I.—sa

XIII

(Telegram.) 11th September, 1894. I am instructed by the Chairman of the Waste Lands Committee, to which is referred the Pomahaka inquiry, to request you to attend at Wcllingtou as soon as possible in order to give evidence relating to the matter. Please bring with you all books and papers in your possession in any way bearing upon the purchase of the Pomahaka Estate or the subject-matter of the inquiry. Your expenses will be paid. Kindly telegraph stating when you will reach Wellington. W. F. Hilson, Clerk, Waste Lands Committee, House of Eepresentatives, Wellington. Hansen Turton, Esq., District Deeds Eegistrar, Dunedin.

Similar messages were sent to C. W. Adams, Chief Surveyor, Dunedin; J. P. Maitland, Commissioner of Crown Lands, Dunedin; W. Dallas, Valuer, Balclutha; John Douglas, Mount Eoyal, Palmerston; W. Turnbull, Agent, Clinton; A. C. Begg, Agent, Dunedin; H. Cameron, Farmer, Waitahuna; W. Stevenson, Farmer, Mataura.

(Telegram.) 11th September, 1894. I am instructed by the Chairman of the Waste Lands Committee, to which is referred the Pomahaka inquiry, to request your Mr. Johnstone to attend at Wellington as soon as possible in order to give evidence relating to the matter. Please tell him to bring with him all books and papers in his possession in any way bearing upon the purchase of the Pomahaka Estate or the subject-matter of the inquiry. Mr. Johnstone's expenses will be paid. Kindly telegraph stating when Mr. Johnstone will reach Wellington. W. F. Hilson, Clerk, Waste Lands Committee, Wellington. Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co., Auctioneers, Dunedin.

(Telegram.) 12th September, 1894. I can give no evidence relative to Pomahaka purchase. Douglas made sale himself; I had nothing whatever "to do with it. My firm were mortgagees of the land, but were not employed about the sale of it, and did not interfere in any way. J. A. Johnstone, Dunedin. W. F. Hilson, Esq., House of Eepresentatives, Wellington.

(Telegram.) 11th September, 1894. I am directed by the Chairman of the Waste Lands Committee, to which is referred the Pomahaka inquiry, to telegraph to you the following resolution which was passed by the Committee to-day : " That a telegram be sent to the Editor of the Otago Daily Times requesting him to name any witnesses re Pomahaka Inquiry alluded to in his sub-leader of the Bth instant, which the Committee might summon to, as he says, ' tell the real story.' " W. F. Hilson, Clerk, Waste Lands Committee, House of Eepresentatives, Wellington. The Manager, Otago Daily Times, Dunedin.

(Telegram.) 12th September, 1894. The persons alluded to as those who could tell the real story are Mr. John Douglas and his paid agents, who got up the petition, and the then editor of the Popotunoa Chronicle. Committee has doubtless been informed that the Union Bank held a mortgage, and were calling in their money, and that Wright, Stephenson, and Co. were interested in a somewhat similar way. The manager of the Bank and the members of that firm could state the facts which necessitated the land being pressed upon the Government. Daily Times articles never imputed anything corrupt, or suggested any improper motives in the Minister of Lands, but asserted what these witnesses could doubtless prove, if properly examined—namely, that the Government were induced by interested parties to pay an absurd price for the land. George Fenwick, Dunedin. W. F. Hilson, Clerk, Waste Lands Committee, House of Eepresentatives, Wellington.

(Telegram.) 13th September, 1894. The Editor Daily Times has telegraphed that your firm were interested in effecting the purchase of Pomahaka Estate as mortgagees, and induced the Government to give an absurd price. Evidence on the point therefore indispensable, and you must attend as requested in my former telegrams. The Committee expects you to reach Wellington by Sunday's steamer. Please reply immediately. W. F. Hilson, Clerk, Waste Lands Committee, J. A. Johnstone, Esq., House of Eepresentatives, Wellington, of Messrs. Wright, Stephenson, and Co's., Dunedin.

(Telegram.) 13th September, 1894. May I ask whether Waste Lands Committee do not consider it improper on their part to mention my name in telegram to Mr. Johnstone. Ido not know that I particularly object, but the Committee surely ought to have asked my permission first. I gave them the information they asked for, and with that they should have been satisfied. George Fenwick, Dunedin. W. F. Hiison, Clerk, Waste Lands Committee, House of Eepresentatives, Wellington.