H.—No. 14.

22

EEPOET OE THE MOTUEKA ELECTION COMMITTEE.

Mr. Sell.

7th Sept., 1871.

men asked for. I told him what I had done, and what I had promised to do—to mention the circumstance to him. You told him that ?—Yes. Where was Elliott at the time you told him [this ?—He was on the street. It was on the same day I saw him at Sir David Monro's house, in Nelson. It was on the street that I told him this. What did Elliott say ? —He shook his head when I told him, and said he was not sure about that. Did he say anything more ? Did he add something to that about the payment ?—He shook his head, and, said, he did not know about that; he would see about it. Did anything more pass then ?—No, not then, to my knowledge. Do you know whether the men have been paid ? —I do not know. ' Have you heard from them that they have ?—No, I have not. Have you been called upon to pay that £2 you borrowed from Palmer ? —No, I have not. Do you know whether that has been included in Palmer's account ? —I do not know. And Palmer has never asked it from you ? Have you ever offered to pay him ? —I asked him for my own account. I owed him for some other little things that I had had. I asked him for my own account for that which I considered myself responsible. It was at the election time, and there were two or three quarts of beer that I had for the Committee themselves. By Mr. Allan : Did he ever give you the account ? —No, ho has not; he told me not to hurry about that for a few days, that he was busy then. Do I understand you to say you never had any account from Palmer?—No, I have not. I believe you saw Mr. Luckie and he told you he would require you to go up to Wellington on thi3 matter ?—Yes. After Mr. Luckie said he would want you'to go over to Wellington on this matter, did you see Mr. Elliott in Nelson ?—Yes. ' Did you tell Elliott that you wanted payment of the £2 or about the getting of the balance ?-—Oh, no ; Mr. Luckie never gave me to understand that there was any balance. What did you.tell Elliott? —I told him I saw Luckie down street, and that he was making a igreat deal to do about the money that had been paid, and the Germans that had been bribed, and Mr. Elliott asked me if I had ever bribed any of them. By Mr. Travers: What did you say ?—I said if they could constitute that bribery, I had been guilty of giving the men something when they were hungry and something to get a meal of victuals on going up next day. By Mr. Allan : What did Elliott say to that ?—I do not think he said much ; he seemed to treat the matter with contempt. You did not remind him of his promise to try and get the balance? —No, I did not. When speaking to the men what did you say —that you were to tell Elliott ? —I said I would mention the circumstances to Elliott. Did you say you would try and get the balance from him ? —No, I did not say so; I never intended to try and get the money from him ; I promised them I would mention it to Mr. Elliott. I understand you to say that the Committee mot at Palmer's ?—We only mot twice to tho best of my recollection. Wo met tho night after I had the letter from Sir David Monro, and we met about three or four nights after that again. That was twice. By the Chairman: Where was that?- —At Mr. Palmer's. By Mr. Allan: You had a conversation with Elliott at different times about the expenses at the election ?—No, I had no conversation with him about that. Did he ever say that the expenses were heavy ? —No, he never mentioned expenses to me. By Mr. Travers: Now, Mr. Bell, when you gave the money and the breakfast, was there any condition attached to it at all? —No condition whatever. I think I understood you to say that, before anything of this took place, they had announced to you their intention of voting for Sir David Monro ? —Yes, Bosselmann said " We are twelve come down from Kerr's Hill, and we want to vote 'for Sir David Monro." Did he say, " We will vote if you give us money," or anything of that kind ?—Oh, no. You understood that the two days' wages which he asked for these men would bo the amount necessary to cover their travelling expenses for the two days ; is that what you understood ? —Yes, he said so. That is what I mean; he said that it would be to meet their expenses ? —Yes. Had Sir David Monro given you any instructions to provide voters with refreshment, or anything of that kind ?'—No, he did not. Never ?—No. Did Mr. Elliott ?—No. Or any other person, professing to be agent for Sir David Monro ?—No. And what you did was entirely at your own suggestion ?—Yes, and others of the Commitee. By Mr. Allan .- You state that they wanted to vote for Monro; have you not stated that they wanted to be paid ; that you offered them -refreshments ? The Chairman : They stated that they did not want beer, but they wanted refreshments. By Mr. Travers: They said* they wanted something, they wanted to be paid their expenses for coming down ; they did not say they wanted to be paid as the condition of the vote ; was that it ?-»*- No; they did not say anything about condition. I offered to give the men some refreshments. They said, "We want something else." I said, " What do you want P" They said, "We have been two days from work, we came away without any money, and have nothing to get refreshments going up 10-mOrrbw. The Chairman : Any more questions to ask this witness ? 'Mr. Allan: No. Witness withdrew. The Committee adjourned.