Cx.—l3

6

whole of the correspondence. He expressed dissatisfaction at my having disclosed his letter, and for the first time told me that I had not fairly represented to the Committee his statement at Cambridge. This was during the Parliamentary session of the present year. This was the first intimamation he received that the correspondence had been given by me to the Native Minister ; and in justification of my action I then told Mr. Fraser what had passed between Mr. Bryce and myself. I wish to say I deplore the fact that this inquiry did not take place during Mr. Sheehan's lifetime. Before his death I several times urged on the Native Minister that an inquiry should be held ; but it was not granted. I disclaim all responsibility in connection wibh the holding of the present inquiry, now that Mr. Sheehan's mouth is closed. I expressed the same view to Mr. Fraser in Wellington, and understood he quite concurred therein. By Mr. Fraser.] Do you remember any other persons present at Cambridge except the three gentlemen named ? —I cannot tax my memory with the names of any other at this lapse of time, but I did have several conversations with the three gentlemen named. I did not understand that you spoke to me in confidence ; I understood that I had your full permission to repeat it, and that Major Jackson was authorized to inform the Native Minister of the facts. I was pressed by the Committee to give evidence ; I did not volunteer it. Ido know Mr. Hobbs; he is a friend of mine. It was not arranged between us beforehand that he was to ask me those particular questions. I had put Mr. Hobbs in possession of the facts, and I knew he would press me to answer questions. I consider that in my letter to you I put the salient points of my evidence before you. I wrote this letter the very day I knew of the resolution of the Committee. The full paragraph of the quotation from my letter to Mr. Fraser, referred to in the later part of my evidence to-day, is, "He (Mr. Fraser) has more than once expressed his readiness to go before any tribunal to establish the truth of those statements." He gave me permission to mention them here, although I should not have done so except under pressure. Pomare Kingi (sworn) : I have heard the former evidence. It is quite true that I received the £25 from Mr. Fraser. I asked him to ask Mr. Sheehan for the money to pay for the horse. I had not then seen Mr. Sheehan. I had no money, and wanted to buy the horse. Mr. Fraser went to Wanganui, and in two or three days he came back and brought me the money, and I signed the receipt which Mr. Fraser spoke of. I applied to Mr. Sheehan for the money because he was an old friend of mine. I afterwards saw Mr. Sheehan at Upokongaro, and ho said, " Make -haste and return the money, because it is not mine, but belongs to Mr. Moorhouse." I said I would. The rehearing of Eangipo had not then commenced. I object to Mr. Fraser's evidence where he said I was present when the receipt was torn up. I also object to Mr. Fraser's statement that he went to Whangarei to see me. He saw me at Kawakawa, where he went to oppose me in the Puhipuhi case, and said Mr. Sheehan and I would find ourselves in the wrong over the £25. He also spoke against Mr. Sheehan, and said they had quarrelled. He said he was now employed by Dr. Buller, and had ceased working for Mr. Sheehan. I thought it was all fun. He was very angry with Mr. Sheehan. This was all Mr. Fraser said to me at Kawakawa. I deny that I received a bribe on the Eangipo case. I received no payment. By the Commissioner : Did you make any arrangement that the receipt was to be destroyed ? —No ; Mr. Fraser knows all about it. He was the person who held the receipt. I have no knowledge of the proposal to tear up the receipt. I did not see it torn up. I heard to-day for the first time that it had been torn up. I was not aware of it previously. I repaid Mr. Sheehan the money as soon as I had money of my own. Mr. Nelson knows about that. By Mr. Fraser: I repaid Mr. Sheehan at the time when he gave up Hiraka's case and took up Keepa's. I did not get back the receipt I had given to Mr. Fraser. I remember the day when I left Wanganui. The Volunteers were out on parade. I remember being in the hotel with Mr. Sheehan and Mr. Moorhouse on that day. I did not hear Mr. Sheehan ask you for the receipt. He might have done so. I did not see Mr. Sheehan tear up the receipt and throw it in the fireplace. lit, reply to the Commissioner: I cannot say exactly on what day the money was repaid. It was on the morning of the day when Mr. Sheehan changed his client in the Eangipo case. William Jackson (sworn) : The commencement of my connection with Dr. Buller and Mr. Fraser was at Cambridge : I had engaged both these gentlemen in connection with the Native Land Court — Dr. Buller as counsel, and Mr. Fraser as agent. I had frequent consultations over the conduct of the Native Land Court. The case of To Whetu No. 3 was a long time before the Court; and after it was closed judgment was expected to bo given. The case was adjourned from day to day, when the Court announced that, consequent upon the Assessor not agreeing with the Judges, judgment wrould not be given. This caused a great talk amongst both Natives and Europeans, and Dr. Buller expressed himself very strongly on the matter, and it was generally rumoured that the Assessor had been bought, and on one occasion, in my room, when Dr. Buller and Mr. Searancke were present, the question was raised whether an Assessor had been bought before. Mr. Fraser said that it was generally understood that an Assessor at a Court upon the West Coast had been bribed, and from the facts within his knowledge he had no doubt that it was true. He then stated that at that time he was employed by Mr. Sheehan keeping his books, and that by his directions he had given Pomare Kingi a cheque for £25, and had taken his receipt, and that afterwards Mr. Sheehan had asked him to produce it in the presence of the Assessor, when Mr. Sheehan had destroyed it. I understood from Mr. Fraser that this receipt was not destroyed till after the giving of the judgment, and that it was not till then that the transaction had assumed to his mind the character of a bribe—not based altogether upon the fact of the receipt being destroyed, but upon the general feeling of the Natives. Dr. Buller himself told me that there was great dissatisfaction with the judgment. There was no doubt upon my mind that Mr. Fraser thought the Assessor had been bribed, but that he did not think so at the time the money was paid—not until after. At the request of the Natives I went to see the Native Minister at Alexandra. After that I saw Mr. Fraser and told him that I expected there would be a Commission of Inquiry into the