H.—34

3

that behalf and your Post Officer's Declaration, you, on or about the 31st July, 1905, at Christcnurch, informed Mr. F. M. B. Fisher, M.H.E., that a voucher for an amount exceeding ,£7O had passed through the Post-office at Christchurch payable to E. J. S. Seddon for reorganizing the Defence Stores ; and also that on or about the 4th day of August, 1905, at Christchurch, you made and delivered to the said F. M. B. Fisher an affidavit that some time during the year 1904 you, as a clerk employed in the office of the Chief Postmaster at Christchurch, saw the voucher above referred to ; and also that on or about the same date you made a duplicate original of the said affidavit and gave it to Mr. T. E. Taylor, M.H.R. You are also charged with a further breach of duty in sending, conjointly with Messrs. William JohnLarcombe, Joseph Willis, and David Hobson Lundon, in or about the month of August, 1900, the following telegram to Mr. T. E. Taylor, M.H.E.: "We are confident unrestricted public inquiry will establish charge. Hope you will press your motion." . You are required to state in writing whether you deny the truth of the foregoing charges, and to deliver to the Chief Postmaster at Christchurch any written defence you desire to make on or before the 13th September instant. Dated at Wellington, this Bth day of September, 1905. W. Geay, Secretary, Post and Telegraph Department. Charge against David Hobson Lundon. To David Hobson Lundon, Post Officer, Christchurch. Pubsuant to the provisions of section 26 of " The Civil Service Act, 1866," you are hereby charged with breach of duty in that, contrary to the regulations in that behalf, you, in or about the month of August, 1905, joined with Messrs. William John Larcombe, Thomas Walter West, and Joseph Willis, in sending to Mr. T. E. Taylor, M.H.E,, the following telegram : "We are confident unrestricted public inquiry will establish charge. Hope you will press your motion." You are required to state in writing whether you deny the truth of the foregoing charge, and to forward to the Chief Postmaster at Christchurch any written defence you desire to make on or before the 13th instant. Dated at Wellington, this Bth day of September, 1905. W. Geay, Secretary Post and Telegraph Department.

REPORT.

To His Excellency the Eight Honourable William Lee, Baron Plunket, Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Knight Commander of the Eoyal Victorian Order, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies. May it please your Excellency,— 1. On receipt of the Warrant (hereto annexed) we, in pursuance of Eegulation No. 24 of the Civil Service Eegulations, published in the New Zealand Gazette No. 5, of the 23rd January, 1873, appointed Tuesday, the 10th day of October, 1905, at 11 o'clock in the forenoon, as the time, and the Board-room in the Government Buildings at Christchurch as the place, of our sittings, and due notice thereof in writing was given to the officers named in the said Warrant. 2. The said officers attended at the place and time aforesaid. Mr. Joynt appeared as counsel for Messrs. Larcombe, West, and Lundon ; Mr. Willis was not represented by counsel ; and Mr. Stringer appeared as counsel for the Post and Telegraph Department.