1.—3

30

806. Did lie inquire about the share or shares in the Home Eule ?—I do not think so. 807. "Will you swear he did not ?—No ; from what I remember he did not. 808. Did he ask you about the G-olden Hill Claim? —I do not think he did. I was only there a few minutes. 809. And you settled the amount at once ?—I merely handed him the money. 810. At this time had there been a great noise about the marking out of these claims —I mean at the time when you went to see Mr. Brissenden ? —There was some dispute among the diggers. 811. Did he ever tell you you were to keep this affair a secret? —He told me when he gave me the miners' rights not to say anything about it, or something to that effect, and I said "All right," or I would not. 812. "Were you not aware that the miners were very anxious to be the first on the ground to mark out these claims ?—Yes ; I believe they were. 813. Did you not know when you got possession of these rights that the miners who got possession of them obtained an advantage over the other miners ? —They were not to be used till after 10 o'clock. 814. Did you not know that they were not to be issued till 10 o'clock ?—I heard so. 815. Have you not on a previous occasion stated that you distributed the miners' rights while the men stood by the pegs ? —Yes j perhaps I did. 816. Then was not that giving them an unfair advantage ?—Not in my way of thinking. For my own part, whether my right had been in my possession or not at 10 o'clock, I would have marked out. 817. Did you not swear that, when you distributed the miners' rights, and the other men stood at the pegs, you saw the first horseman galloping from the place where the rights were issued, at 10 o'clock, to the ground ?—I remember saying that, after I gave the rights to the men, I went to the hill to see the horsemen coming up. What I meant when I said parties stood by their pegs was, that they stood with pegs in their hands ready to drive them in when the proper time arrived. 818. "Was that before the horsemen came on the ground ?—Yes. 819. And they pegged out the ground before the horsemen arrived ?—I think so. 820. In your evidence given at the inquiry, you stated that you heard Brissenden was an official ? —I heard so. 821. From whom ? —Common rumour. 822. How many shareholders were there in this Prospectors' Claim when it was amalgamated with the five men's ground ?—I do not remember. 823. Can you tell us their names ? —There was ground for fifteen men. 824. Were there fifteen shareholders or more ?—There were twelve shareholders in Thorpe's party for half the ground, and Smith's party had the other half. Smith's party consisted of Smith, Coleman, Blake, McDonald, Corbett, and Dillon. 825. They were in the small claim ?—No ; they had half the fifteen men's ground. 826. Can you name the twelve men in Thorpe's party ? —They were Alfred Thorpe, John Thorpe, Tom Arnold, Philip Holt, John Beach, James Beach, Alexander Mackay. 827. What Alexander Mackay is that —the Government Agent ?—No ; he has been living with Thorpe for some time. There was also a man named William Quinn in the party, I think. 828. Hon. Sir D. McLean.] Were there any Natives in the claim ? —Yes ; two Natives were in it. 829. Mr. T. L. Shepherd.'] Do you remember the names of the other men ? —I do not; but there were twelve in all. 830. Were any of the shares given to anybody but miners ?—No; at least I do not know whether they were miners or not. • 831. Was Brissenden to have any shares in that claim? —I never heard that he was to have any— in fact, I know he never had any. 832. And you got into this Prospectors' Claim through marking off the five men's ground ?—Yes ; but even if I had not done so, I should have had a share in the ten men's ground, but I wanted to secure the five men's ground for the party. 833. Have you seen Brissenden since you paid him for the rights ? —I think, he passed me in Auckland once or twice. 834. Did you speak to him ?—I think so on one occasion. 835. What did he say to you then ? —I do not remember. " Good day," or something of that sort. 836. Did he ever speak to you about these claims ?—I believe not since I gave him the money for the rights. 837. Have you had any conversation with Corbett since that time ? —Yes; Corbett and myself were in the same house at Ohinemuri. 838. Has he ever told you since why he took you to get these rights from Brissenden ? —No. 839. But you were satisfied to do as he told you?—l was satisfied to take the rights from Brissenden. 840. Then if any arrangement was made it must have been made with Corbett ?—I do not know anything about any arrangement. 841. Do you believe that Corbett went out that morning for the purpose of getting the miners' rights ?—I do not think so. I think the meeting was entirely accidental. 842. Mr. O'Neill.'] You mentioned a man named Philip Holt. Is that his name ?—Yes, I think so. 843. Have you been long mining ?—Ten or twelve years. 844. Sir O. Orey.~\ Where did you sleep on the night before March 3rd?—ln my tent, not far from Mitchell's store. 845. How far is that from the house where Brissenden gave you the miners' rights ? —Between a quarter and half a mile, I think. 846. And the house is about a quarter of a mile nearer the gold field than where you slept ?—> About that. 847. Did you sleep in a tent ?—Yes.

Mr. Dillon.

21st Sept., 1875,