A.—4b.
That was signed by you and about sixty-nine others ?—That is correct. Asking for an interview with the Governor ? —Yes, I understand so. And was it to have an interview with the Governor and lay certain questions before him ? —I do not know about that letter. Who composed that letter ?• —We, the whole committee. The whole seventy ?-—All those whose names are on the document. Do you remember what is in it ? —I cannot recollect. Where was it typewritten ?- Here, in Apia. Have any of those Samoans who signed that letter got. a, typewriter ?—Yes. On whose typewriter was that letter typewritten ?• —On a typewriter belonging to the Man. In whose office was that typewriter ?- -Here, close to Mr. Moor's place, in our printing-office. Whose office is it 1- —Our office. The Mau had an office ? —Yes. Will you agree that the translation of this letter was that they wished to meet the Administrator and place certain matters before him ? —I cannot bring to mind what has already taken place, because at that time we were very angry. On the 30th June did you receive that letter from Mr. Bell for the Secretary of Native Affairs in reply to your letter to His Excellency. [Letter put in-—Exhibit No. 29.] Did you receive that letter, telling you that the Governor had gone on a malaga and would meet you in your village ?— Word was sent to us by the Governor to return to our homes, and whatever matters the people wished to bring before the Administrator should be brought up when he arrived at the different places. Did you on the sth July, with twenty-seven others, say that you would not leave Apia | letter put in—Exhibit No. 29] ? Did you sign that letter to the Administrator : Yes or No ?• —I signed my name. The part that I wish to bring out is this : "We formed the Mau and continued to support all the laws of the Government for the past seven months, but in doing that we have belittled ourselves in your opinion ; therefore we have decided to remain gathered together in Apia until we receive the decision which we are expecting, and none shall depart until the answer we are waiting for shall be received.'" (To witness :) And you stayed in Apia and did not return to your village to meet fhe Governor on malaga ?—That is correct. And what were you doing : were you attending meetings of the Mau in Apia then ?—All that time I attended the meetings of the Mau. I stayed in Apia. With a lot of other Samoans from outside districts also attending the meetings ? —Yes. Were you addressing these meetings I—l made speeches. And then you were served with an order to return to your own village ? —Yes. Did you disobey that order ?—I disobeyed. Judge MacCormick : Have you got the date of the order ? Mr. Meredith : The 2nd of July, or just about that date. The Chairman : The letter of refusal is dated the sth July. Mr. Meredith : Mr. Slipper said the 2nd. Mr. Baxter: The position is that the official list supplied says the 2nd ; the witness says the 7th. I presume the order was signed on the 2nd and served on the 7th. Judge MacCormick : This letter was probably the disposing factor in causing the order to be issued. Mr. Baxter: The official list shows the 2nd July. Mr. Meredith : The original file will be turned up and the date definitely verified. The date as on the tabulated list is the 2nd. (To witness : And some days later, as you still remained in Apia, you were brought before the Court for breach of the order ? —Yes. Mr. Slipper.] While you were staying in Apia did you do any harm ?—No. Did you or any of the people that you were with talk about doing any harm or threaten to do any harm ? —No. And when you attended these meetings of the Mau what were the people talking about—you and all the rest of them ? —The main subject, that is always discussed at these meetings, is to be at peace, to be friendly, not to cause any trouble amongst the people of Samoa. But that is not all that was talked about ? —These were the matters as I have explained—to be friendly, to be at peace with one another ; and the meetings always ended up that the people were dissatisfied. Did you talk over the things that you were dissatisfied about ?—Yes. What was the reason for talking about all being at peace : was there any reason for that 1— That all the people of Samoa are friendly towards each other, except that they are dissatisfied with the Government. You said " friendly with all the people '' ?— All the people of Samoa who are in the Mau, not the people in the Government. By this do you include not only chiefs, but common people : were they dissatisfied, too ?—All those who are in the Mau. So that is the way they felt; and you chiefs, as leaders, you say that you always told them to keep the peace ?■ —Yes. And did you think there was any real need to tell them that ?—I considered it was proper the thing to say to the people—to be friendly towards each other. Did you always tell them the same thing at other fovos years ago : did you always tell them that or not ? —ln former days the people were always at peace with each other, because there had
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