a—No. 1

25

PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE

fact when I got to the Land Office. Culliford was not present at the sale. I heard at the office it was land in connection with Culliford's reef. Mr. Harper told me to describe the land " north of me." 1 had no information from any officer of the Government of Culliford's application, or of land being sold in that neighbourhood. It was as being auriferous land that I bought it, under the name of general rural land. Mr. Alfred Culliford : What has been stated is correct as to my application and information given me at the Land Office. I did not make any attempt to keep the discovery of the gold reef at Wangapeka a secret. I showed the specimens to Mr. Everett. I did not show them to any one else previously. I left them with him to show them to whom he pleased. I did not wish or enjoin upon him to keep the matter secret at all. I can understand that the Government officers might have learned the fact of the reef without getting it from the Land Office. I had no objection whatever to the fact of the discovery being known, as I had secured my piece of land. I thought my purchase was a legal one. I could have held nearly the same amount of land by taking out a miner's right. It made no difference to me whether I secured it by lease or purchase. I did ask Mr. Daniell to keep my application secret for the day on the 12th. It was somewhere about 12 or 1 o'clock. The day previous to the purchase I saw Mr. Greenfield; also Mr. Daniell. I went with Mr. Greenfield to Mr. Daniell. Mr. Greenfield was drawing out a lease. He asked whether it was within or without a gold field ? I said without; and he said he could not give me a lease. I am sure I saw Mr. Greenfield and Mr. Daniell the day before I made the purchase. I saw Mr. Greenfield on the 11th, but not at his office. On the 12th I saw Mr. Greenfield and Mr. Daniell, when the former began to prepare a lease. I asked Mr. Daniell to keep it secret that day, and on the 13th I went with Mr. Everett and bought the land. I saw no necessity for keeping it secret after that. I did not make application to Mr. Greenfield or the Waste Land Board officially. It was not in his office. The Government knew of the reef two days before I bought the land. By Mr. Adams: I told Mr. Greenfield only that it was at the Wangapeka, but not the exact spot. I told Mr. Greenfield and Mr. Daniell, I believe, that there had been diggings there—about forty men in the whole district. Gold had been worked for about ten years in the Wangapeka, but there never were a great quantity of people there. lam quite sure it was the day before I bought the land that I conversed with Mr. Greenfield and Mr. Daniell. Mr. Greenfield: lam Provincial Secretary of the Province. I saw Mr. Culliford on Monday the 11th, about the mine, in the street. Next day I went with Culliford to the Land Office. On the Wednesday Culliford bought the land ; on Thursday the rest of the purchases were made. On the Monday he met me in the street, he asked me to go into Mr. Everett's, as he wished to speak with me. I went into a room ;he showed me some specimens of gold-bearing quartz; he said he believed he had discovered a reef, and wished to know what protection he could got. I told him I did not recollect off-hand whether he could get protection or not; but if he came to my office in the morning, I would take him to the Commissioner of Crown Lands. He asked me at the time to bo sure and keep it quiet, —not to let it be known that he had discovered a reef —which I promised to do. That was all that took place; he let me know he had discovered a reef, but gave me no clue to its position. He said it was not within a gold field ; I asked him that question ; that was my reason for taking him to the Commissioner of Crown Lands. This was on the Monday. I had no information Government could act upon before Mr. Daniell came to the Superintendent. The first time Culliford told where the reef was, was the day he purchased —on the 13th. Mr. Everett was present at the time I was present. It was between 12 and 1 o'clock. The Superintendent was also present. Culliford asked immediately after the sale, what protection he would have, as there would be men upon the ground as soon as he got back. I mentioned this to the Superintendent, who told me to summon the Waste Land Board immediately. It was supposed it would take Culliford two days to get up there. There could not be a rush till he arrived there, as he was to keep it perfectly quiet till he had pegged off the land, and particularly requested that I should do so. By Mr. Daniell: I may have been mistaken as to my having brought Culliford the day before the sale to your office ; that was my impression.

Satubday, 18tii Decembeb, 1869. Mr. Harley recalled: I did not place the land applied for on the other side of the creek; if it was done so, it was done by some other person. The application was written by Mr. Brunner; I don't think Mr. Brunner knew anything about it. I did not know that there was a second reef broken out on this spot. I did not put Ambrose Moore's name in the application ; I heard his name mentioned with the others ; I can't say whether he gave his authority for this. I believe Mr. Gully was one of those requested to take ahares ; I can't say whether I heard him asked ; there were twenty or thirty persons talking together. Mr. A. Moore is a stepson of Mr. Gully; I believe Mr. Gully wished A. Moore's name put down (?) ; he did not tell me so. I was at the Land Office at 10 o'clock; I had no idea this land would be withdrawn from sale ; I never suspected it till I bought the land, nor that the sale would be stopped. My remark, "do the same again," requires explaining. I consider some of the people of Nelson have made the difficulty, not the purchasers or the Government. I think that the active part taken by one of the editors of the papers has had a great deal to do with it. I believe the difficulty has been caused by one of the papers, and the disappointment experienced by some persons who had not the opportunity of buying. [Circular handed to witness by Mr. Moss, of 17th June, 1868, from Colonial Secretary to Wardens and Gold Receivers.] I never saw that document, or a similar one to it, to my knowledge ; I am not aware that there are any prohibitions in the Gold Fields Acts against Government officials acquiring interests in gold fields. By Mr. Adams: I never received any intimation of that kind; the reputation of Government officials has been attacked. Witness wished Mr. Everett called. Mr. Domett replied, " Not necessary." Mr. Brunner : At the time of writing the application, Culliford stood by me, and I used his words. Mr. Gully: I was applied to to purchase; I refused; afterwards I agreed to purchase in my