REPORT OE THE MOTUEKA ELECTION COMMITTEE.

EL—No. 14

33

Mr. Sixtus.

9th Sept., 1871.

Have you ever been asked to pay? —No. What is the ordinary rate of wages which men in your position get in your district ? —From 6s. to 10s. for day work. And have you to find your provisions out of that ? —Yes. By Mr. Travers: Would you travel forty miles for 6s. per day ?—I daresay I would, if it was offered me. Do you mean to say you would go forty miles at 6s. a day ? —No, if I could get work otherwise. Who did you vote for ? —For Sir David Monro. Had you made up your mind to vote for Mr. Parker ?—Well, up at the work, I had. When you got down, why did you vote for Sir David Monro ? —Because my mates were rather cross with me. Was that your only reason ?—That was my only reason. I did not comprehend what you said about my making up my mind. Had you not made up your mind before you came down to vote for Mr. Parker ?—No ; wo all agreed to vote for Sir David Monro. That was before you came down ? —Yes, before we came down. Was David Kerr present when you discussed it ?—Yes, partly. While you were talking that matter over ? —Yes. And why were you sulky when you came down ? —Because some men said how much we were getting paid for it, and I did not like it. I was not sulky, but was cross, because people said I was voting because I was paid. And that was not true, was it ?—Yes. Did you vote because you were paid ?—Oh, no. Did you vote of your own free will ?—No, not then. When you went into the polling place did you vote as you liked? —I had of course to please my mates ; I went in and voted. It was only to please your mates that you went in and voted ?—Yes. Was it because you were paid, or to please your mates ? —No, I did not think about the money at the time. Then you were angry because people supposed you were voting for money ? —Yes. You were not voting for money ? —No, I was not thinking of the money at that time. By Mr. Allan : You were asked about whether you had made up your mind to vote for Mr. Parker—did you know that Mr. Parker was coming forward ?—Not then, when I signed the requisition. When did you sign the requisition ? —lt was on the second Christmas day, the day after Christmas day, I signed the requisition for Sir David Monro. Who asked you to sign the requisition ? —A man named Drummond. You say, at the time you signed the requisition, you did not know that Mr. Parker was coming forward ?—No. Were you a supporter of Mr. Parker ? —Well, I always was, Sir. If you were a supporter of Mr. Parker, would you have come down to vote unless David Kerr had promised you your expenses ? —No. As I understand you, it was then agreed that you were to be paid your expenses, and go down and vote for Monro ? —Yes. By the Chairman : Did you make the promise yourself to Kerr?—We all did,"that we would go down on condition that we should be paid for time and trouble. By Mr. Allan: You agreed to do that, and you agreed with him to go down and vote for Monro ? —Yes. By the Chairman : Was it arranged amongst yourselves that you should all vote in the same way ? —Yes, on those conditions, that our expenses should be paid. By Mr. Allan : When you got down, you knew Mr. Parker was a candidate? —Yes. Why didn't you go and vote for Mr. Parker if you were a supporter of his ? —I had given my word to my other mates, and I didn't like to break it. I had made up my mind not to vote at all. Why did you vote at all, you being a supporter of Mr. Parker ?—The people had an idea there that we were paid for our vote. . Mr. Parker being a person whom you supported, why didn't you go in and vote for him if you could vote as you liked ?—Because some of my mates were cross with me; they said something to the effect that I was not a man of my word. Well, you determined to keep your word given to Mr. Kerr, and to vote for Monro, although you liked Parker the best ? —Yes. By the Chairman: When you say given to Kerr, you mean given to the rest and to Kerr as a body ? —Yes. By Mr. Allan .- You agreed with the others to go down and vote for Monro if your expenses were paid ? —Yes. And when you came down, although you were anxious to vote for Parker, you felt you must keep your word and vote for Monro ? —Yes, just so. And you voted for Monro ? —Yes. And got your half-crown ? —Yes. And got your 13s. 6d. afterwards ?—Yes. By the Chairman: Was there any arrangement made amongst yourselves that if your expenses were not paid you would not go down and vote at all ? —Well they all said so, that they would not vote, not before they had any guarantee that the expenses would be paid. They said something to that effect. Some said they would go to David Kerr and see if he would guarantee the expenses. Had you amongst yourselves any conversation to the effect, or resolve amongst yourselves to the effect that you would not go down and vote at all if you had not your expenses paid without reference to any one candidate or the other ? —They all talked with David Kerr, who said our expenses would be paid, and on that condition we went down. 9