The Samoans Petition to Parliament.

The petition of the Samoans to the New Zealand Legislature was referred to a Joint Committee of both Houses, with Sir James Allen as chairman, and, of course, an overwhelming majority of Government supporters in its personnel. Sir John Findlay, K.C., was briefed to appear for the petitioners, but, owing to illness, his partner, Mr: Hoggard, took his place, while the Department of External Affairs went outside the Crown Law Officers to brief Mr. M. Myers, K.C., to oppose the petition, and the Committee adopted the unusual course of sitting behind closed doors with those present pledged to secrecy regarding the proceedings. I was the only witness called, and occupied the stand for eleven days. But, in spite of being subjected to strong cross-examination by a lawyer described in the House as "the fiercest counsel in New Zealand," my evidence remained unshaken. It is strange that, although this evidence was released in Samoa and was available there, the Government refused to lay the printed copies of the evidence on the table of Parliament for the information of members and the public, although a radio message from Sir James Allen to Samoa pledged that this would be done.

While I was giving evidence on the petition at this secret enquiry there were some startling developments, as about half-way through the enquiry the Prime Minister had been asked by the Administrator to appoint a Royal Commission to enquire into Samoan affairs, "on account of the unwarranted (sic) untruths" which were being circulated about him. We in Samoa had constantly urged for a Royal Commission which General Richardson had as strenuously opposed, and said we were only seeking it to save our faces and fool the Samoans. Just as I was concluding my wearying appearance as a witness the Royal Commission was announced, and the Petition Committee decided to hear no more evidence, although Colonel Hutchen, Assistant Administrator, was there from Samoa with all the files and documents and every facility to answer our charges and refute my evidence. This meant that whereas the Citizens' Committee had laid all their cards on the table, and disclosed the whole of their attack, the Administration would have a badly-needed interval in which to frame replies and launch a counter-attack, of which we had been given no details. We were given no time between the appointment and departure of the Commissioners to prepare our case, or secure suitable counsel in New Zealand who could proceed to Samoa at such hurried notice. Then, too, I had the files and many important documents with me in Wellington which would be wanted by our counsel in Apia to prepare their briefs before the arrival of the Commission.

The slim tactics adopted by the Government may have appealed to the sporting instincts of the Cabinet, but they were not so appreciated by the unsophisticated residents of Samoa. The only counsel available for us in Samoa were Mr. Baxter and Mr. Slipper, both young practitioners there, page 23 with only a "one-man" office each, and who had to fight a gallant and uphill battle against all the machinery of the Government in Wellington and Apia, with the Crown Prosecutor from Auckland as leader, the local Crown Solicitor as second counsel, and a local law agent, Mr. Gustav Klinkmuller, assisting them.