1.-4d.

99. You would be in a position to state whether there could be any misunderstanding ? — Certainly. I should say there could not have been any ignorance of the conditions since 1881. 100. And you subsequently, I believe, dealt with many cases as a Minister? —Eeally I forget. I think it is very likely. 101. Mr. Lake.] Was there any list of the discharged soldiers who made application to the Waste Lands Commissioner ? —Yes; we got a great deal of information from the Commissioners. We applied to that department frequently to know whether a man had made his application for land. 102. And did the Commissioners make any inquiry to know what proportion they bore to the 1,582? —We did not ask that. The whole of the 1,582 were not old soldiers. The claims of Volunteers rested on entirely different grounds. 103. In the case of men who had got rights to a grant of land, and had settled on the land and afterwards volunteered for service on the East Coast, as with many, would that claim lapse ?— Their claims would be considered to have lapsed, but there were not many cases of that kind—they must have been few indeed. Their are very few cases in which, men claimed land that had been forfeited on the ground that they had gone to another district for military purposes. If a man had gone to another district for military service he gave up his claim in the district he left. What benefit, for instance, would the service of a man be to Auckland, say, if he was serving in Hawke's Bay? 104. Mr. Fulton.] I think many of them wanted a second claim?—lf a man went and served on the East Coast as a military settler, he would get land there. No land was ever given merely for military service. 105. Mr. Lake.] Was it not Hawke's Bay that first revoked these conditions ? —Yes; in 1863. 106. Mr. Bruce.] I think I understood you to say that you did entertain the claims of some men who had not complied strictly with the legal regulations ? —Yes ; I think so. 107. Would you not have allowed a claim in which a man could have shown that he was unable to obtain a living or to obtain work in the Auckland District?—l should not have counted that as a claim. 108. I know a respectable man in my district who left Auckland on that account. You would not entertain his claim?—No. 109. Do you not think a very large number of soldiers living in remote places never heard of this Commission ?—There might be a few, but they are very few, I think. Of course there are men living in remote districts who do not come into contact with a neighbour for months at a time. 110. Then, had soldiers no right to land in any British colony unless the colony gives it?—Not after representative institutions were granted to the colony. When the colony had the management of its own land trie Imperial Government could not say, We will give a certain grant of land to old soldiers. 111. A good deal of misconception appears to prevail. They believe that they have all a claim ? —They would all make claims no doubt. 112. Well, they think they are entitled to land or a passage Home when they leave the Imperial army ? —No. Instead of being sent Home, these men, by one of the Imperial regulations, who were discharged in the colony and elected to remain there were entitled to a grant of money after a certain term of service. They got £18 ss.—twelve months' pay. 113. They are entitled to that on their discharge ?—On having completed their term of twelve years. If the man purchased Iris discharge, as some did, after six or seven years' service he was not entitled to his passage Home. But on the completion of the full period of service they are entitled to a passage Home. 114. Mr. Fulton.] Was this Commission the first opportunity that soldiers had of preferring their claims ? —By no means. They had the privilege of petitioning the House, which many availed themselves of. 115. Had not an extension of time been granted beyond the period that the first repeal made ? —Yes ; there were different laws in different districts. 116. Did not Parliament, on two or three occasions, exceed the time during which applications might be made?—Yes ; and existing claims were also saved by some of the different Acts? 117. So that men could have no complaint that this last Commission was the only occasion on which they could apply ?—Not by any means. 118. You have had, I think, special facilities for coming into contact with old soldiers?—Yes ; on account of payment of pensions. 119. Have you met with many of those men who have preferred anything like equitable claims ? —No ; very few indeed. I have frequently had men come to me and ask me whether they were not entitled to land, because So-and-so, with whom they had served, had got land; and I have, in almost every case, known that they had no claim through having been discharged after the repeal of the Act. 120. Have you found it a common notion that soldiers are entitled to land merely because they have been soldiers? —Many made application on the ground that they had served in the colony, and did not see why they should not have land as well as any other soldiers. 121. What notice was given to people by the Commission to send in their claims?—The notice was delivered on the 27th February that trie Commission would sit at Wellington to hear and consider any claims that were brought before them till the 16th March, and afterwards at other places. 122. Generally, I mean? —Claims were received during the whole period of the Commission. Up to the time trie Commission concluded its labours all claims that were sent in were considered. 123. And were instructions sent to the officers in command asking them to make it as widely

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