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243. You had to bring a number of witnesses to Wellington and keep them here ? —Yes. 244. Mr. FitzGerald.] How much were counsels' fees ? —About £125, I think. 245. The Chairman.] That includes other legal charges ?—Yes. 246. Who were engaged ?—Mr. Shaw for me, and Mr. Barton for Captain Eeid. 247. Then they were both local practitioners and would not be taken away from their place of business ?—No, 248. Mr. Turnbull.] How many days did the enquiry last ?—About a month or six weeks. 249. But then the Committee would only sit occasionally ?—Yes. Sometimes one day a week, and sometimes two or three days. Sometimes there was no quorum, and on other days the sitting would only last a few minutes. The witnesses had to be kept here all the time. Mr. T. Daniel, M.H.E., examined. 250. The Chairman.] You were a candidate at the last election, and a petition was filed against your return ?—Yes. 251. By whom ?—By Mr. Henry Hirst, my opponent. 252. I see here is the Judges' order in the case. [Order read.] 253. Mr. Daniel.] The case was this way. There were two rolls, the ordinary roll and the supplementary roll. The Deputy-Eeturning Officer at Wairio ticked off the name of a man who voted there on the main roll, despite the protests of the man who told him his name and qualification were on the supplementary roll. There was another man of the same name (a relation,) 23 miles away, and the Eeturning Officer there ticked him off on the main roll. There was a similar case with two other men, whose names were similar, and both were ticked off on the same roll. My majority was only two, and when it was found that four men had voted apparently on two names only, Mr. Grant forced me to find the men. It took me a deal of time, and I had men in all directions hunting up these four voters. At last, I found one of them was in the Invercargill Hospital, dangerously ill. I telegraphed to Mr. Feldwick to take his depositions on oath, but the Eeturning Officer said he would have the man dead or alive, and I had to pay £5 to bring him up and send him back again. Mr. Feldwick very kindly came with him to be ready to take his depositions, if the man died on the way. I had a great deal of trouble to find the other man, too. 254. The Chairman.] I see, the names of the parties who caused the confusion, were Ford and Glinn ?■—Yes, there were two Fords and two Glinns. 255. Mr. Connolly.] You won the case before the Judges ?—Yes. 256. And Mr. Hirst had to pay all the costs ? —I have had to pay nothing ; but I expect I shall have to. 257. The Chairman.] Where was the case heard ?—At Eiverton. Major Harris, M.H.E., further examined. 258. The Chairman.] You took part in an election petition enquiry with reference to the Franklin North seat ? —Yes. 259. Were you petitioner or respondent ?—Eespondent. 260. Who was the petitioner ?—Mr. W. F. Buckland. 261. What was the result of the enquiry ?—The election was declared void. 262. Have you received any documentary evidence from Auckland ?—Yes. [Documents put in.] I may inform the committee I made a mistake in the total amount of costs. Instead of being £385, it was £398. That was the total on both sides. 263. Mr. Macandrew.] What was your part ?—My part was £247 13s. 2d. 264. The Chairman.] I see that the total amount Mr. Buckland claimed was £362 Is. lid : £139 4s. lid. was taxed off, leaving £223 17s. Against this £73 ss. 7d. was allowed you on account of issues found in your favor. Then you received a bill of costs from your own solicitor for £247 13s. 2d. Therefore the total you had to pay was £398 4s. 7d. ?—Yes. 265. Was your lawyer's bill taxed ?—No. 266. Mr. Macandrew.] Why not ?—The solicitor was the one I always employed. I knew he would do it as reasonable as possible, and I took the bill as it was sent to me. 267. The Chairman.] Mr. Lusk appeared as senior counsel, and Mr. Burton, who appeared with him, was allowed no fee I see ?—I understand so. 268. I observe the fee for counsel and clerk, with brief, was £80 14s. 6d. ?—Yes. 269. Then there is a refresher for counsel and clerk, £16 55.; 5 guineas for attending at Otahuhu when the case was closed. Another refresher for counsel and clerk, £16 ss. Those are the principal counsels' fees that have been allowed ?—Yes. 270. That is a total for counsel of £117 19s. 6d. ?—Yes. 271. I understand that the election was declared void not through either candidate having been guilty of a breach of the Act ?—Nothing was brought against either of us. 272. And that the main reason for voiding the election was a mistake made by the Eeturning Officer or his substitutes ? —Yes ; Hattaway went into the polling booth and questions were put at the instance of Hattaway by the Eeturning Officer, which ought not to have been. 273. Mr. Connolly.] This was not done at the instance of either candidate or his agent ?—No. 274. Where were you at that time ? —At Otahuhu, ten miles away. 275. And whatever Hattaway did there was entirely without your knowledge or consent ?—I knew nothing whatever about it. 276. Mr. Turnbull.] How far from Mr. Lusk's place of business did the trial take place ?—About 20 miles. That took him two days. The decision was given about ten miles away, and Jthat took him another day. 277. How many witnesses were there ?—I had about eight in attendance, and Mr. Buckland had about thirty, but only about eighteen altogether were examined.