37

1.—3.

1092. You also stated you had been offered commission ?—I believe I have. 1093. "Who offered it to you ?—I do not recollect. I cannot say that any storekeeper offered me commission. People would como to mo and ask me to collect accounts, telling me to charge commission upon them. 1094. This is a question of commission on goods. You stated that offers had been made to you, and you must surely remember who offered you the commission ?—I really cannot recollect the person. 1095. What commission were you offered P—There was no commission stated, further than giving commission upon orders. They were to give me a commission if I gave them orders. 1096. You do not remember any names ? —I do not. "1097. Do you remember what you said to the persons who offered commission to you?—l told them I did not want any commission: 1098. That you would not take any commission ? —Yes. 1099. You remember abont the time these offers were made ?—lt ia some considerable time ago. 1100. Offers were made to you more than once?— People frequently asked me to collect Native debts, and one thing is mixed up with the other in my mind. These storekeepers trusted the Natives, and were very anxious to get their accounts collected. 1101. They wished you to pay these debts out of moneys in your possession, or in Mr. Mackay's possession, and were quite willing to give you commission?— Yes. 1102. Can you give us the names of some of the people who desired to make that arrangement?— They were generally people of small means. 1103. You are not justified in keeping back anything out of delicacy for these people —we will take the responsibility of that ?—I cannot recollect the names of the persons who offered commission. 1104. You have been offered commission in that way more than once? —I have. 1105. How many times do you suppose ?—I really cannot say. 1106. You said that such commission had been offered to you frequently by a number of people, but you are not prepared to state the amount of the commission, nor yet one of the names of the parties ?—I did not mean to say that I had been offered commission frequently by a great number of people. I meant to convey that it had been done more than once, and by more than one person. 1107. And you cannot give us the name of any one person ? —I cannot recollect at this moment. 1108. Sir G. Grey.] This list is in your own handwriting. You positively knew that the right had been applied for for you ?—Yes. 1109. The Chairman.'] You have stated that you had six or seven rights ?—Yes ; I learned that afterwards. 1110. It appears here that you have two. How were the others applied for? —One was applied for by Peter Austin, and one by Hogg. Two are applied for in that application —one was applied for by Brissenden, and the other by Mitchell. 1111. Why was this application made in the name of Richard Disney ? —Mr. Hennelly suggested doing so in order that my name should not appear so often in the registration. 1112. What reason had he for making that suggestion ?—No particular reason beyond, as I have already stated, that it is very unusual for persons to hold two shares in a claim. 1113. Did he mean that if your name appeared too often there would be suspicion of improper conduct ? —No. 1114. Why should not your name appear in full repeatedly? —I cannot say, further than that it is a very unusual thing for one person to hold more than one share in a claim. 1115. By "unusual" you do not mean "unlawful"?— No. 1116. With respect to these rights on this list, which you practically paid for by advancing a sum of money, there was another applied for on Brissenden's list which you did not pay for ?—No ; I did not pay for it. 1117. Have you paid for the other four ?—I have. 1118. When did you pay for them; was it previously to the issue ?—No ; after the issue. 1119. The persons advanced the money for you ? —They did. 1120. Why did they do that? —They told me beforehand that they were going to do it. They were friends of mine. 1121. Was there no special reason ?—No further than they said they were going to take up a claim, and would give me a share in it. I took no interest in the matter. They told me they had taken out the rights, and I paid for them. 1122. When did you pay for them ? —Shortly afterwards —within less than a month, I think. 1123. Mr. T. L. Shepherd.'] Do you know No. 1 South Claim ?—I do. 1124. What number of scrip have you in that claim ?—I believe I have 208, and I have 100 and something more in my name for the share in the Golden Hill, which I do not consider my own, and never have done so. 1125. Who marked out that claim for you?—Hogg. 1126. Is he a miner ? —He is a storekeeper at Ohinemuri. 1127. Did you authorize him to mark out this claim for you ? —He offered to take me in, and I agreed. 1128. Who took out the right for it ?—Hogg. 1129. Have you any other scrip in any other claim on that field ?—I have shares in the Waitekauri Gold Mining Company. 1130. Who took out the right in that case ?—Mitchell, I believe. 1131. Did you authorize him to do it ?—Yes ; in the same way as Hogg. 1132. Have you any other shares ?—I have none now. 1133. Have you had since the opening? —At the opening I had a share in a claim called the Golden Knob, I think, which was taken up by Austin. 1134. Who took up the right for that claim ?—Austin. I was also in a claim at Waitekauri, which was taken up by Hennelly.

Mr. G. X. D. 0' Halloran.

22nd Sept., 1875.