H.—36

1876. NEW ZEALAND.

CHARGES MADE BY MR. J. S. CRAIG AGAINST CAPTAIN ROWE, ENGINEER VOLUNTEER MILITIA, (PROCEEDINGS OF COURT OF INQUIRY INTO). TOGETHER WITH EVIDENCE TAKEN BY THE PUBLIC PETITIONS COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON THE PETITION OF J. A. SMALL AND J. BARLOW.

Extract from the Journals of the Souse of Representatives, Thursday, the 2&th day of September, 1876. Ordered, That a selection be made, by the Chairman of the Public Petitions Committee, of Papers in connection with the inquiry into the charges made by Sergeant Craig against Captain Howe, Waikato Engineer Militia, and that they be printed.

No. 1. Mr. J. S. Ceaig to the Hon. the Defekce Ministek. Sib,— Taupiri, Waikato, 18th February, 1875. Having been a member of the Engineer Volunteer Militia force since its formation, and holding the post of colour, pay, and quartermaster-sergeant in No. 1 Company for several months back, and there having been committed towards me (in my opinion) an act of injustice, I beg to submit the entire case to your notice, not so much with the idea of regaining the post again, as from a sense of duty. Having incurred the jealousy of Captain H. T. Eowe, of No. 1 Company, from the knowledge that I was in possession of the facts of several acts of delinquency committed by him, and of which he dreaded an exposure, he adopted a course of conduct towards me with the apparent idea of disgusting and thereby getting rid of me, by making my post so annoying as to compel me to leave the force. Failing in this, he had recourse to the following measures: — On Saturday, 23rd January, 1875, he (Captain Eowe) sent an order by a lance corporal to me to make out a requisition for forage. As there had been some difficulty with regard to forage previously, I declined taking the order unless written or direct from Captain Eowe. I then pencilled a note to him, stating that I could not take orders in that loose manner, and requesting either a written or direct order from himself to that effect. Now, this course of conduct may not have been in strict accordance with military rule; if so, the only apology I can offer is that I joined the Engineer Volunteer Militia force as a private without any previous military experience, and nothing to guide my conduct except a desire to do my duty honestly —a course not so easily followed, as may be seen by the sequel of my letter. The pencilling of this note was made the apparent motive for dismissing me from the force in the following manner :■ —I was placed under arrest by Captain Eowe. He then sent to Newcastle for Captain Schofield, of No. 3 Company, a junior officer to himself, and a person of infamous character, as a report forwarded to the department, never disproved or attempted to be disproved, may have shown. I allude lo the case of sapper Fawcett. This Captain Schofield was a fitting tool to carry out any act of injustice he (Captain Eowe) might contemplate. They then went through the farce of a trial, Captain Eowe, while acting as prosecutor, being closeted with Captain Schofield for some time before issuing sentence. Captain Schofield then sentenced me to be deprived of five days' pay and to be dismissed from the force ; not forthwith, but on the 26th January, three days after. They then kept me on the strength of the force until the 2nd February before carrying out the sentence, which they did without stopping the five days' pay inserted in the sentence. This was the first charge ever brought against me during the whole time I had been connected with the force ; and from the entire proceedings it is apparent that there were other motives than the enforcement of discipline at work. I may mention that they tried to manufacture another charge —disobedience—against me, which not only broke down for want of evidence, but was clearly proven to the contrary ; yet, as both charges were inserted in the charge sheet, Captain Schofield did not think it worth his while to scratch out the disproved case, but appended his name to both charges, evidently thinking that beyond him there was no appeal. I think the enclosed charges against Captain Eowe will show sufficient motives for the above extraordinary proceedings ; and I have no fear whatever but that, on an impartial inquiry being made, I can substantiate every word of my complaint. With regard to the first charge, which happened in September last, Major Cooper (then commanding) was made aware of the affair ; but Mr. Lovell refused to go against Captain Eowe ; and on Major Cooper demanding a copy of the receipt for the price of the mare, Mr. Lovell sent him a. I—H. 36.