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498. Now, Mr. Scott has apparently forgotten that any such conversation with you ever took place?— Before leaving that interview, I may say that after Mr. Scott left I went into the next room to Mr. Henderson and told him what passed. Sir B. Stout : Well, that is not evidence. Witness : Is that not evidence'? His Honour: No. 499. Mr. Haggitt.] You mentioned to Mr. Henderson on this occasion what you thought Mr. Scott should be paid ? His Honour : I do not think that is evidence. 500. Mr. Haggitt.] When did you next see Mr. Scott ?—I may have seen him. 501. To see him to speak to?—I do not think anything passed about the matter till the matter of the notices about the rabbiting cropped up—some three months afterwards I suppose. That is the next time I would have had any conversation wfbh Mr. Scott with reference to this run at all. 502. You sent a telegram to your agent at Timaru: how was it you signed the telegram "J. E. Scott, per J. M. Eitchie," and afterwards you sent one signed by himself?— Simply because he consented so absolutely, without reserve, to undertaking the responsibility I had pointed out. Time was of importance, and I knew that he would give the authority in his own hand when asked for it a little later. 503. Now, as to your letter to Mr. Martin, I think it was, your manager in Christchurch : your manager knew perfectly well, I suppose, that the cattle and stock on Eun 93a belonged to you?— Yes. 504. And when you wrote, " Authority has gone to you to bid for Mr. J. E. Scott, who authorises me to instruct you as follows," you were quite satisfied your manager would understand what was written ; and he would know that any instructions about the cattle came from you and not from Scott?— But that is not about the cattle. 505. Yes it is?—l repeated there simply what I had stated to Scott, and what he absolutely and unreservedly assented to. 506. Your arrangement with Mr. Scott was such as to enable you to instruct Mr. Martin in that way?— Yes. 507. But you never intended Sir B. Stout: I object to that—to his stating what he intended. There is the letter, and surely he cannot say what his intentions were. 508. Mr. Haggitt.] It is the letter of the sth March, 1891. Very well, Mr. Eitchie. Now you say the next time you saw Mr. Scott was after he got the notices to rabbit. Whereabouts did you see him on this occasion ? —I think he called at the office. 509. Did he come to you or to Mr. Henderson ?—I came across him ; I really cannot be quite sure whether in my own or Mr. Henderson's room. I think he brought the notices into my room. One was signed by Mr. Thomson, and one by H. E. Foster. I remember seeing the notices distinctly. 510. What did you say to him ?—I said, " You must make the best of it; we have nothing to do with it." 511. He says you told him to put it off as long as he could?—-I said to him something like this : " That the best thing is just to sit low ; sometimes the Inspectors do not go further, and sometimes they do." 512. When did you next see him? By-the-by, is that all you recollect taking place on that occasion ?—I think so. I did not say anything more. I distinctly let him understand we had nothing to do with it, although I did not object to discuss it with him—to help him, if I could, to the best way of dealing with it. 513. When did you see him next ? —I think I saw him in the street once or twice, but I could not say the date, or anything approximately to the date. I remember he said to me that either a policeman or detective had been up at his house. I think it was between the interview of which I have just spoken and the time of his being fined, but I am not sure. 514. Did any conversation take place at that time ?—I said I was very sorry; that I hoped they would not push matters to extremes; but that he had gone into the matter with his eyes open, and he smiled and assented. 515. Do you remember his telling you on any occasion that he had paid the policeman ?—He came in again, and showed me a telegram from Timaru—from Perry and Perry, I think it was—to say that a distress warrant had been issued. I said, " Well, I suppose you must pay, Scott." I said, " I have nothing to do with it;" and he said, Yes, he supposed he must pay; and then I said, " Well, if this is the end of the thing, Scott, I won't say that I may not go beyond the extent of my promise, and pay this fine rather than see your whole profit in the transactions swept away ; but at present I can make no promises." 516. This conversation took place when ?—Either the same day or at the time Scott got the telegram from Perry and Perry saying a distress warrant had been issued. 517. Did he hand that telegram to you, or did you get it?—l do not think I ever saw it except in his hands. 518. There is an indorsement on that telegram in pencil. Was that indorsement on it at the time you saw the telegram ?—I do not know. 519. His Honour.] Who made the indorsement ? Sir B. Stout: It was made by Mr. Scott before he went over. Witness : He did tell me on one occasion that his wife was not well; but Ido not remember that indorsement. 520. Mr. Haggitt.] You do not know whether he showed it to you before he handed it in to the office? —No; I do not remember seeing it.