I.—6a

4

Ayes, 5 : Mr. Ballance, Mr. Johnston, Mr. McLean, Hon. Major Atkinson, and Mr. Wood. JVoes, 2 : Sir G. Grey, and Mr. Mo;ss. The Chairman was requested to communicate with Mr. Hoani Nahe in similar terms, and ascertain, if he were coming to Wellington. Motion made (Sir G. Grey) and it was Resolved —That the West Coast Commissioners be requested to furnish any correspondence between themselves and Mr. Eees in relation to his being heard before them in reference to the rights and position of the West Coast Natives. Adjourned.

Tuesday, 20ih July, 1880. The Committee met at 11 a.m. Present: Mr. Stevens (Chairman), Hon. Major Atkinson, Mr. Ballance, Sir G. Grey, Mr. Johnston, Mr. McLean, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Moss, and Mr. Saunders. Telegram from Mr. Eees read, stating he was coming down by next boat. Subsequently, while Committee was sitting, another telegram was received, as follows :—" Have treated your telegram as a formal summons to attend. Am I correct." The Chairman was instructed to summon Mr. Eees and Mr. Nahe formally by telegram. The Chairman read a letter from the Secretary, West Coast Commission, forwarding copies of correspondence between the Commission and Mr. Eees ; and also the copies referred to. The Auditor-General again in attendance, and was further examined. (See evidence.) Adjourned.

Tuesday, 3rd August, 1880. The Committee met at 11 a.m. Present: Mr. Stevens (Chairman), Hon. Major Atkinson, Mr. Ballance, Hon. Mr, Dick, Sir G. Grey, Mr. Johnston, Mr. McLean, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Moss, Mr. Saunders, Mr. Wood. Mr. W. L. Eees was present, and examined. (See evidence.) Adjourned.

Tuesday, 10th August, 1880. The Committee met at 11 a.m. Present: Mr. Stevens (Chairman), Hon. Major Atkinson, Mr. Ballance, Hon. Mr. Dick, Sir G. Grey, Mr. McLean, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Moss, and Mr. Saunders. Mr. Hoani Nahe was in attendance, and gave evidence through the interpreter, Mr. Hadfield. (See evidence.)

Adjourned. Wednesday, 11th August, 1880. The Committee met at 11 a.m. Pretent: Mr. Stevens (Chairman), Hon. Major Atkinson, Mr. Ballance, Hon. Mr. Dick, Sir G. Grey, Mr. Johnston, Mr. McLean, Mr. Moss, and Mr. Saunders. Mr. Hoani Nahe again present, and his examination through Mr. Hadfield, continued. (See evidence.) Adjourned.

Wednesday, 18th August, 1880. The Committee met at 11 a.m. Present: Mr. Stevens (Chairman), Hon. Major Atkinson, Mr. Ballance, Hon. Mr. Dick, Sir G. Grey, Hon. Mr. Hall, Mr. Johnston, Mr. McLean, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Moss, Mr. Saunders, and Mr. Wood. Motion made (Mr. Wood), and question proposed, That the Committee find as follows :— " The Public Accounts Committee, to whom has been referred the memorandum of the Comptroller and Auditor-General, upon the subject of the payment of £300 to Mr. Sievwright, report as follows : The payment was made to Mr. Sievwright, and by him to Mr. Eees, as a retaining fee, in two sums of £ 150 each, on the 2nd and 4th of August, 1879. This date falls in the interval between the defeat of Sir G. Grey's Ministry on July 28th and the prorogation of Parliament on August 11th, prior to the dissolution. In granting the dissolution, the Governor stated the circumstances under which he did so to be, ' Ministers have lost the confidence of the Bepresentatives of the people, and are about to appeal from them to the country. A majority of the House of Bepresentatives have declared that Ministers have so neglected and mismanaged the administrative business that they no longer possess the confidence of Parliament. It is indispensable in such circumstances, if Ministers do not at once resign, that Parliament should be dissolved with the least possible delay, and meanwhile no measures should be proposed that may not be imperatively required, nor any contested motion whatever brought forward.' The Committee understand from the evidence of Sir George Grey, that the reason why it was considered advisable by the Ministry to retain counsel was that Ministers intended to appoint a Commission to inquire fully into the whole question of Native lands on the West Coast of the North Island, and that they thought counsel should be engaged to get up evidence and represent the interest of the Natives before such Commission. Counsel was engaged accordingly through the instrumentality of Mr. Hoani Nahe, a member of the Administration, but no Commission was appointed. The reason no Commission was appointed, from the evidence of Sir George Grey, is understood to be because of the Governor's general prohibition just quoted. It is, however difficult to understand that the appointment of the Commission should be held to come within the prohibitory language of the Governor, whilst the payment of a retaining fee to counsel to appear before a, Commission that could not be appointed till after the election of a new Parliament, was held to be not included in that language. At the time the payment was made, Parliament was in session. Supply was not disposed of, and a vote might easily have been proposed in Committee of Supply had the Government thought fit. "Mr. Sievwright considers the retainer to have been an unusually high one, to be justified only by a