I.—sa

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50. The whole of them?—Yes. 51. How long after you got them ?—I cannot tell you ; I make a periodical clearing-out of my drawers ; but I know they were destroyed not long after I got them. 52. Are you in the habit of destroying all your letters?—Generally I do—all private letters. 53. No matter how important they are ?—lf I had considered that it was important to have kept some of the letters I would have done so, but I had no thought at the time they would be required. Ido not keep private letters as a rule. 54. I understand you to say that you would keep private letters ?—Yes, if I considered they would be wanted; but I understood that this business was finished. I had nothing more to do with it. 55. Did you not think that a letter, in respect to which you were a medium between Mr. Douglas and the Government, for the purpose of selling property—did you not think that an important letter?—l do not think I was a medium between Mr. Douglas and the Government; I only asked that Mr. Adams should see the property. I considered that I was only facilitating the business by referring to Mr. Adams. 56. Facilitating the sale of a large property ?—The property was purchased; the transaction was complete. 57. You got a letter before the purchase was complete. Did you not think it desirable to keep that letter?—There was a private communication between Mr. Douglas and myself. I had not anything more to do with the property after I put him in communication with the Government. He writes to me often about station matters. When the subject to which they refer is completed I destroy my letters, 58. Can you recall from memory a summary of this letter ?—No, I cannot. If there was anything specific I might remember something of it. 59. You cannot recall the contents of any of these letters ? —Nothing in particular. 60. I think I can refresh your memory about one of them, with the assistance of Mr. Douglas himself. Have you read Mr. Douglas's letter to the paper on this question ? Do you remember this passage in one of them ? [Extract read :" In writing Mr. Eitchie I mentioned that the petition had been sent to Mr. Thomas Mackenzie, and expressed a hope that legislators would be able to spare as much time from worrying each other as to consider the petition; that I was anxious to learn their decision respecting this, because I found I had plenty of buyers, were I to sell in largish-sized blocks; that I believed I could make a better price in this way, and would try this mode if the Government did not " bite " at once —my objec tin desiring a speedy answer being that I might make financial arrangements for selling privately and on terms sufficiently long to suit buyers. Mr. Eitchie had the supervision of this property for many years while I was living in Canterbury, and had seen and really knew more of it than I did myself."] —I remember that was a letter I got from Mr. Douglas the morning that Mr. Thomas Mackenzie called. 61. Then you spoke to him about it ? —Yes. 62. How do you know it was the one?—Because it informed me the petition was sent up to Mr. Thomas Mackenzie. 63. You think it is the same one?—Yes. 64. Did you act on this letter in any way ?—I do not think I acted further than speaking to Mr. Thomas Mackenzie about it. Mr. Douglas was under a misapprehension about the purchase. He was under the impression that it was the Waste Lands Board in Dunedin that had to do with it. 65. Mr. Douglas desires from you a speedy answer as to whether the Government are going to " bite "at once? —He told me the petition had come up. I asked Mr. Thomas Mackenzie if he had sent the petition on. 66. He says, he desires a speedy answer as to whether the Government are going to "bite," in order that he might make certain financial arrangements. Is Mr. Douglas making a mistake that he desired a speedy answer ?—I do not think that he expected an answer from me. He did not think it was going before the Land Purchase Board. It was only a few clays afterwards he found that the Land Purchase Board were to be the purchasers. 67. Did you give him an answer to this letter ?—I wrote to him that I had asked Mr. Thomas Mackenzie. 68. You did not keep a copy of this letter ?—No. 69. None?—None. 70. Did you take any step whatever in response to this letter to get the information desired by Mr. Douglas ? —I do not think so. I spoke to Mr. Thomas Mackenzie and he said he was going to send the petition on. 71. He could not tell you whether the Government was going to " bite " ?—No. 72. Did you take any steps to find out whether the Government would "bite" at once?—l do not think so. 73. Had you any communication with the Minister?—l spoke to the Minister when the petition came up. I said the petition had come. But he always told me that the thing was for the Land Purchase Board, and that it would have to go to them. 74. Did you communicate to Mr. Douglas that the petition had come ?—-I am not sure. 75. You would do that early in the correspondence ? —I told him the offer had to go through Mr. Maitland. He understood that it was the Waste Lands Board that would have to do with it; but he found out afterwards that it was the Land Purchase Board. 76. You say that you saw the Hon. John McKenzie on this matter? —Yes. 77. Did you ask him if he was going to " bite" ?—I knew it was to go to the Land Purchase Board. I might have asked whether the petition had gone on. 78. Did you ask him anything about it ?—I knew that the purchase had to be gone into. There s—l. sa.