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61. Mr. Eogg.] You know that?— Yes. I would like to point out that, when we had come to a decision that they had acted unfairly to us, we drew a cheque for the £300 in the bank where it was, but the answer came back to us that the cheque had "been cashed. This was contrary to our instructions. Our instructions were that the cheque was not to be cashed. 62. The Chairman.'] I doubt whether we can hear any further statement about that ? —I would point out that the cheque was cashed contrary to our instructions. 63. Is there any documentary evidence as to that'? —No. 64. What were your instructions?— Not to cash the cheque until the promissory-note was arranged for. 65. Were these verbal instructions ?—Yes. 66. Did you tell them not to pay the cheque until you notified that they might do so ? —lt was six weeks after they acknowledged the receipt of the cheque that we found it had been cashed. 67. Have you your bank pass-book?—No, I have not. 67a. Can you give us the date of the cheque paid in, and the date on which it was passed on? —Yes. 68. You had better state that ?—The bill was received by Mr. Atack. 69. Never mind that. I want to hear when the £300 was received? —The £300 was received by Mr. Ataek on the 25th April. 70. Can you produce the receipt for it? —There was no receipt. 71. Do you mean to say that you handed over a cheque for £300 and got no receipt for it?— That telegram was the receipt. It says, " Eeceived your cheque," &c. 72. What is the date of that?—2sth April. 73. Can you tell us what day it was cashed? —The bank instruction is that it was cashed on the Ist of the following month. 74. Six days after? —Yes; Ist May. 75. You say that when you were first asked to pay £500 you objected ?—Yes. 76. But you agreed afterwards to pay the amount, provided certain terms were given to you ? — Yes. 77. I want you to explain : seeing that the Association said they would accept a bill for £200, drawn by yourselves and indorsed by Mrs. Cashion, why did you get Mrs. Cashion to draw the bill and then put your own indorsement on it ?—That was after. 78. Here is the telegram, saying that they would accept a bill for £200, drawn by yourselves and indorsed by Mrs. Cashion : why did you reverse that ?—For the simple reason that they refused to supply the messages on the day we first published ; we decided not to pay the £500 on that account. 79. You offered them a bill contrary to what they agreed to take ?—No. 80. You drew the bill differently from what they agreed to take, and therefore they refused ? — Not so. 81. Mr. Pinker ton.] Why was the bill not drawn by the firm? Why was it drawn by Mrs. Cashion? They asked that it should be indorsed by Mrs. Cashion. Why was it drawn by Mrs. Cashion and indorsed by the firm ? —ln answer to that, I might state that there was no indorsement on the bill at all —the bill we presented to Mr. Knowles on the 24th April. 82. "That is not an answer? —It was not indorsed for £200. It was drawn by Mary Cashion, the mother of one of the proprietors, and presented to Mr. Knowles. He refused. I took it to the banker, and he said that, as long as we indorsed it, it was all right. It was at the instigation of the banker that these names were put on it. 83. The request of the Association was that you should draw the bill, and that it should be indorsed by some one of whom they approved?—We did not understand that; we understood that all we had to do was to give them a bill for £200. 84. When you found he would not accept your indorsement, why did you not draw another bill indorsed by Mrs. Cashion, which they would accept ?—We were not going to pay the £500. 85. You wanted to back out of the whole thing?—We wanted to get the thing settled satisfactorily. 86. Mr. Massey.] About that promissory note : did you put that in evidence ?—-Yes ; we will produce it in evidence. At first Mr. Knowles did not want to accept any bill; he said we should have to get a written guarantee from a bank ; but he said he knew that we were not likely to get that, so that we had better bring along the cash. 87. Was there only one bill that was ever drawn?— That was all. [copy op bill.] " (Stamp, 45.) " Due 28th July. " £200. " New Zealand, 25th April, 1896. ' Three months after date I promise to pay New Zealand Press Association, or order, the sum of £200 sterling, value received. " Payable at Union Bank, Hastings. " Maby Cashion. " (Indorsement on back.) " William Dawson Arnott.—Anthony Cashion." 88. I wish to ask you this question : Is Mrs. Cashion a member of the firm.—Yes. 89. She was a partner ? —Yes. 90. Was there a legal document drawn up to that effect ?—Yes. 91. There was a regular deed of partnership ? —Yes. 92. You say that she is the mother of your partner ?—Yes. 93. Can you bring evidence of the partnership ? —I cannot to«day, but I can bring it; we have a legal document in Featherston.