29

I.—6a.

557. Did you take .anybody's advice as to the lawyers you should employ?—No; I had no other advice than that of Mr. Eees and Mr. Mackay, and they advised nre to employ Mr. Sievwright and Mr. Eees. 558. You say that Mr. Eees advised you to employ himself ?—Yes ; and Mr. Roes gave me a paper which showed that he and Mr. Sievwright had received the money. 559. But, before that, did-Mr. Bees advise you to employ himself, and did you employ him ?— Yes, he did, and Mr. Mackay also advised me to employ Mr. Bees. 560. Did you consult your colleagues in regard to the employment of cqunsel ? —No; but I fancied the other members of the Government would agree to the employment of Mr. Bees. 561. Did Mr. Bees tell you that the money was wanted in a great hurry?—Yes. 562. Did Mr. Eees say that ho would not take any steps in the matter until he had received a handsome sum from the Natives in cash ? —Yes ; Mr. Bees said the money should be paid in order that he might know that he was to do the work, and not be kept waiting with the chance of not getting the work after all. 563. Did you think you were serving the interests of your constituents by paying this money to Mr. Bees without knowing what he was to do for it ? —I thought that the money was obtained for" the benefit of the Natives, but I did not feel satisfied in having to pay the money before any work was ■done. 564. Then why did you pay the money before any work was done ? —I paid the money, because they (the lawyers) told me that they would not consider themselves retained to do the work unless the money was paid. 565. Did you understand what Mr. Bees was to do for the money ? —I understood that Mr1. Eees was to attend on the Commission, and enquire into the promises made by the Government to the Natives. 566. But there was no Commission at that time ? —There was no Commission at the time, but the Government had proposed that a Commission should be appointed to enquire into these matters. 567. Do you not think it would have been quite time enough to pay the money after the Commission was appointed instead of before ?—Yes, I thought so, but I could not keep the money, because Mr. Bees .and Mr. Mackay insisted on its being paid. They were continually asking nre for it. Mr. Eees asked me for the money, and Mr. Mackay said it ought to be paid. 568. And il you had acted on your own judgment you would have thought it safer to leave the money in the Treasury until the work was done ? —Yes, if I had been left free I should have left the money in tlie Treasury. . If I had been better up in the ways of lawyers I think I should have kept the money. 569. Did Mr. Sievwright tell you the amount of his account when he asked you to pay it ?—No. 570. Then I suppose you do not know what Mr. Sievwright charged for his share of the transaction ? —Mr. Eees and Mr. Sievwright applied jointly for the money, but their individual shares were not defined. 571. Do you know that the whole of the £300 was charged to Mr. Bees ?—The receipt which I received for the £300 was signed by Mr. Bees. This document was given to mo in their office. 572. Do you not know to whom the money was paid, whether to Mr. Sievwright or to Mr. Eees ?— I know that Mr. Sievwright was to receive the money from the Government office, but I presume it belonged to both of them. 573. Then you do not know how it was divided between them ?—No. 574. Did any one advise you as to which lawyer you could most advantageously employ in this matter ?—No. 575. Was the subject not made a matter of enquiry by the Government?—Was the matter not discussed in Cabinet ?—There may have been something said there, but not while I was present. 576. After the money was paid did Mr. Eees take any instructions from you as to what he was to d 0 % —I asked Mr. Bees whether he would attend the sitting of the Commission if that Commission were appointed. 577. But Mr. Eees has not sought any instructions from you since he got the money ?—No, I understood he would attend the Commission if it was appointed. 578. Mr. Ballance.] When was this Commission to have been appointed ?—I do not know the month or day on which it was to be appointed, but I understood that a Commission was to be appointed. 579. Had you any conversation with Mr. Sheehan about this Commission ?—I asked Mr. Sheehan whether a Commission was to be appointed, and he replied in the affirmative. 580. What was that Commission to do ?—lt was to enquire into the question of confiscated lands, and to see whether certain lands could be returned to the Natives ; also, to inquire whether the claims of the Natives were just. 581. Had that inquiry anything to do with the Natives who were in prison 2—Yes, it affected them as well as those who remained at home. 582. Was the object of the Commission to inquire into promises made with respect to their rights ?— It was to ascertain whether the Government had promised to return these lands, and also to see whether these disturbances took place on lands which the Government had promised to return. 583. Did you think that the result of the inquiry before the Commission would show that the Natives in prison had done no wrong ?—I thought it would show whether what they had done was right or wrong—whether the prisoners had acted wisely or otherwise. 584. Did you think that if the promises which had been made had been kept, peace would have been restored ?—I think so, considering that some of the persons interested were loyal Natives. 585. And did you think that these Natives would have been released if, after the inquiry, the Commission had found that the promises had not been kept ?—J did not think that the prisoners would be released by the Commission, but I thought that they might be supplied with land upon which they might settle if they were released after being tried.

Hon. H. Nahe. 10th Aug., ISSO.