J.—s

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i. 31. Hon. Mr. Stafford.] Could the electors at Kawakawa have got to the polling-place had there been a poll taken there ?—A good many would have been able to voto, but a good many would have been prevented by the same cause which prevented the Eeturning Oflicer from being there—the floods. 32. Mr. W. Wood.] What number of voters are there in the two districts, Waiapu and Kawakawa ?—About 500 of us. Probably more; but 500 will be within the mark. There are sixteen pas, in each of which the people are numerous. 33. Do they all belong to the same tribe ?—They are all Ngatiporou. 34. Did any of them vote at any other polling-place at this election ? —No. 35. Do people of the Maori race mostly vote as in a " block " vote—do the people of each tribe vote for the candidate belonging to their own tribe ?—They would be inclined to vote for one of their own tribe, in order to obtain whatever benefits there might be to be obtained, the same as you Europeans do. 36. Were any of the candidates of your tribe ?—Hotene. He was nominated at Napier by two Ngatiporou. 37. To which tribe do you belong ?—I belong to the Ngatiporou, or rather a subdivision of it. J. D. Oemond, Esq., M.H.E., being in attendance, was examined as follows : — 38. TJie Chairman.] Do you know the localities on the East Coast in which the polling for this East Coast election took place? —Yes; I know the district very well. 39. Do you know those districts for which it is said by the Eeturning Officer no poll was taken ? —Yes, I know it by description. I have never been there. 40. Kawakawa?—Yes. 41. Then you have no personal knowledge of it yourself ?—I have never been in the place, but for a long time I have had a great deal to do with the district officially. 42. You are aware that there was a failure to hold a poll at Kawakawa ?—Yes. 43. Have you any knowledge of the number of men who were likely to have voted there, had a poll been held ? —I can say this : that Kawakawa is one of the largest settlements of the Ngatiporou tribe; and as far as my recollection carries me, in time of war we generally got a contribution from them of something like three hundred men —that is from this place, Kawakawa. 44. How many do you suppose would have recorded their votes had there been a poll there ?—I do not know that I can tell you that with any absolute certainty. From what I have heard, and from what I know of the district, I should think probably about three or four hundred. I dare say there might have been a great many more. 45. Have you any knowledge or decided belief of the manner or for whom these men would have voted ? —The whole contest on the East Coast was a tribal contest: that is to say, the Natives of the Ngatikahungu tribe would have plumped for Karaitiana, and those belonging to the Ngatiporou tribe would undoubtedly have given a plump vote for Hotene, their candidate. In the case of the Arawas it would have been rather different. The votes would have been divided. There were two Arawa candidates, and each of them would have polled an equal or nearly equal number of votes. 46. There were four candidates : which of the four do you think would have secured the votes at Kawakawa ?—Hotene would have got the plump vote of the Ngatiporou, I have no doubt. 47. Do you think that the flood which prevented the polling being held would have prevented many of those persons recording their votes had a poll been taken ? —I cannot say with any certainty. From what I have heard, my impression is that it would not. 48. Is there anything else you wish to communicate to tho Committee ? —I have heard, and believe it so, that another polling-place, that at the Waiapu, where there are a large number of the Ngatiporou living, was also passed over and no poll held. 49. How would they have voted ? —For Hotene. 50. What is the distance from Napier to Kawakawa?—About 150 miles. 51. Hon. Mr. Stafford.] To which tribes do the four candidates respectively belong?—Karaitiana to Ngatikahungu; Mita Hikairo to Arawa ; Kepa Eangepuawhe to Arawa ; Hotene Porourangi to Ngatiporou. With respect to the polling-place at Waiapu, I should like to state that from what has come to my knowledge I believe the failure to hold a poll there occurred in this way. Mr. Campbell, the Eesident Magistrate, should have held the poll at the school-house, Waiapu. That was the appointed polling-place. Ido not know whether the poll was opened in the morning or not; at any rate there appear to have been some votes recorded there ; but whether that was done in the morning or not lam not aware. But, as lam informed, Mr. Campbell, desiring to get as complete a poll in that part of the district as he could, went eight or nine miles away to a place called Te Awanui, with the intention of getting the people to vote. He got across the river, and the flood coming down suddenly he was unable to get back. Probably he took the votes where he was. 52. Mr. W. Wood.] You live at Napier ?—Yes. 53. Do you know how far from Napier the district in question is ? —About 150 miles to Kawakawa. The other place, Waiapu, is nearer. 51. All that you have said is merely from hearsay ? —Yes, I have not absolutely been at these places, but I have had a large connection with all the districts, and know a good deal about them, and, having had to do with East Coast affairs for a considerable time, know, I might say, every chief in the district and his following. 55. The occurrences at the election you merely know of by hearsay ?—Yes. But I have seen the petitions that came down from the Natives ; and have also seen the Eeturning Officer, from whom I gleaned the facts. Even the evidence of the Eeturning Officer would be hearsay evidence. The only direct evidence you could get is that of Mr. Campbell, or the Natives who were present at the time of the occurrences. 56. Mr. Macandrew.] Were all the places at which votes were recorded gazetted polling-places ?— Yes ; I believe so. At the time the Beturning Officer made out the lists, he showed me the places he was going to recommend as polling-places, and I said I thought they would do.

See. Mohi Turei.

7 July, 1876.

Mr. Ormond.

7 July, 1876,