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Gazette t —Awanui was not. 1 have heard that the Eeturning Officer there did not take the votes in the same place as gazetted. 181. There are a certain number of polling-places notified in the Gazette. Were there any more at which votes were taken ?—ln the Bay of Plenty there may have been; but it might have been in the same pa. IS2. Supposing twenty polling-places were notified in the Gazette, and votes were taken at twenty-two polling places ? —lt was never represented to me in that light. 183. Mr. Bastings.] What I have understood is, that votes were taken at one place not mentioned in the official Gazette ? —Tes. That is so; at Awanui. I also granted assistance in the shape of allowing the appointment of two additional Deputy Returning Officers in Maketu district, and at the same time Mr. Hamlin asked me whether he could delay the voting a second day, so as to go on from one day to another. I telegraphed to the effect that he must close the poll on the 15th. 184. Mr. Macandrew.] I do not know whether this is a pertinent question, but I presume I may put it. Suppose you had been Eeturning Officer for the District of Clive, in which there were a number of polling-places, and some question as to the return of the poll was to be raised at one of these places, would you take the same course with regard to the return of the writ ? —Tes, I should. 185. Mr. Tole.] Have you got the returns made up by the Deputy Eeturning Officers ?—I can get them. 186. Does Mr. Campbell, in his return to you, mention the name of Waiapu or Awanui ?—He mentions Waiapu, not Awanui. 187. Mr. W Wood.] Have you had any explanation as to why he took the votes at one place, and not at the gazetted place ? —I have had no communications with him. I had no occasion to do so on the subject since the election. 188. Mr. Tole.] Have you any personal knowledge of Kawakawa ?—Tes. 189. Do you know anything of the number of the population ?—I should think they ought to muster three or four hundred men in the neighbourhood. 190. What proportion of these would vote for Karaitiana ?—I cannot tell. 191. Mr. W. Wood.] Was the Gazette circulated in the district, and the polling-places advertised in the Maori language ?—Tes ; it was advertised in Maori in four different ways—in the Waka Maori and other publications. 192. Do you read Maori ?—I can. 193. Did you notice in that Maori paper an advertisement as to what return was made for that election ?—The Natives were informed by me that a special return had been made. 191. My reason for asking that question was, that I was informed by a person who reads Maori that it was officially advertised Karaitiana had been returned ?—I have heard of a paragraph in the Waka Maori to that effect, but it was not official. 195. Hon. Sir D. McLean.] It would be in a local. H-DUBR Tomoana, being in attendance, was re-examined as follows: — . 196. The Chairman.] When you were before the Committee on the last occasion of its meeting, you said you had a paper sent to you by a number of electors at Kawakawa, stating that they would vote for one of the candidates ?—Tes. (Paper produced, and translated as follows : —" These are the persons who would vote for Karaitiana, dated 19th January," the names following.) i 97. What is this ? (A piece of paper enclosed in the one just read.) —These are the names of Natives who would vote for Karaitiana, but they are included in the other list. They sent me this last after I came from Napier. 198. The Chairman.] This document is dated four days after the election took place. 199. Mr. Tole.] But he got this paper before the date on it ?—No; I received the paper after the date upon it. 200. Did you speak to these people before the 19th January ? —Tes, I did. 201. Had you got the consent of the Natives mentioned to vote for Karaitiana?—Tes. 202. Who made out that last paper ?—lt was sent to me under cover. I recognize the handwriting. 203. Mr. Bastings.] Is it in the handwriting of a Native chief? —Tes. 204. Mr. Williams.] Does this last paper represent the names of Natives who would have voted for Karaitiana in the district?—Tes. 205. Are the names on the small list included in those on the long one ?—Tes. 206. But on one list it says, " These are the men who would vote for Karaitiana," and on the other it says, ''These are the men who have voted for Karaitiana"? —I was at Waiapu when the small list was made out, and the Natives said they had voted for Karaitiana because they had previously signified their intention of voting for him. 207. Did any of these men stated to have voted for Karaitiana vote at Te Awanui? —No. 208. Mr. Tole.] Did you hear anything about the voting at Ohinemutu ?—I did not hear anything. 209. Do you know a place called Parekarangi ? —Tes. 210. Was there any voting there that he knows ? —I have heard that there was a polling-place there. 211. Mr. Wood.] Do you know anything directly referring to this election which has not yet come out? —Tes ; I will state my opinion of what prevented the election at Kawakawa. The election was commenced before the polling-day, the names of the Natives having been already taken down. Before the 15th of January they had held a kind of preliminary election at the school-house at Waiapu. It was held there by Mr. Campbell. On that date these Natives had put all their names down. And this, in my opinion, is why the Returning Officer did hot come to Kawakawa, and that Mr. Campbell employed the 15th day to legalize the election —a sort of form.

Mr. S. Locke.

20th July, 1876.

Henare Tomoana.

20th July, 1876.