D.—No. 1

14

PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE

Exchange on account of Clutha Coal Field. 3rd, To your Honor, in making temporary use of the public funds for your own private purposes. Being desirous to avoid the publication of anything which may appear to implicate your Honor without affording you an opportunity of explaining any objectionable circumstance, we have the honor to inform you that we shall bo happy to meet you at any time and place this day which you may appoint, and hear any explanations you may wish to afford. T. B. Gillies, "j J. Eiciiaedson, Members of W. F. Taeltox, I- Select T. Dick, Committee. F. Walkee, J His Honor the Superintendent, Dunedin.

[M.] Sic, — Superintendent's Office, 15th December, IS6O. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of this day's date, informing me that I am seriously implicated or compromised in the statements which have been elicited during the investigation of the Committee on Public Accounts, and that I seem to have been applying the public money to my own private purposes, and requesting me to appear before the Committee to explain. In reply, I beg respectfully to decline appearing before the Committee, and most indignantly to deny the allegations referred to. If the Committee choose to furnish me with a copy of the evidence on which their assertions are founded, together with the precise charges themselves, I have no doubt of my ability to disprove them. I have, &c, James Macandbew, T. B. Gillies, Esq., M.P.C., Convenor of Committee on Public Accounts. Superintendent.

[jr.] Sic,— Dunedin, 15th December, 18G0. "We have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor's letter of this date, and regret that you decline availing yourself of the opportunity we were anxious to afford you of explaining statements which apparently compromised your Honor. We have no charge to prefer against your Honor —it is not within our province to do so, neither do we consider ourselves at liberty to furnish a copy of the evidence given before the Select Committee, without the authority of the Council. We respectfully and earnestly hope that your Honor will, on further consideration, give us, as we have solicited, the advantage of your explanation, before we submit our report to the Council. We annex a Memorandum of the chief points on which the Committee desire information from your Honor. We remain, &c, T. B. Gillies, Chairman, "~| J. Kichaedson, Speaker, Members of W. F. Taelton, y Select To His Honor the Superintendent, T. Dick, Committee. Dunedin. F. Walked, J [memorandum.] 1. Immigration per " Gala."—On what grounds was a new warrant, in favour of J. Macandrew and Co., substituted for the original warrant in favour of yourself and W. H. Eeynolds jointly, seeing that on the face of the original warrant and voucher it expresses to be on account of J. Gladstone and Co., by virtue of their and Messrs. Macandrew and Co.'s authority ? 2. Clutha Gold Field.—Can you furnish the Committee with any evidence of the fact of the remittance of the £1000 by producing the third of exchange, or otherwise, as we can find no evidence of the fact in any of the public records; and in reference to this point, an explanation would be desirable of the absence from your office of Crawford and Auld's letter of the 24th August last, and of , the duplicate thereof, stated in another letter of the 25th September to be therein enclosed. 3. It appears in evidence that in February and March last you borrowed from the Provincial Treasury the sums of £486 and £600 of public moneys, which sums you had not repaid at the 30th June last, the date of the first audit. Any explanation of the above would be desirable. T. B. G. J. R. W. F. T. T. D. . F. W.

[O.] Sir, — Superintendent's Office, 17th December, 1860. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your communication No. 2, of date December 15, informing me that, without the sanction of the Provincial Council, I cannot be furnished with a copy of the evidence taken by the Committee on Public Accounts, and handing a Memorandum of the chief points on which the Committee desire information. "Without knowing the precise evidence or grounds on which it is sought to inculpate me with respect to the matter in question, I am unable to enter into explanations which I might otherwise deem it necessary to do.