I.—2a.

34

955. Did she come voluntarily into your office, for the purpose of having the paper prepared for stopping the action? —She came voluntarily ; she walked into my office. 956. Did she go of her own accord to make the request ? —As far I am aware. 957. She voluntarily requested that the action that bad been commenced should ha stopped ?— She said that she never gave Mr. Eees any authority to bring this action against Mr. Sutton. 98S. Were there any children in the office —any of her own children?—l believe that she had a child with her. I think she had. 989. Had she not two children with her between the ages of eight and sixteen? Of course we are not positive as to their ages ?—To the best of my belief, no. I think she had a little girl or boy with her. 990. Was she allowed to go in and out just as she pleased?— Certainly. 991. Was there no attempt to stop her? —Not the slightest. 992. Were any doors locked?— No. 993. Were they closed ? —They were shut-to, as is generally the case when people come in on business. The outside door was wide open. 994. Is the Committee to understand that, if she desired to leave the office, she could have done so ? —Without doubt she waa at perfect liberty to do so. There was not the slightest restraint to keep her in the office. 995. Was there no inducement offered her to stop the action? —I swear most positively that there was not. 996. Tou say that Mr. Sutton told you that Bora had told him that she had never given Mr. Eees any authority to bring the action? —Yes. 997. Who told you?—Mr. Sutton, when ho came into my office. It appeared to me that Mr. Sutton and Bora had had some conversation outside the office on tho subject, judging from this remark. 995. Did you ask Bora whether or not she had stated so to Mr. Sutton ? —I did; and she said, in reply, that she had never authorized Mr. Bees to bring the action. 999. Did you enter that in the paper ? —I really cannot remember whether I did or not. Iv the translation ? 1000. Tes, in the translation that you read out? —I cannot remember whether I did or not. 1001. Do you know the extent of the reserve Eora claims ? —I cannot say that I remember the extent that was mentioned, because it was a matter that I had nothing to do with. I cannot say that I do remember positively the extent of the reserve she claimed. 1002. Did Mr. Sutton tell you he promised any reserve ?—I do not remember his telling me so. 1003. Have you seen this paper? [Document in the Maori language produced and handed to witness.] —This is my handwriting. 1004. Is that the paper you wrote at the time Eora came to your office? —I believe it to be the very document. 1005. Will you read it through ? —Yes. This is the document. I wrote it at tho time. 1006. Is there any mention there of Eora having stated that she had not authorized Mr. Eees to bring the action against Mr. Sutton? —Mr. Eees's name is not mentioned here. The document only says that she thought that all the troubles with regard to that land were at an end. 1007. Sir G. Grey.] AVould you translate the whole document to us?—l translate the document as follows : " I, Eora Nonoi state I have signed my name to the deed of sale of my share of the block of land. Te Awa-o-te-Atua, to Watt and Farmer, aud I am clear about the reserves that were portioned off for tho Natives in that block ; and I believe that Wi Eangirangi has signed his name to that document. I have no claim to any other piece in Te Awa-o-te-Atua, with the exception of the reserve which is mentioned in that document. That document is a complete —or, it completes the purchase —puts an end to all disputes to that block, Tc Awa-o-te-Atua. At the time I signed my name to the deed of purchase I thought that all disputes were at an end, and all lawsuits with regard to that land were clear to me." 1008. There is nothing there mentioning that she gave Mr. Eees no authority ?—No ; there is nothing to that effect in this document. I mentioned that after the first few words of conversation it turned to this matter with reference to the reserves. 1009. Who made the statement in the beginning ?—As far as I remember, Mr. Sutton. Mr. Sutton, when he came into the office, said to me that Eora had told him that she had not authorized Mr. Bees to bring any action against him. I asked Eora if she had said so, and she did not deny it. 1010. Mr. Tomoana.] Tou say that Bora aud Mr. Sutton went to your office? —Yes. lOIOa. What did they go for ? —They came there with regard to the matter of these reserves —that is, so far as I can remember, the reserves in the Awa-o-te-Atua Block. 1011. In what sale were the reserves ? —ln the sale to Watt and Farmer. 1012. Is that when the land was sold to Watt and Farmer?—Tes, I believe so. 1013. It was not about the reserve when the block was sold to Mr. Sutton? —Not that I remember. This is what took place, as stated in the paper which I wrote. I did not think that there was anything else. Here is the document written in Maori. 1014. The document refers to the sale of the laud to Mr. Sutton; not to the subsequent sale to Watt and Farmer ? —Weil, it must have been with regard to this case. Here is the document in Maori, which I asked Eora to sign, and sho refused to do so unless she were paid. She demanded money for signing. She acknowledged that all this iv the paper was perfectly correct, but said that she had beeu told that the law was, that for signing her name to any document she should be paid, aud I refused to pay. 1015. Then, why Bora went to your office waa, fo tell you that she had given no authority to Mr. Bees to take action against Mr. Sutton ? —I do not, of course, know what tha reason of her coming was. As I have already stated, she came into my o'iice, and in the conversation that took place she said that she had never authorized Mr. Bees to take action, and this is the document I wrote there at the time.

Mr. Hamlin,

24th Nov., 1879.