, Inspector. From Inspector Pender, Wellington. Received 7th February, 1896. Subject : Complaint by Constable J. T. Foley of his treatment by the Inspeotor, &c, reports, &c. Memobanda. Inspector Pendeb,—You will be good enough to reprimand Constable Foley for talking to Grace Harper in the Court and not desisting when you made signs to him to stop, and an entry will be made in his defaulter's sheet. The constable committed a grave error of judgment in not charging this notorious woman with assaulting him' if his report of the 25th ultimo is correct, and I have no reason to suppose it is incorrect. Constable Foley has been very ill advised in making this complaint, as he should have been only too glad to be put right by his Inspector when he was wrong, as he certainly was in this case, and it should be a lesson to the constable not to further talk to persons in Court. A. Hume, Commissioner. Bth February, 1896. This correspondence and the convictions were entered against me without my knowing anything about them until they came back to me ten days after my written complaint. There was no charge made against me. The whole thing passed between the Inspector and the Commissioner, and I knew, nothing about it till the convictions came back to me. There is further correspondence : Police Station, Manners Street, 12th February, 1896. Application of Constable J. T. Foley for a hearing of this case before the Commissioner. I beg to apply for a hearing of this case before the Commissioner before an entry of reprimand is made in my defaulter's sheet, as I can bring a respectable and independent witness to prove that my complaint of the 28th ultimo is correct: that I neither conversed or even had time to answer the woman Harper's questions when Inspector Pender stopped me. The first time she asked me the question I went away from where she was altogether as soon as the Inspeotor shook his head, and the second time, as I was going out the door, she asked me the same question to find out for her what she was fined, when, as I have stated, the Inspector stood up and abused me in a most insulting manner. With regard to my having charged this woman with being drunk and disorderly, and not charging her with assaulting me, I may say that the woman did not hurt me in any way, and as I had also reported her for keeping a brothel, it would look to the publio as if I was trumping up charges against her had I oharged her with assault • besides, I put in a report stating the faots of the case as soon as she was locked up on Saturday night and if the Inspeotor or Sergeant-major thought it wise to have her charged with assault it could have been done between that