3

I.—6a.

at issue to be that of confiscation, I would assist my clients by commencing proceeedings in the Supreme Court, for the purpose of testing the validity of the Acts under which the lands had been taken, and that considering time to be an important factor in the matter, I would get the consent of my clients to a postponement of their trial. At one of these interviews (Wi Parata being present) Mr. Sheehan said that Sir George Grey was willing to assist the disaffected Natives with funds for the above purpose. I told him at once that all such help must be declined, and that the Natives would have no confidence whatever in the proceedings to be taken unless the whole expense was borne by themselves, and the conduct thereof entrusted to lawyers entirely independent of the Government. Acting under the instructions of a self-constituted committee of ten chiefs, I prepared and submitted for appproval a manifesto in English and Maori [copy herewith], setting forth to the Maori tribes generally the nature of the proceedings proposed to be taken. That manifesto was adopted by the committee, and two thousand copies were printed and distributed throughout New Zealand. Subscription lists were circulated in various parts of the Colony, and a Trust Account opened at the Bank of New Zealand here. From the first the Committee resolved to decline all assistance from the Government, and when a rumour became current that the Government had supplied funds, the President and Secretary (Taiaroa and Wi Parata) came to me in great consternation to know if it was true. At the request of the Committee, conveyed in a formal resolution, on the motion of Wi Parata, I retained Mr. Travers, of this city, to act with me in the contemplated proceedings. To my astonishment I learned to-day, from Mr. Eees, that through Hoani Nahe, a member of the then Cabinet, who professed to represent the Committee, Mr. Sievwright of this city had been employed as solicitor, and Mr. Eees himself, as counsel; that at the instance of Sir George Grey, £300 of the public money was paid over to Mr. Sievwright and shared with Mr. Eees (nominally as a retainer); and that this payment is treated as a grant in aid of legal expenses to the West Coast natives. It is not for me to express any opinion on the propriety, or otherwise of these dealings. But on behalf of the Committee of Chiefs, for whom I am acting, I wish at once to state that Hoani Nahe's action in the matter was absolutely and wholly unauthorised ; that the members of the Committee knew nothing of Mr. Sievwright in the matter, and decline to be connected in any way with the payment of Government money, about which they were not consulted. It will be my duty to advise them to publish this repudiation in the widest possible manner, but I have thought it right to communicate the facts to you in the first place. At one time Hoani Nahe proposed to become a member of the Committee, but having regard to his official position he afterwards withdrew his name and declined to take any part in the movement. I am, &c, Hon. J. Bryce, Minister for Native Affairs. W. L. Buller.

Mr, J. Sheehan. 9th Dec. 1879.

Mr. T. W. Lewis, Under-Secretary Native Department, was examined. 33. The Chairnvtn.] The Committee have asked you to attend, Mr. Lewis, for the purpose of giving them information with regard to this case, with which I have no doubt you are familiar. [Documents handed to witness.] Perhaps you will be good enough to make a statement as to the circumstances?—l received instructions from the Native Minister, Mr. Sheehan, to arrange for an imprest to Mr. Hoani Nahe, a member of the Executive, for a sum of £300, to be expended under Mr. In"aire's direction in tlie employment of counsel in connection with the claims of the Maoris on the West Coast, and a requisition was made out in Mr. Nahe's name and forwarded to the Treasury in due course. It came back with a Memo, from the Comptroller to the effect that the Audit had objections, which had .been expressed before, to making Imprest advances to a Minister, and to the Executive. That paper was referred, to the best of my recollection, by Mr. Sheehan to Sir George Grey, as Premier, for consideration iu Cabinet, but that paper has not been found. I think the next step in the matter was that I received this paper from Mr. Sheehan : —" Mr. Lewis. —Re imprest of £300, authorised to be advanced to the Hon. Mr. Nahe, as contribution towards defence of Native prisoners; ib meet the difficulties raised by the Audit Department, you had better take the Imprest to yourself, paying the same in such manner and to such persons as the Hon. Mr. Nahe may direct. Please attend to the thing at once." As I understood that the amount was to be paid over at once, I considered I had better see the Comptroller, as to the form of the receipt that I should take to relieve myself as Imprestee. Mr. FitzGerald said he saw no occasion for my being Imprested with the money. As he understood the money was to be paid over to Mr. Sievwright, it was far better ti should be paid direct to him, and the Audit could call upon him for accounts. I reported this to Mr. Sheehan, and wrote the minute on the papers : —" File with my requisition. It has since been arranged that the money had better be paid to Mr. Sievwright direct, so that he may be held responsible to furnish detailed accounts when required by the Audit Department. Native Minister has approved.—T. W. Lewis. Ist August, 1879." That embraced the result of my interview with Mr. FitzGerald. The next step in the matter was an account furnished by Mr. Sievwright for tho sum of £300, which was approved " for immediate payment "by Mr. Sheehan. Because the money was required at once, the Paymaster-General was requested to make immediate payment. The matter next came before rne when the amount was sent forward to be charged. There had been a number of expenses in connection with the Maori prisoners on the West Coast, and it had not up to that time been decided as to which Department would deal with the matter of the expenditure. It was ultimately decided that the expenses of the prisoners were to be dealt with by the Department of Justice. I suggested that this payment should be dealt with in same manner as the other expenses for the Maori prisoners. I suppose the Committee is familiar with the subsequent correspondence that took place between the Audit Department and Mr. Sievwright. 34. The Chairman.] No, it is not here.—Supposing this was the subject on which I should be

Mr. T. If. Leuis. 9th Dec. 1879.