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in a separate folium of the Court rolls. Map produced, certified to by Mr. Williams, District Inspector of Surveys, Wellington, as a reconnaissance survey; Mr. Thompson, Surveyor-General, approving of same, vide telegram produced. Fees, £2, charged. Telegram: 'The map of the Owhaoko Block sent you, and signed by Mr. Williams, is correct, and in conformity with the rules in force under " The Native Land Act, 1873. " ' —Signed, J. T. Thompson, Surveyor-General, 30th October, 1877. —To Mr. Locke, Court adjourned. Edwin Woon, Secretary to Judge. Vide folio 417." 364. I refer you to the minute-book on page 446, as shown in the memorandum. I just call your attention to this page. I dare say the members of the Committee may wish to ask you about it?— That is correct. It was a mere copy of the memorial of ownership. 365. Was it made at the sitting of the Court at Gisborne ? Did you arrive at your decision then?— The decision was arrived at in the Court held at Napier, Ist August, 1876. 366. Did you determine the ownership of the large block at Gisborne ?—No. 367. Is the minute correct when it states, " At a sitting of the Native Land Court held at Gisborne"? —There was no sitting of the Native Land Court held there with reference to these blocks. 368. Hon. Sir R. Stout.] But was this affirmed ? —lt was taken from the Act of 1865 simply by the Clerk. It had no reference to the order :it was a mere memorandum that the memorial of ownership was made. And, with regard to this matter, I might say that the orders for a memorial of the whole East Coast country have, although it is stated that they have been made at a sitting of the Court, been made in the office. Absolutely, they have been made in the Native Land Court Office in Gisborne. 369. Mr. Bell.] But in pursuance of the sitting of the Native Land Court held previously ?— Yes ; at Waiapu, Tokomaru, and other places along the coast. 370. Hon. Sir R. Stout.] But this minute before you : is it a true minute or an incorrect one of anything that occurred at Gisborne on the 31st October, 1877 ? —lt is incorrect in stating that a sitting of the Land Court was held at Gisborne in regard to these particular blocks. Otherwise it is correct. 371. When was the order made ?—On the 31st October, 1877. But it was made at the Native Land Court Office, and not at the sitting of the Court. 372. Mr. Bell.] What order did you make ?—A memorial of ownership. 373. That is, you signed it ?—Yes. 374. Why did you sign it then ?—Simply because the plan was sent to me at the office, perhaps on the 30th October, and I promised to make a memorial of ownership when a correct plan came to hand. 375. Why did you make the memorial of ownership in the names of this number of persons. In pursuance of what did you do it ? —ln pursuance of the practice I had adopted for the orders. 376. I want to ask you now in reference to a matter in Sir Eobert Stout's memorandum, at the top of page 2. He says, "The matter came before the late Sir Donald McLean; and, after receiving an explanation from Judge Eogan, in which he stated that the Natives could have had time to appear (of this, as I have said, there is not the slightest tittle of evidence), and on its being stated to Sir Donald that, as regards the Kaimanawa-Oruamatua Block, it had been leased to Captain Birch, and that the Natives who had now claimed interests had not claimed rents from Captain Birch, he instructed the Under-Secretary to write declining to grant the rehearing. Nothing more appears about this block, save that, in letters from the Natives, they insist that the title to the block had not been properly investigated." 377. Hon. Sir R. Stout.] This letter was sent to Sir Donald McLean: " Eenata's letter attached affords sufficient reason, in my opinion, for refusing the application for rehearing in this case. I can show, if necessary, that Heperi's statement is an intentional misrepresentation, because he had received notice in time to attend the Court at Napier. I have sent yesterday to Gisborne for copy of the proceedings in full, for the information of the Hon. the Native Minister, to be attached to these letters.—J. Bogan, 26th January, 1876." Did you write that memorandum ? —I did. 378. That is dated the 26th January, 1876 ?—Yes. 379. You there stated that you could show that Heperi Pikirangi had actually received notice in time to attend the Court ? —That is clear, by his own showing. 380. His own showing that it was sent on the 13th, and the Court sat on the 16th? 381. Mr. Bell.] How long did it take to get from Te Binopuanga, Patea, to Napier?—l believe it is about ninety miles from Napier to that place. 382. Hon. Sir R. Stout.] And in the winter it is not pleasant travelling ?—Captain Birch lives in that district. He was in the habit of riding it in a day and a half, and other travellers have ridden it in two days. 383. Mr. Bell.] I have only this to ask you : You say you did keep a memorandum or minutes of your own ? —I did not say that I kept absolutely extensive minutes. I could not do it, because I could not write fast enough; but I can say that I have some minutes at home of other matters. AH my other papers were burnt. 384. But did you keep minutes?— Yes. 385. With reference to the minutes kept by the Clerk in these books, were you in the habit of consulting these minutes, to ascertain what your decision had been, or what had been the proceedings of the Court?—No, I was not. 386. If you had looked at this book and had seen the minute that Mr. Brooking had entered on the 2nd December, would you have permitted it to remain there in the condition in which he had entered it ? —I should have permitted it to remain there, but I should have written an explanation in red ink that would have shown the whole circumstances, and stating that it was wrong. But I have never cut a leaf out of a book, even although it might have been wrong. I made a