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communication. There is another letter from Mr. Allport, in which he gives the date that Captain Yon Schoen told him. This is the one, No. 10, 28th December. By my instructions, Mr. Glasgow asked Mr. Allport to fix the dates. Secretary, Marine Department. Is reply to your memorandum of this date, I beg to state as follows :— 1. As near as I can recollect, Captain Yon Sohoen stated that Jones came to him, and after telling him that the Minister o£ Marine had, after consultation with Captain Allman, agreed to allow him to be examined for a hometrade master's certificate without being in possession of a mate's certificate, he asked him to work out a set of papers for him as he could not do the necessary writing himself. He said that he worked out a set of papers, held Jones's hand while he copied them, and gave him the questions for the work on separate sheets of paper. He said that Jones took the copies away for the purpose, as he understood, of getting the Examiners to aocept them instead of his doing the work in the examination-room. 2. As near as I can remember, it was about the beginning of this year that Yon Sohoen gave me the information about Jones, Bendall, and MoLellan. 3. It was very soon after the date of Mr. Hutcheson's speeoh in the House (26th August, 1898) that I saw Yon Sohoen, and told him that he must release me from my promise to treat the information as confidential. lam not sure whether it was as soon as I saw the purport of his remarks in the newspapers, or whether it was when the number of Hansard containing the full report of the speech came out. 4. It was a few days after I told Yon Schoen that he must release me from my promise to keep the information confidential that he told me that Mr. Hutcheson had seen the Premier, and that he (Yon Schoen) was expecting to be sent for ; that is, early in September. 5. It was eitber a day or two before or a day or two after the Prince of Wales' Birthday that I informed you of the information which had been given to me by Yon Sohoen. The Premier and the Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones were down in Canterbury at the time. You said that you must tell them as soon as they returned. George Allpoet. 28/12/98. Now, there is my letter to Mr. Hutcheson. This is the letter I sent to Mr. Hutcheson after I saw from Mr. Allport , s memorandum that Captain Yon Schoen had told him that I had conditionally agreed to see him : — Dear Sir,— Premier's Office, Wellington, 26th December, 1898. During the investigation in respeot to the examination of masters and mates, and which you referred to in your speeoh in the House, one of the officers has made the following statement:— That Captain Yon Sohoen had seen him during the session and had told him that Mr. Hutcheson, M.H.R., had seen the Premier, who was willing to receive the information from Captain Yon Schoen without touching Jones, whose name had not, however, Yon Schoen said, been mentioned to the Premier. Seeing that I gave no such promise as to Jones or as to any other person who had obtained certificates—in fact, so far as I can recollect, the question of certificates or interfering therewith was never mentioned—will you kindly oblige by giving me your recolleotion of what took place at the interview. Yours faithfully, John Hutcheson, Esq., M.H.R., Wellington. E. J. Seddon. And this is Mr. Hutcheson's reply:— Deab Sir,— Boulcott Street, 27th December, 1898. Your memorandum bearing yesterday's date came to band this evening. While asking me for my recolleotion as to what took place at a certain interview, you say, " In faot, so far as I can recollect, the question of certificates or interfering therewith was never mentioned." lam also bound to state that, to the best of my belief, such subjeot was never mentioned. And, further, I can positively assure you that I never made suoh statement to Captain Yon Schoen, as here, again, so far as I can recollect, the question of certificates was not mentioned between us. Yon Schoen, while expressing the greatest solicitude for his client, seemed to rely for safety on being able to preserve his incognito, and even until this day he has not disclosed the name to me. I only discovered some few days ago the identity of the man in question, and, while I regret to find he is one who I have always regarded as a friend, yet I am in honour and duty bound to repeat that indemnity was not asked for by me nor offered by you, nor did I lead Captain Yon Schoen to believe such was so. I am, &c, Right Hon. R. J. Seddon, Premier. ■ John Hutchbson. The Secretary, Customs. Attach this to the file of papers. Mr. Hutcheson bears out my recollection of what took place, and confirms what I minuted on Mr. Allport's memorandum in respect of Captain Yon Schoen's statement.—R. J. S. 28/12/98. 55. Is there any more of that correspondence you wish to refer you ?—I wish at this stage to say this : that Captain Yon Schoen, when he made the statement that Mr. Allport has put in his memo., stated that which was absolutely untrue. 56. Judge, Ward.] What precise statement?— That it was conditional on Captain Jones not being interfered with that I had consented to see him. 57. Mr. Hutcheson corroborates that ?—Mr. Hutcheson's letter is correct as to what took place. That can only be elucidated between Captain Yon Schoen and Mr. Allport. 58. Mr. Gray.] I understand that Mr. Allport said that Captain Yon Schoen had said so ?— This is the paragraph : — He (Captain Yon Schoen) promised to think over it, and the next day he told me he had informed Mr. Hutoheson that he was willing to see the Premier and communicate the information to bim, but he repeated that he would not furnish proof of Jones's case without a promise that his certificate should not be interfered with. Shortly afterwards he saw me and told me that Mr. Hutcheson had seen the Premier, who was milling to receive the information from him without touching Jones, whose name had not, however, he said, been mentioned to the Premier, but only his ease referred to, and that he was expecting to be sent for any day. In the first place, I say Mr. Hutcheson never said it was under that condition I was to see Captain Yon Schoen, nor did he or any other person. 59. Judge Ward.] Mr. Hutcheson's letter stated the same thing?— Yes; in his letter of the 27th December. So that Captain Yon Schoen must have deceived Mr. Allport, if what Mr. Allport says is correct. 60. Dr. Giles.] Unless Mr. Hutcheson misinformed Captain Yon Schoen?—Yes. 61. Mr. Hanlon.] After Captain Allman had said certain papers had been brought into the room and torn up whilst Captain Edwin was there, what happened then ?—As I have said, my recollection is that Captain Allman did say that in my hearing, but whether it was on the first night I saw him or subsequently I could not say. It is puzzling me, but it is one of the points on which I am in doubt—whether it was the first interview or at the subsequent interview that he