I.—2b

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11. Who by ?—By Captain Preecc. 12. Where did Captain Preece see you ?—He saw me at Dannevirke, I think. 13. I want you to tell us what took place between you and Captain Preece ?—He simply asked me did I see the report in the Auckland papers with regard to this New Zealand Cross being given to Mr. Wrigg. 14. And you said—what ?—I said, Yes, I did see it; and 1 was surprised. 15. Well, go on ?—Well, he said, " We are getting up a petition to the House to have an inquiry over this business." 16. Yes ?—I said, " Are you ? " and he said " Yes." He said, " Have you any objection, being one of the parties down at Opotiki in 1867, to sign it ? " I said, " I have not the slightest objection." He said, " You know the circumstances; you were down there at the time." I said, " Ye^ ( I know the whole of the circumstances." 17. Did you sign the petition? —Yes. 18. Then, you are one of the petitioners ?—Yes. 19. Did you kuow Mr. Wrigg?—Yes, I knew Mr. Wrigg then. 20. At Opotiki ?--Yes. 21. And have you ever seen him since? —No. 22. Were your relations with him at the time you knew him friendly?— Yes, perfectly friendly. 23. When you say " friendly " what do you mean? —We were down there together; the troops were down there. Mr. Wrigg was down there, and was draughtsman in Mr. Gwynneth's office. 24. In what troop were you enrolled?—l belonged to the Ist Waikato Regiment. I was colour-sergeant in No. 2 Company in the foot corps at first. 25. And afterwards?— When I got down at Opotiki I was out on the staff as interpreter to Colonel Lyon, who was then in command. 26. You will remember the occurrence of Bennett White and the mailman being murdered?— Yes. 27. Do you remember the date ?—I think it was about the 26th June. 28. Why do you say the 26th June ?—That is from my recollection. 29. Why should you fix the 26th as the date ?—Well, the 26th or thereabouts. 30. Will you swear absolutely it was the 26th ?—No, I will not. It was somewhere thereabouts. 31. Then, when you swore in the declaration it was the 26th you meant about that date?— Yes. 32. You do not go back from your declaration. These were your words, " That was the 26th." Was that date supplied to you ?—lt was partly supplied. 33. Your recollection was prompted by what there was in the papers?— Yes. 34. Was it customary at the time of the murder for the foot corps and mounted troopers to parade together? —Well, you are getting before the time. The Bay of Plenty Cavalry was only formed after we arrived there. 35. Was it customary for the foot corps and the mounted corps to parade together, on the 26th June, 1867 ? —Sometimes, when we were going out together. 36. When there was a general call for the whole of the troops there, you all paraded together ? —Yes. 37. And I take it on other occasions the foot corps when called paraded, and the mounted corps when called paraded also ?—Yes. When the mounted corps was called on for special duty they paraded themselves. 38. Do you know what a camp order is, Mr. Edwards ?—I know what a district order is. 39. I asked you if you knew what a camp order was ?—-Yes ; it is a district order. 40. Well, what is a camp order ?—An order issued by the commanding officer to the captain of the company. 41. A district order or camp order is an order issued by the commanding officer to the captain of a company or companies ?—Yes. 42. It is not addressed to the whole of the companies, but may be addressed to one company in particular?— The sergeant in charge of the company takes the order down. 43. The camp order is addressed to either the captain of a company or captains of companies? —All the sergeants go into the orderly-room and take it down —that is, an order to the cavalry would be taken down as an order to the companies. 44. It would not be their business to take any notice of it ?—No; but they would take a record of it. 45. Who was the captain of your corps ?—Well, I was not in a corps at the time. 46. Who was the captain of your corps while you were colour-sergeant ?— Captain Bower, I think. 47. That, I think, was in Tauranga?—Yes. 48. Would you consider it sufficient authority if Captain Bower had issued a camp order for one of the men of your corps to carry a letter or notification to some one at Opotiki ?—Yes; I suppose a captain could do it. 49. If you were in camp there together it would be called a camp order, no doubt, issued in 'camp ?—But that was carrying out a special order. 50. It would be special authority for the man to act?—lt is doubtful, because the place was under martial law down at Opotiki, and one commanding officer would be the only person to issue commands to the captains of the different corps. 51. I am asking you whether an order issued by the captain of a troop, and directed to one of the men of the troop, would not be sufficient authority for that man to act? —Under ordinary circumstances—camp duties.