I.—4a,

58

Mr. H. Mace.

Bth Oct., 1878,

Mr. F. Valentine.

Bth Oct., 1878.

1647. AVill you swear it was not more than one case ?—I will. 1648. Hon. Mr. Gisborne] Who is Mr. Toung?—My wine and spirit merchant. 1649. It was not a present from Air. Toung ? —No, it was from me. 1650. Mr. Barton] It was one case only ? —lt was about two or three years ago. Mr. Atchison was kind in procuring me a house when I first came. He did his best to get me a house. 1651. Are you sure you did not at that time give Atchison any money to get you your license ?— No, I never did. 1652. Not £20?— No. 1653. Tou know Mr. Swain?—Tes. 1654. Did you tell him you had ? —No ; I never did in my life. 1655. Did you tell him you had sent up the brandy ? —No. 1656. Did you tell anybody of it ?—No. 1657. If Swain swears you told him ?—Ho swears a lie. 1658. Tou have not been prosecuted on account of Mr. Mansford's recommendation ?—No. 1659. Can you account for that in any way, except by that conversation you had with Sergeant Smith ?—I asked him if he would kindly allow it to stand this time, and he said he would, in the hope that it would not occur again. I never offered him or gave him money. I should not insult him by offering him money, for I consider it would be an insult. 1660. Tou did not tell Swain you had given money ?—No. 1661. Nor anybody else ? —No. Swain told me he would chase Atchison to the grave if he could. 1662. AVas there a conversation between you to this effect: that he had given evidence before thii) Committee ?—No. 1663. To the effect that Nathan had given the police £s?—No ; I do not think he told me that. 1664. " Think ?"— I am sure he did not. 1665. Did he not tell you he had given evidence before this Committee ? —No ; he said he was summoned to give evidence. 1666. And did you not say, iv reply, "I could prove nearer than that ?" —No ; he tells a lie. 1667. Hon. Mr. Gisborne] When you said Atchison got you " a house," did you mean a publichouse ? —Tes, a hotel. When I came here I showed him four certificates, and asked him if he knew of a house. He said he was going up country, and if he saw one w 7ould let me know. AVhen he came back he told me where there was a house. Fkatn'kland A tale]S'tine, publican, on being introduced into the room, objected to be sworn, for the reason that he was afraid that any evidence he might give would injure him in his business. The Committee insisted on Mr. A 7alentine being sworn, and he was sworn accordingly. 1668. The Chairman] Do I understand } 7ou to say that you are afraid that any evidence you may give before this Committee would affect your treatment by the police in the future —that is, as to your licensed house ? —Tes, for this reason : that they are prejudiced against the publicans. 1669. The police are ?—Generally. 1670. Against publicans generally, or against particular individuals, do you mean?—AVell, the Inspector has made some objection every time 1 have applied, I have a family to support, and it would do me a great injury to lose my license, because I am not fit for any other sort of work. 1672. Do you mean he is stricter with some than others ? —Tes, on certain ones ; I can give you an instance. One night my daughter was in the bar—my eldest daughter—wdien the washerwoman brought home the linen. She put the clothes down and went into the kitchen, and immediately in came a certain party and said, " Here, it is five minutes past 10, and you are keeping your house open." I said, "I am not; it is not five minutes past 10." He said, " Tes, it is ; and you are serving in the bar. I saw your girl serving there." I said, "Don't call her a girl; she is my daughter." That cost me £6. 1673. Did they lay an information, then ?—Tes; the Sergeant and Atchison said I was not a fit person to keep a house. 1674. AVas not evidence taken on the charge laid ?—No evidence at all, and I was fined. When I tried to get a license they objected to it. I was in Court at the time and heard them. At one time I was in the police, and was Acting-Inspector, and I think Atchison has been jealous of me ever since. For the last ten or twelve years he has been down upon me, for what reason Ido not know. That is all I am going to say. 1675. Major Atkinson] Which is your house ? —The Criterion. Tou know I do not want this which I am saying published in the papers. 1676. The Chairman] Then your evidence, so far, is merely that you were fined for keeping your house open after hours P'—But I did not. I was fined for it, though. I will give no more evidence. 1677. Mr. Swanson] AVhat I understand you to drive at, then, is this, that there is partiality ; that, although certain persons would be prosecuted for a certain set of circumstances, others placed in a similar position would not be prosecuted?—lt is currently reported amongst the publicans that this is the case ; but I should not like to mention these matters, because one does not like running his head against a brick wall Keeping a publichouse has become my business now. It is not like being in the Civil Service, you know. I have got a lot of money to lose. Tou gentlemen need not laugh, because I know something about it. My father got a pension of £280 a year, and I was bred and brought up to it. 1678. Mr, Barton] AVell, never mind that. AVhen you went into the house in which you are now did you find any difficulty in getting a license ?—Atchison told the Bench there was no objection if I would take in boarders. 1679. When you first took the house, was there any objection to your getting a license ?—All I know is, that I had to pay £200 more than I ought to have had to pay. 1680. To whom ?—To Burrett, the bookbinder.