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154. He saw Sir Julius Vogel's telegram? —Yes. On the 24th December I sent this telegram to Sir Julius Vogel:— Hen. Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G., Wellington. Dunedin, 24th December, 1884. Premier in a minute considers Pym legally entitled to commission, having put department on the bargain, and says certainly entitled to be paid for his services, and that one and a fourth is a fair commission. Please approve. Shall I give him cheque out of imprest. D. M. Luckie. 155. What did you do then—did you pay the money? —No; I went to Mr. Sievwright, and insisted upon the necessity of the vendors paying the commission, and he referred me to Mr. Eeid, who agreed to pay Mr. Pym 1 per cent, on the part of the vendors. On the 26th December, 1884, I sent the following telegram to Sir Julius Vogel:— Hon. Sir J. Vogel, K.C.M.G., Wellington. Dunedin, 26th December, 1884. I have to-day succeeded in securing to Pym one per cent, commission on purchase-money. This was all I could do, and he will be content. I have reported this arrangement to the Hon. the Premier. In all things where necessary I was guided by Sievwright, and I assure you the others being after the property was no " bogie : " property could now be transferred for fully ten per cent, advance either here or in Melbourne. .... D. M. Luckie. 156. What induced you to initiate this claim upon the vendors when you got the approval for payment by the Government ? —Because I thought, after all, if commission was to be paid it was the proper thing for the vendors to do. I talked the matter over with Mr. Stout and Mr. Sievwright, and the latter said I had better see whether or not I could manage to induce Charles Eeid to get the vendors to make an allowance. Here is the letter which I wrote on the 26th December, 1884, to Mr. Pym :— Dear Mr. Pym,— Dunedin, 26th December, 1884. I have the pleasure to intimate to you that I this morning arranged with Mr. Reid that your claim for commission on the purchase of the Wise-corner allotment will be recognized to the extent of 1 per cent, on the amount of the purchase-price. Mr. Reid, who was the medium through whom the transaction was finally completed, this morning agreed that that amount should be paid to you as commission out of the amount paid to the vendor. Thanking you for your assistance, Believe me, &c, Montagu Pym, Esq., Dunedin. D. M. Luckie. On the same day Mr. Stout telegraphed to Sir Julius Vogel,— Hon. Sir Julius Vogel, Wellington. Dunedin, 26th December, 1884. Luckie has arranged commission with vendors ;so sale may be completed. He will leave here to-morrow Robt. Stout. . 157. Then, was that the close of the transaction so far as claims for services went ?—No. 158. What further occurred ?—Mr. Pym wrote or communicated verbally, saying that he was not content with the 1 per cent., and that he considered himself entitled to IJ. 159. Then what took place ?—This telegram was received from Sir Julius Vogel on the 26th December— D. M. Luckie, Esq., Dunedin. Wellington, 26th December, 1884. You should have insisted on full amount certified by Premier. As it is, it seems to me we ought to pay Pym the quarter difference. Will wire A.D.C. approval purchase. Julius Vogel. 160. Did Mr. Pym express his dissatisfaction before or after Sir Julius Vogel's telegram to you on the same day?—lt was before I got Sir Julus Vogel's telegram. He (Sir Julius Vogel) said I should have insisted on full amount certified by the Premier—that it seemed to him we ought to pay Pym the quarter difference. 161. What did you do on receipt of that telegram from Sir Julius Vogel?—l wrote this memorandum to him on the 29th December, after I had returned to Wellington : — The Hon. the Colonial Treasurer. I duly intimated to Mr. Pym that the vendors, as represented by Mr. Reid, had, on my representation, agreed to pay him a commission of 1 per cent, on the purchase-money of Wise's corner property in Dunedin, it being acknowledged that he was the agent by whom the transaction was initiated and recommended, and therefore entitled to payment. He contended that he was fairly entitled to the very moderate allowance of l-\ per cent, on account of his services; and you will observe that to this amount the Hon. the Premier (who deems it moderate) appears to consider Mr. Pym is entitled. Mr. Pym has enabled the department to secure what both the Premier and Mr. Sievwright (whose opinions I share after careful inquiry and observation) consider as the very best available corner in Dunedin. One and a fourth per cent, is a low rate of commission, and I agree with you that the J per cent, should be paid to Mr. Pym by the department; and I beg to recommend that this amount, which is on £35,500, be paid to him accordingly. I could pay it out of the imprest lying at my credit in the Bank of New Zealand at Dunedin, and thus save exchange. 29th December, 1884. D. M. Luckie. Papers attached. Those respecting the purchase, final closing, &c, and Premier's recommendation are with His Excellency, to whom I transmitted on Saturday night.—D. M. L. If you have not had a telegram respecting the Governor's signature, may I suggest the propriety of telegraphing the A.D.C. on the subject ?—D. M. L. Approve payment.—J. V.—29th December, 1884. Telegraph Mr. Pym that will wire him to-morrow.—D. M. L. 162. What took place upon that?— Sir Julius Vogel made this minute: " Approved payment. —29th December, 1884." 163. You paid him?—l paid him -J- per cent., amounting to £88 15s. 164. Was there anything further in connection with this payment of commission ?—Nothing. 165. No other question has arisen since in connection with the commission ?—No. 166. Do you know if it was paid by the vendors ? —I understand so. 167. The department has never been applied to in connection with it ?—No. I heard nothing more about it. 168. What did the property cost altogether, including expenses and costs?—£36,o29 9s. 2d. 169. What are the particulars of that amount?— Cash paid Sievwright and Stout, £30,500; Captain Fraser's mortgage taken over, £5,000; expenses in connection with purchase, £529 9s. 2d. There is one item of £119 16s. 9d. for repairs done to the property since the purchase was made. The lawyers' costs, stamps, registration, &c, amounted to £264 13s. 6d.; Pym's commission, £88