H.—l9b

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Q. Are you an officer of considerable service ? —A. I have about fifteen years' service, counting my cadet service, including two years and three months on active service, two years of which were as a subaltern in the First Border Regiment. Q. Are you a Staff officer in this district without pay ?—A. Yes. Q. Since Captain Knyvett's return from Wellington did you approach the accused and give to him similar examples of unwarranted interference of the Chief of the General Stall ? —A. Yes, examples of what I considered unwarranted interference. The evidence was read over to the witness. Captain Louis Murray Shera, Captain of No. 3 Company New Zealand Engineers, duly sworn. Q. What service have you had ? —A. Twelve years in the' College Rifles, and about twelve months in the No. 3 Company New Zealand Engineers, to which I was transferred from the College Kifies. Active service from February to August, 1902. Q. Were you mentioned in despatches ? —A. No. Q. Since Captain Knyvett's return from Wellington have you approached him as to having experience of similar unwarranted interference of Colonel Robin ? —A. Yes. The evidence was read over to the witness. Colour-Sergeant James Murray Mackerras, Newton Rifles, duly sworn. Q. What service have you ?—A. About fifteen years' broken service, ten years' consecutive service. I served as a Corporal in the Highland Rifles, Dunedin, in 1888 ; private in the Clutha Mounted Rifles ; Sergeant-major in the Feilding Mounted Rifles ; and Colour-Sergeant in the Gisborne Rifles. Q. Since Captain Knyvett's return from Wellington have you approached him as to having experience of unwarranted interference by Colonel Robin ?—A. Yes. The evidence was read over to the witness. The Court adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, 23rd December. The Court met at 10 a.m. and deliberated, and was reopened at 10.22 a.m. The Court addressed the accused and asked if he wished to call any officers not residents of Auckland in support of his statement forming charge No. i. The accused stated that he did not wish to give the names of officers who might be damaged in their public career. Q. On the presumption that your grievance was caused by of Colonel Robin, do you consider you were justified in using such terms of your superior officer ? —A. I considered it my duty, as well as having justification. I realised wheti sending it that I should be a marked man whilst the officer I complained about was still in the service. I did not do it with any malicious intent. The accused objected that the witnesses who gave evidence were called by him, and not by the Court. The accused wished to know by whose instructions the Officer Commanding the District placed him under arrest. The Court declined to answer the question. The accused stated that he was being injured by reason of the length of time during which he was being kept under arrest, and requested the Court to telegraph the proceedings to the convening officer, in order to obtain an early decision. The Court stated that this request could not be complied with, but undertook to convey his request to the convening officer. E. W. C. Chaytor, Lt.-Col., President. J. Sandtmann, Acting-Major, Member, J. T. Bosworth, Capt., Member.

[Enclosure No. 1 in No. 26.] Order convening Court of Inquiry. Headquarters, Wellington, 17th December, 1909. A Court of Inquiry consisting of the undermentioned officers is hereby ordered to assemble at the Garrison Hall, Auckland, at the hour of nine-thirty o'clock on the morning of the twenty-first day of December, 1909, to investigate certain charges preferred against Captain Frank Berners Knyvett, No. 1 Company, Auckland Division of New Zealand Garrison Artillery Volunteers :— President: Lieut.-Colonel E. W. C. Chaytor, N.Z.M. Members : Captain (Acting-Major) Julius Sandtmann, 4th Regiment, Wellington (East Coast) Mounted Rifle Volunteers ; Captain John Thomas Bosworth, Active List (Unattached). R. J. Sbddon, Captain, Staff Officer (in absence on leave of Colonel, Adjutant-General). E. W. C. Chaytor, Lieut.-Colonel, President, Court of Inquiry.

[Enclosure No. 2 in No. 26.J That an inquiry was held on Wednesday, the 10th instant, in Auckland, by the Officer Commanding the Auckland District, into the circumstances attending No. 1 Company leaving Auckland. As a result of the inquiry, Lieut.-Colonel Wolfe officially informed Captain Knyvett that he himself, as an officer, had in no way committed any breach of the reguiations ; that he was quite satisfied that Captain Knyvett had received official leave to travel in uniform ; and that there was nothing he had done that was contrary to regulations of any kind.