J. JONES.]

61

1.—17.

87. Did Sir George Grey make any explicit promise to you in consideration of your good offices in pacifying the Natives?— Well, his Native Minister, in accordance with instructions, gave me a letter. 88. Did Sir George Grey himself give you a letter? —I was present when Sir George Grey told Mr. Sheehan to write the letter. 89. Did Sir George Grey say to you —when he was Prime Minister—anything about recompensing you for your good offices? —Mr. Sheehan and he were both together. 90. But 1 want to know whether Sir George Grey said that to you himself?— Yes. He said to Mr. Sheehan, " Give. Jones a letter telling him that we shall do what we can to protect his negotiations." Well, Mr. Sheehan gave me the letter, and I have put it in here. ill. Mr. Statham .] It seems to me, Mr. Jones, that there are three periods in the history of this case. The first is in 1888, and the passing of the Mokau-Mohakatino Block Act, which effected a sort of settlement between yourself and the Government? —Yes. The statute of 1888 is a private and personal Act. 92. And you did not have any dealings with the Government from that time until 1908? — I was satisfied with the statute. 93. So that for twenty years you did not come into contact with the New Zealand Government or its officials? —There was a claim, 1 think, at that time for a couple of thousand pounds. Sir Harry Atkinson said, " The Committee has reported strongly in your favour. You may as well put youi , claim in." Ihe Hon. Mr. Waterhouse was with him at the time. Sir Harry Atkinson said, " You have been a considerable loser "; and 1 said, " You have kindly given me this statute, and 1 will not trouble about the claim." Sir Harry Atkinson had been very much opposed to me, but he said, ''I find that your dealings have been straight by the report of the Committee." 94. He told you that, notwithstanding the passing of this Act, you should put a claim in against the Government for £2,000? —Yes. Sir Frederick Whitaker sets it out in his speech in Hansard. He said, " You have asked for a couple of thousand pounds"; and I said, "As you have given me this statute 1 will not ask for a penny." 95. Mr. McCallum asked you whether the rents had been paid?— Yes. 96. Suppose you had not paid the rents, and suppose Flower's executors had not paid them, what would have become of the leases?— The Natives could have repudiated the leases. That is my view. The rents were paid by Flower all along. 97. I am going back to the old history again. Although you waived all claims against the Government, 1 want to know what you did : you state in your petition that you were " entrusted with the correspondence and negotiations, verbal and in writing, which led to friendship being again established between that statesman (Sir George Grey), representing the Government, and the Natives " ? —Yes. 98. That is in 1887. Then later on you say you were " assured personally and in writing by the Government of its support in negotiating for the lease of a block of land on the south bank, Mokau liiver " I —Yes, I put that in, in Mr. John Sheehan's document. Sir George Grey and Mr. Sheehan were together when Grey said, " You had better give Jones a letter." 99. Then you say "that upon a change of Government taking place this pledge became violated in a most unrighteous manner, and obstructions were for several years thrown in the way by Government officials of your petitioner acquiring any titles or secure occupation of the said land"? —It was clearly proved before the Commission of 1888, Judge Davy and Lieut.Colonel Roberts, that I had been obstructed and injured and damaged by the Government officials, and that the surveyors obstructed me. There is a paragraph in the report stating that " Joshua Jones has undoubtedly suffered great loss, but we cannot estimate the amount of pecuniary damage." 100. Then you say that you were further thwarted in your dealing by the passing of the Native Land Alienation Restriction Act, 1884?— Yes. 101. Then in 1885 you appealed to Parliament for relief, and the Special Powers and Contracts Act was passed? —That is so. 102. Then a decision of the Chief Judge of the Native Land Court upset you again? —Yes, the Chief Judge was Judge Macdonald, who did rot understand the position. Wetere sent a telegram to him stating, " We desire to sign more leases for Jones," and the Judge telegraphed to the effect that any signatures obtained after that date would be illegal, forgetting that there was a special statute for me that did not apply to any other land. You will find in Hansard that Sir Frederick Whitaker explains the point. I will produce it. 103. Then you petitioned Parliament in 1888?— Yes. 104. And tills decision was held to be wrong?— Yes. 105. In 1888 another Commission was set up?— That is the Commission from which the special statute was passed. 106. Following that the Mokau-Mohakatino Block Act was passed?— Yes. 107. It was when that Act was passed that you waived any claim that you had against the Government? —Yes. 108. At the same time you say that Sir Harry Atkinson suggested that if you put in a reasonable claim for compensation it would be considered? —He said he would support it. 109. That finished up your dealings with the Government before you went Home in 1902?— Yes, and then it took some time to get the signatures and put the thing in order. 110. On the first sale of the property in April, 1903, when it was bought through Mr. Travers in Mr. Flower's name, Mr. Flower told you that the property had been purchased for himself and a banker named Hopkinson I—Yes,1 —Yes, he was standing in with him.