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to what they had said, or suggest anything as to what they should say. I had no interest in doing so either on my own account or for any other person. I did not go down to Waitara in connection with the inquiry, but on other business. I went down in consequence of a message from the Natives to take money down. I went down to see what they referred to, and ascertained that it was their expenses and allowances from the Eesident Magistrate's Court in the cases that were heard between the Natives and Jones in Eeburary last. My second visit was to take them money which I had received on their account.

Saturday, 28th July, 1888. Annie Walker, having been duly sworn, gave evidence as follows : — lam the wife of Nevil Septimus "Walker. lam one of the owners named in the Order o Court for the Mokau-Mohakatino No. 1 Block. I have not signed a lease to Jones. I have been asked many times to do so, both by Jones and Wetere te Eerenga. I remember some time in July of last year being asked by Wetere to sign it at Waitara. The lease was not produced. I consulted with Major Brown about it, and he advised that Wetere should telegraph to the Chief Judge to ask if it would be legal to do so. It was on that account that the telegram to Judge Macdonald was sent. It was not in consequence of the reply of the Chief Judge that I was prevented from signing. I would not have signed in any case, and have never had any intention of doing so. I have always refused to do so, as I consider that Jones was the cause of the block on the north side of the river, for which Mr. Walker and Mr. George Stockman were negotiating, being withdrawn from the Court by Wetere te Eerenga at the time when the Mokau-Mohakatino No. 1 Block was put through. It was on that account that I and my friends acted against Jones at the time ho was trying to get the lease. I observe that the telegram says that " the people " are waiting to sign. It is not true that there was any one there waiting to sign. The telegram referred to no one but myself. I was one of those who signed the telegram referred to by Mr. Hamlin as having been sent to a person at Waitara. It was signed by me and by Mrs. Jane Brown, wife of Mr. Henry Brown, then at Waitara. That telegram was sent a few days after Judge Fenton gave his decision for the Mokau-Mohakatino No. 1 Block-in-1882. Mr. Walker had nothing to do w 7ith the sending of that telegram, nor w ras he one of the Europeans referred to in it. We had no one particularly in view at that time, but we had been trying to get some one to take up the lease against Jones. We sent the telegram from Auckland. When we got back to Waitara all the Maoris had gone up with Mr. Grace to Mokau to get the lease signed. Since that time, finding Jones had obtained the signatures of the Maoris, we have done nothing further in the matter. With regard to the opening up of the King country, I wish to say it was I who first got Eewi's consent to have a Laud Court held for the Mokau land. I am a niece of Eewi's, and he was staying with us in our house at Waitara for five months. It was during that time that Jones used to come to our house three or four times a week, begging of me to persuade Eewi to consent to a Court for Mokau, Eewi ultimately giving his consent if his people would agree. He gave his consent through my influence with him. Jones sometimes saw him at our house, but was quite unable to converse with him because he had no knowledge of the Maori language. Henky Brown, having been sworn, gave evidence as follows : — lam at present residing at Eemuera. I formerly lived at Waitara. My attention has been called to the telegram referred to by Mr. Hamlin, reported in Hansard at page 120, No. 11, 1888. That telegram was received by me at Waitara. To the best of my recollection it was signed by my wife and Mrs. Walker. I took it down to the township, and lost it there. I did nothing in consequence of the telegram. I know nothing of the Native language, and never interfere in Native affairs. I have never acted in any way as the agent of Mr. Walker, or of Messrs. Eussell and Morrin. I really know nothing of the matter to which the telegram referred. Being deaf, I hear very little of the conversation which goes on around me.

Saturday, 7th July, 1888. William Bayly, having been duly sworn, gave evidence as follows : — I am a farmer, residing at New Plymouth. The document [Exhibit No. 17] now produced by me purports to be a lease from Te Eerenga and others to Joshua Jones of land and minerals at Mokau-Mohakatino No. 1. The documents also produced purport to be a mortgage from Mr. Joshua Jones to me of his interest under that lease; and a further mortgage from Mr. Jones to me of the same interest. I have made advances to Mr. Jones from time to time to the extent of about £1,500, to enable him to complete his negotiations with the Natives for a lease of part of the Mokau-Mohakatino Block, and the lease now produced was deposited with me as security for such advances. Mr. Standish acted as my solicitor in my transactions with Mr. Jones. I believed I received the lease from Mr. Jones himself. The lease produced [No. 17] was represented to me by Mr. Jones to be the original lease under which he claims interest in the MokauMohakatino No. 1 Block. I believe the cause of the delay in the completion of the title has been want of survey. I understand that the survey has now been made by the Government. I believe it will be scarcely possible to get the signatures of those Natives who have not already signed the lease, as most of them are at Parihaka and refuse to sign anything. I have never seen the land myself. The first advance I made to Jones on the lease was the sum of £440, on the 19th July, 1882. I continued to make advances until 1884, when Jones told me ho had sold the mining right to a syndicate in Auckland, consisting of Fraser and Tinne, Browning, Sullivan, Rich, Shera, and Bobert Graham for the

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