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80. Was anything said or done about defending you ?—Yes; on the same day that he wrote that telegram Mr. Henderson dictated a letter which Logic wrote, and which I signed, to Messrs Perry and Perry, solicitors, Timaru. 81. Are those gentlemen your solicitors in Timaru, Mr. Scott ?—No ;I do not know them 82. His Honour : On the 26th May, 1891 ? 83. Mr. Chapman.} Yes; the same date as the telegram. (To witness:) You did not know Messrs. Perry and Perry ?—No. 84. Have you ever had anything to do with them ?—Never. 85. The letter, you say, was dictated by Mr. Henderson, written out by Mr. Logic and sent by you ?—Yes. 86. Bead it ?—" Dunedin, 26th May, 1891.—Messrs. Perry and Perry, solicitors, Timaru.— Dear Sirs,—Will you kindly appear for me at the hearing of the complaint against me by the Babbit Inspector. I cannot possibly attend personally, as I have made arrangements to go to Southland, and am leaving town this afternoon. I find that I cannot continue to pay the rent for the run. I have made up my mind to lose the rent I have paid, and abandon the country. I hope, under these circumstances, you can induce the Court to deal lightly with me. Indeed, the Government to poison the country, as I find the rent is much too dear.—Yours truly, Jas. B. Scott." 87. Had you made up your mind to lose the rent ?—I had not any rent to lose. 88. Or had somebody made up your mind for you ?—I had not made up my mind. 89. You say that letter was dictated by Mr. Henderson ?—Yes. 90. Was anything more said about instructing Messrs. Perry and Perry ?—No, nothing more was said about instructing Messrs. Perry and Perry then. 91. Did you have any communication with them beyond that before the case was heard? No. 92. Did any one on your behalf, as far as you know ?—Nobody. 93. Then, if there was any further communication with Messrs. Perry and Perry, who was it who attended to it ?—I do not know of any further instructions at all. 94. That was the last, so far as you were concerned ?—Yes. 95. Do you know whose solicitors they are at Timaru ?—Oh, a lot of people's. 96. But any one connected with this transaction ; were you ever told ?—I cannot say I know it absolutely; but I understood from the writing of this letter that they were the solicitors of the National Mortgage and Agency Company. 97. Now, Mr. Henderson came to your office next day, did he not'?—l was absent then. 98. Well, when did you hear about the result of the rabbit case ?—When I came to town the first thing I saw was in the Evening Star, a telegram from Timaru saying I had been fined ; and I think allusion was made to it as a case of dummyism, and so forth. 99. His Honour.} How long afterwards was that?— That would be about the end of May. 100. Mr. Chapman.} The case was heard on the 29th, your Honour. (To witness :) Whom did you see after that?—l saw Mr. Henderson. 101. Any one else?— The first person I saw was Mr. Henderson. 102. What passed with him?— Well, I told him that I was very much put about about this appearing in the newspapers, and that it was a thing I did not anticipate when I did this business for them; and he assured me that it would be all right—that they would see me through it. 103. Did you take any further steps with respect to this fine ?—Yes, they dictated a telegram 104. His Honour: Who is "they"? ° 105. Mr. Chapman.} Who did this?— There was first a telegram on the 29th May. No, that was done when I was away. The first that I knew of was on the 2nd June, but there had previously passed some telegrams when I was absent, of which, of course, I heard when I returned to town, from my clerk. 106. Do you know what date you came back?—lt was on Saturday night. I think I must have come back about the 29th May. 107. Well, there was a telegram on the 2nd June?—l was in town on the 2nd June anyhow. ' 108. There is the telegram of 2nd June ; did you receive this from Perry and Perry, of Timaru ? 1 X So. 109. "What have you decided to do re appeal?" When you received that, what did you do?—I went over to the National Mortgage office, and saw Mr. Bitchie. 110. Do you know whether this was your first interview with Mr. Bitchie on this subject? I do not remember clearly seeing Mr. Bitchie before at all. I think he was present on one occasion previously. Yes, he was present on one occasion previously, and he said something about that they would come down on me for the rabbits, and I, jokingly, said, " Not much to come down on ;" and he replied, "Oh, but you are doing pretty well now, are not you?" and I said, "Yes, I am'doin" very well." That is the only conversation I can remember with Mr. Bitchie. 111. His Previous to the 2nd June?— Yes. 112. Mr. Chapman.} Well, on the 2nd June you took this telegram over to Mr. Bitchie? ~V An 113. What happened between you and Mr. Bitchie ?—I asked him what I was to do, and he wrote on the back of the telegram what I was to say. 114. " What time might be gained by appeal, and what cost ? " Yes. 115. Anything more said at that interview?—l do not think so. 116. Did you send a telegram to that effect ?—Yes. 117. And you got an answer ?—Yes. 118. The answer came the same day, " Our costs about fifteen guineas, and other side probably same amount if case lost, looking at worst side. Appeal argued beginning of July, or later.— A —O. A.