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None from this Province. I believe there are some from the Southern Provinces' but I have no data to furnish acounts from. 9. Q —When was the last payment made to the New Zealand Company ? A—ln this Province the proportion is paid monthly into the Commissariat chest. 10. Q —We suppose that remittances from the Southern Provinces are sent to you from time to time as the land fun J accrues? A—No. The managers of the several branch banks have been instructed by the Government to remit to me at the end of each quarter whatever balance may appear to my credit 11. Q —Are, then, the Commissioners of Crown Lands instructed to pay into the Provincial Banks the amounts payable into the General Treasury ? A— lam not aware of what instructions they have. All I know is, that from time to time I receive the balances without being aware of the items composing them. The balances remitted are credited to the sever.il Provinces. 12. Q —Do those payments include the proportions of ordinary as well as land revenue ? A—l suppose so. 13 Q —When you receive a balance from a Provincial Bank, are you therefore unable to distribute it to its proper accounts ? a—Yes; that is the business of the Auditor-General, who is also Accountant-General. 14. Q —Do the public accountants in the Piovinces render accounts to you or to the Auditor-General ? A—To the Auditor-General. lam unable to make any statement of my own knowledge of the state of public accounts. 15. Q —Have you any accounts open with the public accountants ? A—l have accounts with the Provinces, but not with the public accountants. 16. Q —Do the public accountants inform you of their payments having been made into the Provincial Banks? A —No. 17. Q —Have you any general idea of the liabilities due to the New Zealand Company ? A—l am unable to speak with any accuracy, having no data. 18. Q —Have you any recollection of the last sum remitted on account of the New Zealand Company ? A—l can let you know to-morrow. 19. Q —Referring to an item of £3335 12s. 2d. as one of a class of items paid by a public accountant into the Commissariat chest at Wellington for the New Zealand Company, would that appear in your account? A—Not in mine. I believe there are sums paid at Wellington into the Commissariat chest on account of the New Zealand Company. 20. Q —ls it the practice to make payments from the different public accounts without the Governor's warrant? A—The Governor's warrant is not issued for these payments. 21. Q—Do you make any payments, as Treasurer, without the Governor's warrant? A—ln the first case 1 pay moneys on a written authority from the Colonial Secretary, authorised by the Governor; su sequently, the same is put into the form of a warrant by the Governor. It is a practice found more convenient than in all cases to take out a warrant in the first instance. 22. Q—Are these warrants only issued with the sanction of the AuditorGeneral? A—Yes ; he prepares these warrants. 23. Q —Supposing improper expenditure of public money were to take place under this written authoiity, who is liable? A—l am bound to obey the orders of his Excellency, conveyed to me through the usual channel. 24. Q—Do you consider the Colonial Secretary's authority discharges you 1 A—l do ; but still it is a matter of opinion whether in a case ot very palpable mismanagement it would. 25. Q —Do you consider yourself limited by the Appropriation Act in the amount of your payments ? A—l do ;itis my duty to apprise the Governor when he exceeds the estimates. Hill, if lam authorised to pay, that is my final authority. Practically, I have no control over the Governor's power of disposing of the public revenue. 26. Q —What books do you keep in your office ? A—The accounts of the Colony are kept by the Auditor-General. I keep a general ledger and cash book Kept by double entry as far as the system is applicable.