a—s

32

Mr. D. AsnER examined. On the 29th August, 1879, Mr. Ashcr received a sum of L6O 9s. 6d. in payment of his account (cheque L6O, cash 9s. 6d.). The account referred to includes cash advanced on the order of Mr. Warbrick, as follows: Paid to Mr. Warbrick, sth June, 1879, Ll5 ; 7th June, 1879, L 5 ; 6th June, 1879, L 5: paid to Warbrick's son, 11th June, 1879, L 5 10s.: total, L3O 10s. Mr. Asher states that he sent in his bill in August, 1879 ;it amounted to Ll3B 16s. 6d. He called at the office, requesting payment. Mr. Warbrick asked him to write down certain items of the bill as directed by him. Mr. Warbrick then selected the items making up the sum of L6O 9s. 6d. shown in Mr. Asher's statement, and thereupon Mr. Warbrick handed him a cheque for L6O, and 9s. 6d. in cash. Hans Tapsell examined. Has had advances on To Puke. Voucher 35,365, L 5, sth of November, 1878. —Payment admitted. Thinks it was in cash. Voucher 38,686, L5O, 27th November, 1878.—Payment admitted. Received it by cheque. All payments on account of Te Puke were on behalf of his wife. Voucher 51,593, L 24, 20th January, 1879.—Admits signature. Says he received the money in Auckland by a cheque of L 24, or perhaps L2B, drawn by Young on the bank at Tauranga. He cashed it at Tauranga. He received the cheque from Mr. Young. He received LlO in notes in Auckland from a friend of Mr. Sheehac's, in the presence of Young. This LlO he divided equally with his brother Philip. He understood the whole amount of L3B was a present, and not a payment on account of land. Voucher 72,975, L 2, 24th of March, 1879. —Admits signature, but does not remember receiving the money. Has often signed vouchers as a request for money, understanding that they would then be forwarded to Wellington for authority to make the payment. Sometimes he got the money on such documents ; sometimes not. Voucher 72,973, L2l Bs. 6d., 31st of March, 1879.—Admits signature. Did not receive the money.. Amount appears in Young's cheque-book as " Hans Tapsell, refund to National Bank." Tapsell states that he did borrow from the National Bank L2O for three months ; but that, on receiving L3OO for some land he had sold in the Waikato, he handed L2O to Young in Maketu to repay his debt to the bank. On the visit of Mr. Young to Maketu subsequently, he asked Young if he had paid the debt to the bank, and Young said he had. Voucher 74,962, LlO 55., 30th of April, 1879. —Admits signature. Appears to have been paid to Chaytor (part of Ls7) for half a ton of flour and 1 bag of sugar. The payment was for assistance in acquiring the Te Puke Block. As to Patetere, he states that he asked Mr. Sheehan, when in Tauranga, for L3OO. He replied that ho could not give him anything till he had been to Auckland. When Mr. Sheehan got to Auckland, he telegraphed to Young to pay L2OO to Tapsell and his brothers. Of this sum he (Hans) got L5O ; believes Philip got L5O ; but does not know how much Retireti had. As to voucher 39,985, L 25, 26th of August, 1879 ; voucher 39,927, L 25, 23rd of August, 1879 ; voucher 41,851, LLS, 23rd of September, 1879; voucher 41,852, L 35, 27th of September, 1879, Hans Tapsell admits all these payments as correct except the Ll5, which he does not remember.

At Maketu, 16th Febetjart, 1880. Rota Rangioba examined. Voucher 28,597, L 25, 24th of October. —Admits receipt from "Warbrick. A cheque was drawn, and he and "Warbrick went together to the National Bank, got the cash, and returned to the office, where it was paid him. Voucher 7,735, L 2, 28th of June, 1879. —Payment admitted. Paid by "Warbrick by cheque. (Payment doubtful. Cheques 228 and 229 cashed; not known by whom.) Voucher 51,593, LlO, sth of February, 1879 (part of a cheque for L 22 4s. paid to George Gardiner). —Did not receive the money. Once owed Gardiner about LlO for a plough. Mr. Young paid for it. Did not sign a voucher when he got the plough or any other goods, but only when he received money. Sometimes signed one voucher, sometimes two. There seemed to be no rule. Two signatures were required from some men, only one from others. Voucher 39,992, LlO, 23rd of August.—Admits receipt of food to that amount at Ohiuemutu ("Way's store). Had no money. Voucher 39,993, L 5, 29th August.—Admits receipt in a cheque. Believes he received it in June. Thinks that in August he was in Ohinemutu. Ereatere, his son, who is charged with a similar sum on same date, agrees with above. Voucher 41,839, L 7 15s. 6d., 30th of September.—Does not remember receiving this sum. (Appears to bo part of a cheque of L4O paid to Lee.) Voucher 41,840, £7, 30th of September (also part of above cheque of L4O). —Says that he got a watch, price 505.; shawl, 40s. ; mackintosh, 80s. ; umbrella, 6s. ; two coats, vests, trousers, and shirt; three boys' coats at 12s. each: about L 9. Voucher 21,714, L 5, 7th of September, 1878. —Admits receipt. Voucher 21,714, L 5, 12th of September, 1878. —Admits receipt (paid to Mrs. Robertson). Admits payment was made to her by his consent. Voucher 68,414, L 4 10s., 15th March, 1879. —Says he received the amount from Young and Warbrick by cheque. Does not know on what bank. (Appears to be a part of L 407.) Says Mr. Young did not seem to care to whom he paid money due to Natives. If a man died, Young would pay his money to another man. If a man was away in Napier, Mr. Young would pay that man's money to another if he applied for it. In some cases the money would reach the man entitled to it; in others it would not. Voucher 72,954, LI 10s., 24th of March, 1879.—Admits receipt by cheque. (Part of L2OB 3b. 9d,, paid to National Bank, Warbrick's No. 2 account.)