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I.—3a

Eheni tb Aweawe examined. (No. 5.) 36. The Chairman.] Do you know anything about this petition of Rewanui's?—l have heard it spoken about. 37< Have you seen the petition?— No. 3S. Do you know anything about its contents ? —I do not. 39. Then, what evidence can you give on a petition you know nothing about? —But it was not shown to me. 40. Did you sign it?— No. [Witness's daughter having shown that she was wrong, witness admitted it.] 41. You say you do not know anything about the petition, and yet your signature appears on it. You say you never heard of the petition or anything else?—l thought I was being asked about something else. I was mistaken. 42. You were asked very particularly if you had seen the petition, and you said you had never seen it?— Yes, 1 was mistaken. lam an old woman. 43. You require latitude in that respect, but still you should be careful in what you are saying I —Yes. 44. Now that you say that you have signed the petition you must know something about it? —Yes. 45. Was the petition read over to you before you signed it? —Yes. 46. Then you understand what was in the petition?— Yes. 47. You can state briefly to the Committee anything you know in connection with the sub-ject-matter of the petition ?—Well, the cause of the petition being signed was this, that when my daughter and 1 saw what the award of the Court had been, we realised that we had been injured. No money was given to my brother, Hanita te Aweawe—my younger brother. No money was given to him by the people who arranged the division of the money. Then, again, there was the giving to the six persons only as Crown grantees, and then the dividing-up of the money amongst people who had no right, and people who had not contributed money towards the costs of the appeal in this case. It was for those reasons that I considered we had been injured, because this land is mine from my ancestors and their descendants continually down to my father, down to myself, and down to my daughter. I absolutely and thoroughly know all about this land. Now, as to the arrangement made by the lawyers at Woodville: 1 was not sent for to be consulted —I, the owner of the land. They simply made that arrangement amongst themselves. If 1 had been called upon to consent to that arrangement 1 would have objected to it. I would certainly never have agreed to the moneys derived from my land being distributed amongst people who had no right to the land. These are the principal things to be said, so far as I know. That was why this petition was sent in asking for another inquiry. 48. 'The Chairman.] Is that all?—I think that is enough. 49. Mr. Hone Heke.] Do you know who authorised Mr..Morison to appear as your lawyer for you and others before the Court at Woodville? —It was my grandson who did so. They did not come to us. 50. Now, just listen to me: You remember signing a paper, which was a paper signed by you, retaining Mr. Moiison to represent you in the Court at Woodville? —I do not know that I signed any document before a lawyer authorising the lawyer to appear. 51. Mr. Morison has told the Committee that your grandson, Mr. Moffatt, has the document signed by you people authorising him (Mr. Morison), and that you asked your grandson if it was correct? —I have been to my grandson and asked him for this document so that I might bring it here, and he said he did not know anything about it. 52. Was it while this petition was being inquired into that you went to him about this?— Yes. 53. Who was the ancestor set up in the first Court in 1871 ?—lt was the ancestor who conquered the people on the land. 54. Did you say anything to Mr. Morison about setting up Tarake as ancestor of the land?— This was our mouthpiece [pointing to Rewanui]. I objected to Tarake's name. 55. The Chairman."] Is Mr. Moffatt in town now?—l do not know. 56. Mr. Hone Ileke.] While you were at Woodville, did you attend the meeting where matters were discussed between your people and the pakeha, Mr. Morison, who was said to be your lawyer? —No, I did not. 57. Who was appointed to go with that pakeha lawyer to make this arrangement with him— Mr. Morison? —All that I heard was Mr. Fraser and Morison talking in the Court. 58. I am speaking only of your side? —Only Mr. Moffatt, and he did not know. 59. Did you say anything to Mr. Moffatt about arranging on your behalf with Mr. Morison? —No. I found fault with my grandson, and he said it was all right. 60. Were you in Court when the Judge read out the award upon an agreement which had been arrived at between the conductors? —I did not hear it read out then, but I heard the other final reading-out, and I was not clear about it then. When the award was definitely given I said, " Oh, we have been injured." 61. The Chairman.] Do you say you were in Court when this agreement was read out?— The second reading-out. I did not hear the first one. 62. Were you in any of the Courts when Mr. Morison, the lawyer, appeared?— Yes. 63. Did you know what side he was appearing for?—He was appearing for us at the instigation of my grandson. 64. You knew that? —Well, I found fault with him about it. 65. Did you object to him personally appearing for your side?—l told my grandson outside the Court about it, and he said, " Oh, it is all right—it is quite right," Then, when the decision was given, I saw that we had been injured.