THE NATIVE MEMBER OF THE CABINET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8811, 26 February 1892, Page 6

THE NATIVE MEMBER OF THE CABINET.

MR. JAS. CARROLL, M.H.R. To-day we give a portrait of Mr. James Carroll, member for the Eastern Maori electoral district, and recently appointed as the native member of the Cabinet. The following biographical particulars concerning him will bo of interest. He was born in 1857, at Te Wairoa, Hawke's Bay. He is the youngest son of Mi. Joseph Carroll, one of the earliest settlers in Hawke's Bay, and his mother, a native woman of rank, belonging to that section of the Ngatikahungunu tribe living in tho Wairoa district. Young Carroll was first placed at a native school, and at eight years of acre was sent to a European school at Napier, where he remained two years. At 12 he took to an outdoor life on his father's station, and a few years later he joined a native expedition of his own people under command of F. E. Hamlin, in pursuit of To Kooti through the Urewera country. Ho was under fire several times, was specially mentioned for his services, and was awarded the New Zealand war medal by the Colonial

Government, and paid a bonus of £f>o. Shortly after he became a cadet in tho office of Mr. Lake, Native Commissioner and Resident Magistrate for the East Coast, and attracting tho notice of Sir Donald McLean, he placed him in the Native Office, Wellington. In due course he was given an interpreter's license, and attached to tho Native Land Court, under Judge Rogan. In 1579 he received promotion by being appointed interpreter to the House of Representatives. In ISS3 ho resigned his post and contested tho Eastern Maori election with Mr. Wi Pero, but being late in getting into tho field, he was defeated by 23 votes. He was again offered his old appointment, but refused it, and at the next general election he was returned by a majority of '200 over his former opponents, since which period he has remained the sitting member for the electorate. He has a good deal of influence with the native.l, of the East Coast more especially, and in the House hi? opinions on native questions always command attention. Ho is of fine physique, courteous to those around him, a good public speaker, and makes an excellent representative of the Maori people.