H.—B.

18

448. Do you own that land in question at Kaikohe ?—Yes. 449. AVhat do you mean by it ? How many partners are there ?—There are three of us. 450. Do you all live in the same house? —Myself and father live in the same house. My elder brother lives in another house. 451. AVould it not be more correct to say that it was your father's house, aud you were living in it ? —I think lam a father to him, because he is a very old mau, and lam obliged to support him. 452. To whom is the land granted ?—-To us three. 453. AVhat sort of a house is it ? —A wooden house—a dog's house, as Mr. AVilliams said. 454. Perhaps you will be good enough to give a serious answer?—Mr. AVilliams calls it a bad house. 455. What is the size ?—Eighteen feet long and seventeen feet wide. 456. And how is it roofed ? —Shingle. 457. AVhat height are the walls ? —Nine feet. 458. Has it windows ?—lt has four windows. 459. A chimney?—lt has a wooden chimney. 460. What sort of a floor?—-A wooden floor. 461. Did you see the objection in the newspaper made to your name when it was published ? —All that I saw was, that my name had been struck off. 462. Did you see in the newspaper notice that objection had been made to it? —It did not say so in the newspaper I received. It said it had been struck out. I saw it in the Weekly News. It was like this one produced. 463. Did not you notice this at the bottom of it: "The above objections will be heard by the Revising Officer appointed for that purpose "?—When we voted for Mr. Lundon —this European here —Mr. AVarteford urged Mr. John AVilliams to use his influence with the Parliament to get my name struck off the roll. 464. This list of objections is headed in this way: "The following persons are objected to as not being entitled to have their names retained on the lißt of voters for the Electoral District of Mongonui and Bay of Islands." Then it is ended in this way: "The above objections will be heard by the Revising Officer appointed for that purpose "? —I did not look at it. I just looked at the heading. I thought they were determined to have our names struck out of the roll. I did not look at the foot of the list. 465. Do you mean to tell me that you had no knowledge the Revision Court was to sit to hear and determine these objections ?—I did know that such Courts were held, but I did not know the Court would be held in this case, because I had seen how determined Mr. Williams and others were to have our names struck off the roll. 466. Can you read and understand English ? —I cannot read or understand it thoroughly. I understand some. 467. You cau read it sufficiently to read a notice of a Court about to be held?— Yes. 468. Have you any further evidence to give ?—I wish to ask Mr. Williams a questiou—whether it was on account of my not attending the Revision Court that my name was struck off ? The Commissioner : I can answer that for Mr. Williams. It certainly was. If you had attended and shown the Revising Officer that you really had the property you claim to have, it would have been his duty to have annulled Mr. AVilliams's objection, and to have retained your name on the roll. Witness : If these men had voted for Mr. Williams and not for Mr. Lundon, would their names have been struck off the roll? 469. The Commissioner.] That I cannot say. In the meantime it is you who are giving evidence, not me. If you have any evidence to give, please proceed with it. —I maintain that was not the reason my name was struck off the roll. It was because I voted for Mr. Lundon. 470. That is easy to say. How do you prove it? —I voted in the year 1873 for Mr. John AVilliams. I was not struck off the roll then for having voted for Mr. John Williams; but when I voted for Mr. Lundon I saw that my name had been struck off the roll. It was Hone Mohi who proposed him, and I seconded the proposal, and in our opinion that was the reason why our names were struck off. 471. Do you know of any supporters of Mr. AVilliams who were struck off? —There are some of them still on the roll who voted for Air. John AVilliams, and some were struck off. AVi Hunga's name was struck off to show that he had no ill-feeling towards me. 472. You are giving now as evidence your owu opinion, I suppose ? —Yes. 473. Did Mr. Williams ever tell you that he would have your name removed from the roll because you had opposed his brother ? —No ; but I came to him with those people whose names he had struck off the roll, to have them put on again, and he did not allow them. After that, Hone Mohi Tawhai came with the names of four hundred people, and they were all put on the roll; but the names I gave him were not put on the roll. He said it would not be right in accordance with the law. 474. Did you fill up an application to be placed upon the roll ? —Yes ; I still have it. 475. Was it an application like one of these ? —Yes. 476. And did Mr. Williams receive it ? —No; he said it would not be right. 477. What month was that in ? —ln February or March of last year; but it was before the 30th of March. 478. You tendered a form duly filled up, and Mr. AVilliams refused to receive it ?—Yes ; each name was on a separate form—the same names I have renewed the applications for. 479. Where was it you tendered the forms to Mr. Williams ? —At Puketona, at his house. 480. And he absolutely refused to receive them from you ? —He did not receive them, and I took them back. 481. Did he assign any reason for refusing?—He said it would not be right, because we were not qualified according to law. 482. You are making a very serious charge. I suppose you remember you are on your oath ?— Yes; I could swear to it.

Hiuni Taiwhanga.

March 7, 1879.