D~No. 16

REPORT 111. lam a rogue and a scoundrel. My answer to that is my roguery lays in a few little debts, if any other is'laid to my charge there is the law of my country to punish me. REPORT IV. That my wife wishes to live and die among the Maoris by her wish and does not wish to return to me. My answer is this : No woman would leave her child if she was willing to return. I finish by saying that I, think there is equal law for the Maori as well as the European, therefore I consider that Henere Ngakapa ought to be brought to appear against me in a Court of Justice and not be allowed to take the law into his own hands and claim flesh and blood as payment for debt, for though my wife is a Maori woman I consider there is law for the wrongs that she has been subject to in her absence from me. If there is law for the insulted European, let there be for the insulted Maori. , I have &c, Alfred James Holcbn.

No. 7. JAMES HOLDBN AND FANNY TAIA TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR. November 6th, 1861. To His Excellency Sir George Grey, K. C. 8., Governor of New Zealand and its Dependencies, &c. Your Excellenct, — Excuse one of the humblest of your subjects for taking the liberty of petitioning to you to ask your opinion as to the justice he is receivingl, and for you to look into it if that is the law of England. lam but poor, am lawfully married to a native woman under a Marriage Act brought up in New Zealand in the year 1856; I am bound to think that by marrying this native woman she is entitled to the benefit of that Act. A party of natives belonging to Wangarei and Whananaki on the 25th of April came into the Keri Keri demanding payment for a pig and certain property they accused me of stealing; they proceeded to the residence of the Native Interpreter's ; remained there drinking the best part of the day; in the evening they, with the Native Interpreter's son, came to my place; one of them, Henare Ngakapa, gave me a note from the Native Interpreter, requesting me to settle or make some arrangement with the native. 1 requested the native to go up with me to Mr. Clendon's, the-Resident Magistrate; lie said, I am tired of the European law, I will take the native law; he then demanded a whale boat as paymeut; I refused; he said, I will take your wife and child; I then consented to give him the boat; he wanted some money and the boat; lie said, you refused me the boat, I want the woman; he then told the woman, my wife, two or three times to get in the boat, she made no reply; lie then caught hold of her arm and dragged her in the water, then flung her into the boat; he then came after me and said give me the child; I refused; he struck me several times; 1 fell to the ground; he got the child; they went away; I informed the Magistrate; he promised me justice; I waited about six weeks, I heard no news; I then started to go and see my wife and child; I went and returned without seeing them; about two months after I went again, and through a native chief of that place, I got my wife back; we returned; she, my wife, saiJ. I have left my child behind for the law to interfere; although I am a native and they did not trouble about me, perhaps they will about the child that is no Maori, that is, half European: the native demands £25 btfore he will restore the child; I do not think that flesh and blood is a rightful payment for debt, and I therefore will never agree to that until the native is brought to justice. When I returned with my wife she went to the Magistrate and made her statement; he told her he had written for the child. I saw Mr. Clendon once since, he told me had sent a person to get the child. It is now three months since my wife returned and I have heard no account of the child. This is the justice of the law of England that lam receiving. There are reports raised that we are not married. The woman, my wife, went of her own accord. She is the person that presents this petition and is here to be questioned. If that you take notice of this, your humble petitioners will be ever in duty bound to pray for the welfare of you and yours. We remain, Your Excellency's Humble Subjects, Alfred James Holden, and Fanny Taia, her x mark.

No. 8. MR. CARLETON, TO THE MINISTER FOR NATIVE AFFAIRS. Auckland, 4th November, 1861. Sir,— In compliance with the request contained in your letter of the 15th ulto. I have made such enquiry into the abduction case at the Keri Keri as my short stay in the district would allow, and enclose the result herewith.

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OF JAMES HOLDEN.