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have them taken from him.

The Committee would therefore suggest to the Council the propriety of Memorialising the Governor praying that during the present important crisis and that the Province may no longer be subject to the neglect referred to, His Excellency will be pleased to vest the chief control in some officer not subject to local bias or prejudices and whose opinions and actions are unhampered by precedent practice.

I. N. WATT,
Chairman.

Minutes of Evidence taken before Committee appointed to enquire into the Native disturbances.

Members of the Committee:—Messrs. ATKINSON, BROWN, GLEDHILL, T. KING, W. C. KING, SHARLAND. Mr WATT, Chairman.

The Committee met 18th, 19th, and 20th March.

Mr. Walter John Morrison, examined.

Have you made any complaints to the Resident Magistrate respecting any infringement of the Proclamation ?

Yes, on Monday, March 1st.

Relate the particulars.

A party of armed Natives on the north side of the Mangati were assembled in arms on the 23rd February, there were about 12 of them. I do not know the names of any, it was just dark when I saw them. I told them they were infringing the Proclamation, at which they laughed and had a war dance. I gave this information to the Resident Magistrate at the same time Mr. Hulke, Mr. Sunley, and Mr. Woon gave other information. I was led to believe they were Waitara Natives because I had seen them there. I am certain they understood me when I told them they were infringing the Proclamation. I did not give information upon oath, but gave as I thought the information in the regular way, if I had known it was necessary to be sworn to an information before judicial measures could be taken, I would have applied to be sworn. The Resident Magistrate did not ask me if I wished to be sworn to the truth of the statement. I did not hear the other informants require to be sworn. The Resident Magistrate told them that he was much obliged to them for the information but that it was not because an information was laid that he was bound to act upon it; he also said he would cause enquiries to be made. I answered that what I stated were facts and that I was prepared to swear to them. He replied he did not mean to doubt what the informants related, but he had heard that Mr. Halse and Mr. Parris were pleased at the way in which the Proclamation had acted upon the Natives.

Mr. R. M. Sunley, M. P. C., examined.

Have you made any complaints to the Resident Magistrate respecting infringements of the Proclamation ?—Two, one with Hulke, the other alone.

Relate the particulars of the first.—On Thursday 25th February three Natives armed with two muskets and one double barrelled gun, entered my private residence. I told them they had no business there with guns. Mr. R. Brown passed at the time on horseback, they pointed to him and said he was a bad man and that they would shoot him. I observed Mr. Brown stop at the Inn, they followed after him and I followed them. I saw Mr. Brown in the parlor of the Inn and told him there were Natives gone into the bar who had a down upon him; he replied that he had passed them on the road. The Natives said they were from Wiremu Kingi's pa on the beach. I was not examined on oath and did not know it was necessary. I went to lay the information as a preliminary step to judicial proceedings being taken and told the Magistrate my intention. The Resident Magistrate said the information would not force the Magistrates to act, but he would give it his best consideration. The Resident Magistrate stated that he had heard from the Native Secretary and Mr. Parris that the Natives respected the Proclamation. I asked him what was the meaning of the Proclamation, he replied that the Proclamation was not a law and asked me if I could point out any penalty attached to it. I replied that the Proclamation stated that all assemblies of persons unlawfully armed would be proceeded against as persons in arms against the Queen's authority. He replied that that applied much to the Europeans as to the Natives and that the Bench would not be forced to act.

By Mr. H. A. Atkinson.

My impression is that the Resident Magistrate considered it a case trumped up to lay an information upon.

By Mr. R. Brown.

I do not remember the Resident Magistrate saying that he should be glad to receive all the information he could get, as it would only strengthen the case against the Natives. Mr. Flight stated that he had heard from Mr. Halse and Mr. Parris that the majority of the Natives would comply with the Proclamation.

By Mr. H. A. Atkinson.

I offered to confirm my information by additional witnesses and mentioned their names to the Resident Magistrate.

By the Chairman.

Relate the particulars of the second information.

On Monday the 1st March I in conjunction with Mr. Hulke laid an information before the Resident Magistrate to the following effect. That on the Sunday evening previously during the hours of evening service, Mr. Hulke, who was in company with Mr. James Webster, Mr. Warwick Weston, and Mr W. Morrison, called my attention to six Natives whom he had followed from the north side of the Waitara : two were on horseback unarmed and four on foot armed with three double barrelled guns and one horse pistol. The man who carried the pistol belongs to the Paraiti pa and his name is Paramina. We called their attention to their indecent costume