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689. You will not swear he did not come to you first ?—I will not swear it. 690. The Chairman^ Did you ask him to take action, or did he say he would take action for you ? —He told me he would take action for me. 691. Mr. Stevens.] You said you had not yet entered into any agreement with him ?—No. 692. Are you going to enter into an agreement?—l do not know. 693. When you bought the ground, did you ever expect for a moment you were going to have the use of it ?• —I had, in time ;as soon as I could clear myself. 694. Not the immediate use of it? —I expected Mr. Pogson would run his sheep, and give me so much rent at first. 695. Why should he give you rent after he had advanced the money? —That would help to pay for the land, I thought. 696. When you gave instructions to purchase the land, did you expect to get the use of it for your own purposes as soon as it was bought?— Yes. 697. Did you expect to put your own cattle on it ?—I expected it to belong to me at any rate. 698. Mr. J. W. Thomson.] Do you expect Mr. Pogson will make a proposal to you by-and-by as to running sheep on the land ?—I would make a proposal to him about it if I got the land. 699. Mr. Stevens.] Who brought the declaration that the land was for your own use and benefit to you for signature?— Mr. Pogson. 700. Major Harris.] Mr. Pogson was to pay for the land without interest ?—Yes. 701. Then you would feel under an obligation to him? —Certainly. 702. Do you make any return for it ? —I am likely to return it when I get the place in order. I am rabbiting on the ground now. 703. Are you in shares on the sheep on the land?— No. 704. Then, if the whole of the sheep died off, it would be no loss to you?— No. 705. Would it be no gain to you?— No. 706. Would there not be more feed for the rabbits?—l want to get rid of them. 707. Suppose they were all destroyed off by innoculation, would that be a disadvantage to you ? —Not a disadvantage. 708. You would not be able to make a living ?—Not on rabbits. I could make a living by other things. I could farm a lot of the land, by which I could grow crops to keep myself, and pay for the land. 709. Mr. J. W. Thomson.] Have you the means to do that?—No; I have no means. I could get help. 710. Do you believe Mr. Pogson would help you to get farming implements as well as pay your instalments ?—I believe he would. 711. Have you any arrangement with any one of the firm, or any one else, as to selling this land on some future occasion ?—No agreement of any sort whatever, now. 712. Have you had any conversation with any one on the subject ?—No. 713. You said not "now;" what do you mean by that? Do you expect to come to some arrangement ?—I intend to try to work it for myself, and if I cannot to give it up. 714. The Chairman.] To whom?—To the Land Board. 715. Mr. Fulton.] Who supplies you with rabbit-poison ?—Mr. Pogson. 716. Do you pay him ?—No; I have not yet. 717. Whom do you sell the skins to ? —To him. 718. At how much ? —2d. each. 719. Then you are really working for him in rabbiting ?—I am working for myself. I sell him the skins. 720. Mr. J. McKenzie.] Has not Pogson other men rabbiting, and paying them the same as you? —I do not know what he pays them. He has about fifty, I suppose, killing rabbits. 721. And making a living ?—Yes ; some are doing very well. 722. Then, it is as much benefit to them to kill rabbits for Mr. Pogson, as it is to you to kill them on your own land ?—I dare say it is more benefit. 723. Mr. Fulton.] Do they sell the skins at 2d?—J! do not know. 724. The Chairman.] Before the land was purchased, were you rabbiting?— Yes; just before shearing time. 725. And getting the same price ?—Yes. Daniel McEwen Fishee, further examined. 726. The Chairman.] Are you prepared to state on oath that you had no arrangement, either in writing or verbally, with any one of the firm of Gellibrand and Co., or with any person on behalf behalf, to the effect that, if the said firm assisted you to purchase the land and paid your instalments, that you would allow them to graze their sheep on the land?—No arrangement with any one whatever. 727. When you purchased the land, what was your intention as to using it ?—To have sheep on it. 728. Whose?—My own. 729. When did you expect to put them on ?—When I got my license. _ 730. Mr. J. W. Thomson.] Have you any understanding with Mr. Pogson as to a future disposition of the land to the firm ?—No. 731. "The Chairman.] Have you had any conversation with Mr, Pogson respecting running sheep on the land ?—No. ' William Wilson Feancis, further examined. 732. The Chairman.] Are you prepared to state on oath that you had no arrangement, either in writing or verbally, with any one of the firm of Gellibrand and Co., or with any person on their