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showed it to my European friends, who explained it to me, and thus I saw that the election was w yrong. 459. Did you show it to Mr. Campbell ?—No. 'V 460. Mr. W. Wood,] Who was the European or Europeans who explained this paper to you, that convinced you the election was wrong ? —Captain Reid was one ; but there were a lot of others. It was not referring especially to this election, but to a number of others before. 401. What steps did you take on Captain Reid informing you that the election was wrong. What else did Captain Reid inform you or advise ? —The explanation was not referring to this election particularly. It was general. I applied the knowledge I obtained from that paper to this election, aud I found it (the election) was wrong. 462. Where did you obtain this paper —who sent it to you?—l received it officially. lama Native Assessor, and receive such papers as that in an official way as an officer. 463. State the nature of the information that convinced you the election was wrong ?—I cannot state exactly what were the words in it, because I am not acquainted with English, but I was told that if the voting was wrong—informal—l could protest against it. 464. Were you advised to do so ?—No. I was not advised to do so. I had that paper, and I asked my friends to explain it to me; and I followed the course which in that paper appeared to be indicated. 465. Was Mr. Campbell advising the Natives how to vote, or who they should vote for, or what part did Mr. Campbell take in the election. I want to know what part Mr. Campbell was filling during the election, and if any, in whose favour ? —I do not know. Major Ropata would know about that, because he saw what took place. 466. Mr. Macandrew.] Did Mr. Campbell tell any one else about these papers?—Tes. He told Mohi Turei, Ropata, and many others. He told them to sign their names on these papers. 467. Mr. W. Wood.] And what were the papers ? Which candidate's name was on them ? —Hotene's name. 468. Did Mr. Campbell ask them to sign their names for any other candidate on that paper ?—lt was only Hotene's name. There was no other. I was to have been a candidate myself, but for certain reasons —something wrong I had done —I was not put forward. 469. Mr. Tole.] How long have you been a Native Assessor?— Fifteen years. 470. Were Ropata and Mohi Turei canvassing for Hotene? —Tes. 471 Tou did not see this book, did you ?—I saw one book at Napier which Mr. Locke showed me, and Mohi Turei's name appeared in it as a witness. 472. Was that before or after the election ? —lt was after the books had been sent in to Mr. Locke, the Returning Officer—after the 15th January. 473. Mr. Locke showed you these books after the election? —Tes. 474. What did he show them to you for?— Because the work had been done wrong. 475. Did you ask Mr. Locke to let you look at them ?—-I asked him nothing. He was Returning Officer for the whole district. He showed me the books, and he showed me one in which Turei's name appeared as witness. 476. How many candidates were in that ?—Only Hotene. 477. Do you know what part of the district the book you saw came from ?—lt was the Waiapu book. 478. Did Captain Reid give you any advice about this petition ?—No. 479. Tou said a little while ago that somebody told you the election was wrong. Who was it ?— I did not say that. I said that as an Assessor I received certain documents, and one of these was in English, and I asked one of my European friends to explain it, and he did so. 480. Was it an officer of the Government who explained it to you?— No. 481 Where did you draw up the petition? —At Turanga. 482. Where is that? —At Gisborne. 483. Did you go from there to Napier ? —I came from Tolaga Bay to Napier, on account of the death of Sir Donald McLean's brother. That was my reason for going. It was after I went home on that occasion that I saw the paper I allude to, and 1 asked my European friends to explain it to me. 484. To whom did you give the petition ? Where did you present it ?—I put it in the Post Office. 485. Have you seen Wiremu Wanoa since he came down ?—He is here. 486. Were you talking to him yesterday morning? —What about? 487. Tou were speaking to him? —Tes, I spoke to him. 488. Were you talking to turnabout the election ?—No. 4!*>9 Do you remember saying to him that he ought to go over to your side on this election ?— No. It was not I that spoke to him. It was he that spoke to me about the election, and I said, Wait until the matter comes before tho Committee. I said to him, Friend, what was your reason for stopping at Napier, your friends having gone back and left you there by yourself ? He said he was waiting for a vessel to take some ploughs up. I told him that the steamer was going constantly to and fro beween Napier and Gisborne. He said there was no other vessel would take the things at such a cheap rate. I said I will pay the freight for taking your ploughs to Turanga from Napier. I said, I know you are stopping here at Napier with some deceitful object: Tou want to say that the election was taken in a proper manner at Waiapu ; and he said to me, lam not going to say anything of the kind. I said, Tou caused trouble before at Waiapu, and you are going to cause trouble again. Now, you will get intotrouble again. That is all. 490. I suppose when you said he was separated from his tribe, you meant that he was taking a different part from what you believed Ngatiporou were taking in this matter ?—I understood that he was against me,, and wished Karaitiana's election to be maintained. I did not want Karaitiana to be elected ; I want the election to take place again. 491. Did you as much as tell Wanoa that he was degrading himself and his tribe in taking this course ?—He is not a chief He will be kicked out of the place when he goes back. 492. Why will he be kicked out of the place ; what has he done ?—He is a man of very low degree, and it is uot right that such men should talk to chiefs at all.

Henare Potae.

28th July, 1876.