19

a.—2a

To Sir W. Buller [Horowhenua Commission, page 276, questions 291, 292, and 293, read to witness]: That evidence was not true. The replies I gave were not true. To Assessor : From 1873 to 1882 the tribe drew the rents from Horowhenua. Ihaia took the rents from the lessee. After 1882 Kemp drew the rent himself. He gave some of it to members of the tribe ; the rest went in expenses. Ido not know whether the £1,000 sent to Makere came out of rents or out of proceeds of sale of part of the land. Ido not disapprove of the payment of £100 to Bangimairehau ; it was expended in furthering our interests. Some of the Muaupoko were in Wellington on the business of the tribe, and their expenses had to be paid. I heard that £50 was paid to Fraser. I have no objection to the expenditure of £5 for rent of house for descendants of Whatanui. I leave it for the Court to say whether Ihaia Taueki should not have the £735, or part of it. Mr. McDonald closed his case. The Court asked if all the persons residing at Levin interested in the Horowhenua Block were present. The reply was that they were nearly all present. The Court notified that Kemp had submitted a statement of accounts showing the amount received by him from rents, sales, and royalties in connection with the Horowhenua Block, and the disbursement by him of those amounts. Mr. McDonald had called witnesses as to the accounts, and the Court wished to know if any one else desired to give evidence about them. No one came forward. Rangimairehau and Hoani Puihi said the resident members of the tribe admitted the accuracy of the account. Raraku Hunia said she wished to give some evidence in connection with the accounts. Sir W. Buller said he would call her as one of his witnesses. The Court announced that Sir W. Buller would be allowed to call any evidence he considered necessary to rebut that given by Mr. McDonald's witnesses, or in support of the accounts. Sir W. Buller called Te Bangimairehau. Te Bangimaieehau sworn. Witness : The £100 paid to me in July, 1890, I divided among the people who went to Wellington to attend Parliament. I gave £50 of it to J. M. Fraser. The other £50 I divided among Makere, Ngataahi, Te Manihera (who was with us), Broughton, Baniera te Whata, and myself equally. I was present at meeting when J. M. Fraser drew up the statement of accounts. All present agreed to it. It is as correct an account as can be made. Cross-examined by Hamuera Karaitiana. Witness : I gave Fraser the £50 because he was acting as our agent before the Native Affairs Committee. It was in addition to the £631 paid to him by Kemp. Cross-examined by Henare te Apatari. Witness : I cannot pay the account presented by Kemp. It has already been paid; but I approve of it. I would not agree to pay Wirihana if he put in an account. Cross-examined by Mr. McDonald. Witness : We only kept £50 out of the £100 for ourselves. We paid our expenses out of it. Kemp spent £200 in expenses on that occasion also. He paid our expenses at a boarding-house, and rented a house for us. If we used the money of the widows and orphans it was expended on their behalf. Baeaku Hunia sworn. Witness: I am one of the permanent residents of Horowhenua. Have large claims to it. I am not clear as to the payment of £50 for sheep for Te Aue Puihi. I object to the £125 for sheep for Baniera te Whata. I had no benefit from them. I object to the £50 to Kiritotara, and to the £170 to Warena Hakeke. The payment of £533 to Wirihana Hunia is wrong. I approve of everything that was spent in defending the estate from Wirihana and Warena. The Court adjourned till the 28th instant.

Levin, Wednesday, 28th April, 1897. The Court opened at 10 a.m. Present: The same. Inquiry re accounts resumed. Baraku Hunia cross-examined by Mr. McDonald. Witness : I object to the £170 paid to Warena Hunia; he was not entitled to the whole of it. I object to the payments to Wirihana Hunia; the sums he received were far more than he should have received. I approve the legal costs and expenses in connection with No. 11, because Warena and Wirihana contended that they were the sole owners, while Kemp insisted that he and Warena were trustees for the tribe. The law gave me my share of the proceeds of the State farm, not Wirihana and Warena; they tried to keep their sisters out of it. I said in another Court lately that it was owing to my brother's exertions that the State farm was given to Hunia. I participated largely in the proceeds of the State farm. I object to the action of my brothers, because they have always contended that the land was Warena's, and not our father's. The law gave me my share of the State farm as successor to my father.