I.—B

62

EXHIBITS.

EXHIBIT A. Sir, — 11, Featherston Street, Wellington, 22nd November, 1897. We have the honour to ask on behalf of Messrs. Rathbone and Matthews, of Waipawa, lessees of the Piripiri Block, that our Mr. Morison be heard on their behalf on clause 2 of the Bill now before the above Committee. The reasons for this application are : (1.) The clause is clearly retrospective. (2.) A case has been stated by the Native Appellate Court for the opinion of the Supreme Court on the rights of Messrs. Rathbone and Matthews to have their lease confirmed. This case will be argued as soon as the business of the Supreme Court will permit the Judges to reach it. (3.) In addition to large sums of money paid to the Natives, our clients have paid hundreds of pounds of stamp duty to the Crown in respect of the leases at which clause 2 is directed. (4.) Messrs. Rathbone and Matthews have made sub-leases of part of the Piripiri Block. We have, &c, Morison and Loughnan. The Chairman, Joint Committee on The Native Land Laws Amendment Bill, Parliamentary Buildings.

House of Representatives, Gentlemen, — 24th November, 1897. I have the honour, by direction of the Chairman of the Native Land Laws Amendment Bill Committee, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd instant, requesting that your Mr. Morison might be allowed to be heard on behalf of Messrs. Rathbone and Matthews before the Committee. lam instructed to inform you that your application was not entertained by the Committee, though, of course, your Mr. Morison, having been summoned as a witness, will have an opportunity of tendering evidence on matters to which the clauses of the Bill are directed. I have, &c, G. F. WOOLDRIDGE, Messrs. Morison and Loughnan, Solicitors, Wellington. Clerk of the Committee.

Sib,— 11, Featherston Street, Wellington, 22nd November, 1897. We have the honour to ask that our Mr. Morison, acting on instructions from Mr. Pharazyn, may be permitted to appear before the above Committee to watch the proceedings on Mr. Pharazyn's behalf. The reasons for this application are: (1.) That the facts and the law of Mr. Pharazyn's position are apparently entirely misunderstood by those who have spoken in favour of the Bill in the House of Eepresentatives. (2.) The measure is retrospective, and takes away not only Mr. Pharazyn's rights under the amendment of the Act of 1896, but, by placing a legislative construction on those clauses of the Acts of 1894 and 1895 which were intended to preserve rights in existence when the Act of 1894 was passed, deprives him of the obvious contention that the amendment in last year's Act was strictly unnecessary, though it made quite clear what may be said to have been previously doubtful. (3.) Mr. Pharazyn is charged with fraud, and ought to have an opportunity of hearing what his accusers have to say, so that he may be enabled to reply. We have, &c, Morison and Loughnan. The Chairman, Joint Committee on the Native Land Laws Amendment Bill, Parliamentary Buildings.

House of Representatives, Gentlemen, — 24th November, 1897. I have the honour, by direction of the Chairman of the Native Land Laws Amendment Bill Committee, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd instant, and to inform you, in reply, that before your letter reached the Chairman a resolution had been passed by the Committee that witnesses should not be allowed to be present or to be represented by counsel during the examination of other witnesses. The Committee has, however, decided to allow Mr. Pharazyn and yourselves to have a printed copy of all evidence taken by it previous to his and your own examination. I have, &c, G. F. WOOLDKIDGE, Messrs. Morison and Loughnan, Solicitors, Wellington. Clerk of the Committee,