MESSAGE No. 8.

Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives, 1854 Session I-II

MESSAGE No. 8.

His Excellency the Officer administering the Government, transmits to the House of Representatives, a Petition from Bernard Gapper, late an Officer in the Customs at Nelson, and his Excellency requests the House will take the prayer of the Petition into favourable consideration. R. H. WYNYARD. Government House, Auckland, 4th September, 1854.

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COPIES OF CERTIFICATES REFERRED TO IN THE ANNEXED MEMORIAL OF BERNARD GAPPER.

NO. 1. Nelson, December sth, 1853 These are to certify that I have examined Mr. Bernard Gapper, and consider him incapable of discharging his Custom House duties, having received a gun shot wound in his right hand, whilst engaged as Constable, under the orders of the Government authorities, at the massacre of the Wairau, a gradual distortion of the bones of the right hand has taken place, accompanied by irritation of the part, which renders him incapable of using the pen, and a fit subject for the consideration of the Governor-in-Chief. (Signed) Jos. F. Wilson, Government Surgeon, Nelson.

NO. 2. I certify that Mr. Bernard Gapper is labouring under a painful affection of the right hand, which incapacitates him from following his usual occupations, the cause of this painful state of his hand is a severe gun shot wound, received at the Wairau massacre, while acting under the directions of the Government representative as Constable. (Signed) George F. Bush, M.R.C.S.L. & L.A.11.L • Nelson, New Zealand, December sth, 1853.

NO. 3. Custom House, Nelson, 24th October, 1853. I hereby certify that Mr. Bernard Gapper, Landing Waiter and Tide Surveyor, of this Port, during the time he has served with me (from the Ist of July, 1849, to this date) has always done his duty to my satisfaction, and that I consider him to be a good and efficient Officer. (Signed) Chas. Logie, Collector.

To the Honorable tlie House of Representatives, in the General Assembly of New Zealand. The Humble Memorial of Bernard Gapper, of the Town of Nelson, in New Zealand, late Landing Waiter in Her Majesty's Customs. Siieweth, That your Memorialist emigrated from England to New Zealand in the year 1841, for the purpose of engaging in agricultural pursuits. That on the arrival of your Memorialist in New Zealand, he found it utterly impossible to obtain land at any rate of rent, which would enable him to support himself and family.

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That in consequence thereof your Memorialist was compelled as a means of support to accept the situation of Police Constable at Nelson. _ That in pursuance of and obedience to the orders of Mr. Thompson, then Chief Police Magistrate at Nelson, your Memorialist with others proceeded to the Wairau in the month of June, 1843, and was engaged in the affray between the Natives and the Europeans, caused by the attempt to arrest Te llauparaha, on the warrant issued against him by Mr. Thompson. lhat your Memorialist there received a very severe gun shot wound by which the whole of the bones in the right hand were broken. That your Memorialist having effected his escape to Wellington, was attended by the Colonial Surgeon there for about a month, and afterwards by the Colonial Surgeon at Nelson for nearly six months. lhat your Memorialist some time afterwards entered into" the service of the Customs as Landing Waiter, and remained therein until the 29th April, 1854. That your Memorialist was frequently compelled to absent himself from the duties, in consequence of severe illness, brought on by the state of his wounded hand, and has incurred considerable expence in obtaining medical assistance. That your Memorialist has since been compelled from the same reason to quit the service of the Customs, and is now entirely prevented by his wound from following any manual occupation. That your Memorialist begs leave to refer the Honorable House to the certificates hereunto annexed in support of the statements above contained, and in reference to the character of your Memorialist during the time he was in the service of the Customs. low) Memoiialist therefore humbly prays, that the Honorable House will be graciously pleased to take his case into consideration, and to award to him such a pension as will compensate your Memorialist for the injury, and consequent loss of employment which he has sustained. And your Memorialist (as in duty bound) will ever pray, &c. (Signed) Bernard Gapper.

Nelson, New Zealand, December sth, 1853. I certify that Mr. Bernard Gapper is labouring under a painful affection of the right hand, which incapacitates him from following his usual employment. The cause of this painful state of the hand, is a severe gun shot wound, received at the Wairau massacre, while acting under the directions of the Government Representative as Constable. (Signed) George E. Bush, M.11.C.5.L. & L.A.11.L. To E. H. E. Blackmore, Esq. Collector of the Customs, Nelson.

Nelson, December sth, 1853. These are to certify that I have examined Mr. Bernard Gapper, and consider him incapable of discharging his Custom House duties, having received a gun shot wound in his right hand, whilst engaged as Constable, under the orders of the Government authorities, at the massacre of the Wairau. A gradual distortion of the bones of the hand has taken place, accompanied by irritation of the part, which renders him incapable of using his pen—and a fit object for the consideration of His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief. (Signed) Jos. F. Wilson, Government Surgeon, Nelson. To E. H. E. Blackmore, Esq., Collector of the Customs, Nelson.