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Howick, a distance of about IS miles from Auckland ? A. Certainly not we supposed the distance would be 5 miles from Auckland. supposed By the Chairman— ci^nh ha li PaS f?- e ' n l J? e R ®S ulations ,ed y°u 'o form that belief? A. Iso understood the Regulations when they were read to me. By Mr. Carleton— not b!i D d g a ready D ? Sioner O,TiCCr rCfUSe to 8 ° t0 his Stalion ' on ,he of his house Question put, Whether the above question be put, nt N w es ; Ayes. Mr. Mackay, Mr . Carleton. Mr. Taylor, The Chairman. Question not put. Matthew McCormick—Was private in the 25th Foot. Left the armv in i>un r was enrolled in England for the New Zealand Fencible Corps in 1847. arrived in Auck land in November of that year. Got copy of printed conditions before embarking n England. I was told off to the village of Howick. Did not get my cottage and ac e of land. Was put into a weatherboarded shed with my wile and one Sl .i this I was told off lo an acre, where I built a raupo hut It my expense as mv wS was about being confined. Continued to attend Sunday parades for 15 month™ After that time 1 got eave from Major Gray to reside in Auckland and attend the usual parades there, which I did constantly for three years, besides the drill of 12 days each year. After that period Major Kenny got the command, when he gave an order that any man who was four Sundays absent in a quarter should forfeit his acre and cot as well as pay for he passage of himself wife and family out to the colony I have been deprived of n.y collage and acre of land. J ttu Edward Hynes-I was Serjeant in the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusileer* dkrW,™,i • November, 1842. Volunteered into the New Zealand Fencible ServTee S « Penbroke Dock, S. Wales. Was Staff Drill Serjeant to the Royal Dockyard Pembroke. I got 2s 4.1 (two shillings and four pence) a day besides my pension Was induced to come to New Zealand by circulars from the Horse Guards thall might makef home for myself and my childrsn. Had a wife and three children. I expected mv and acre of land. Would not have come otherwise. Arrived in New sin. 1849. Did not get my collage and acre. There were no collages built for (he comnanv i belonged to nor land set apart Was appointed for Onehunga. 1 applied continually for two and a half years or my collage and acre. Never got it. The last petition the v con sidered was an insult and on (hat account they struck me off, and put me under si,™ pages of my pension. I lived in Auckland the whole time in my own house at ™ own expense bought the land and built the house myself. 1 performed militarv w,.; at Onehunga. I had to walk there and back every day on drill days w's occasion ally ill. was never absent from drill for three successive Sundays for the two » half years. Discharge produced. Very good character. " o and a By Mr. Carleton—Q. Were you sometimes absent from parade at Onehunga ? A. I was fometimes siCii absent. Q. Had you a sick certificate ? A. Yes, I had one signed by Dr. Fox, PM 0 another from Dr. Matthew. ' • l*. Q. Were you ever aware of a sick certificate not being sufficient excuse for nonattendance at parade? A. It was always a sufficient excuse. By Mr. Taylor— O. Were you ever offered to be put in possession of your collage and acre ' A At the end of about two years, on a pension day, Capt. Haullain told me that mv rnt ' tage wasnowput up at Onehunga, and thalany day Ichose to lake my family oul I mi"hi get the key. Neither flooring nor chimney were in. J told him as soon as 'the floor and chimney were m 1 would come. It was never offered me again. I enauired X it, afterwards, but was soon afterwards dismissed. enquired after Question put, That Col. Gray's evidence be taken. Lieut.-Col. Gray examined.—l came out in command of the Pensioner For™ J am aware of the Regulations, and thai it was one of the conditions that the pension ers should have a cottage and acre of land on arrival, thai condition was not fulfill,',l for a considerable time alter their arrival—in no instance. The earliest d ile at which any of the pensioners received (heir collage was about 5 or G months afler arrival During the intermediate lime they were housed in sheds erected al Ihe expense of Government, weather boarded not shingled, neither wind nor watertigh Their wives