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567. Mr. Bell.~\ How much was stopped out of your wages ?—I think it might have been three half-crowns. It was either three half-crowns or one ;I am not certain. 568. Was there more stopped from wages for you than for a single man ? Tour passage-money was £45, and a single man's would be £15 ? —I do not know if more was stopped. I believe there was, but cannot say for certain. 569. How long after you left the firm were you sued ? —I think it must have been twelve months. 570. Where were you in the meantime ?—I was working for the Corporation of Wellington. 571. What were you earning ? —los. a day 572. What were you doing when you were sued ?—I was still there. By some means I was discharged from my employment, and was out two or three weeks until the matter was seen into, and then I was re-employed, and kept there seven years. 573. The Chairman.'} You said there was a distinction between the treatment of you and the Government immigrants on board F—l am positive there was. 574. Was there not an agent of the firm on board ? —There was. I think his name was Lawson. On several occasions, when my wife was ill, I went to the doctor for medical comforts, but he would neither give them nor sell them. 575. Did you not make representations to the agent ? —I did; and I believe he spoke to the captain about it. 576. And, notwithstanding the representation made by Mr. Lawson, the Brogden immigrants were not treated differently ? —No, we were not; it seemed to make no difference. 577. Why were you treated differently ?—I cannot tell the reason for it. 578. When the vessel arrived here, were any representations made to the Government as to the treatment ? —Tes ; by me and others. 579. To whom ?—lt was down at the Customhouse. 580. Was there no complaint made to the Commissioners when they came off to the ship, on her arrival. Their first inquiry is as to the treatment —if there are any complaints ? —I do not recollect anything of that sort, Sir. If there was, they got the straight answer from me. 581. But were no complaints made to the Commissioners ?—I cannot positively answer that question, because I do not recollect. 582. Were complaints made afterward ?—Tes. 583. In writing ?—Several of us appeared, to give our statements. They came round with a petition for us to sign, for the captain and crew ; but I and some others would not sign it. 584. Whom were the statements made to ? —I think to the Immigration Agent. 585. With what result ?—There was nobody there the second time the meeting came on. 586. Hon. Mr. Richardson.} What wages were paid by the firm ? —7s. or Bs. a day, I cannot say which. 587. How many hours ? —I think ten hours, at that time, or they wanted ten hours. I believe it was eight hours we worked. I will not speak positively 588. When you left, did you get work at once? —Not directly Before I got anything fairly it might have been six weeks. 589. And, then, at what wages ? —Bs. a day at first, for eight hours. 590. Were there any dissatisfied among the men at the hours ?—There was, at first; but that was altered. That was altered to satisfy the men. 591. Mr. Turnhwll.} Was there any talk among the men about the difference in price between you and the Government immigrants ?—There was a great deal said about that. It caused all surprise. The sore point among us was that these people paid half, and we paid double ; and whenever the Government immigrants complained to the captain he would set things right, but not for us. 592. Did that excite any discontent among the Brogden immigrants ?—Tes ; all I spoke to were dissatisfied. 593. Did you represent that to the agents when you got here?— There was hardly time to do so. It was hurried over as quickly as possible. There was no time to speak of it on board the ship. 594. Captain Kenny.~\ Tou signed a promissory note for £45 ? —I think so, 595. What induced you to sign it ? —I came to the colony to better myself. 596. Were there any conditions on which you signed ?—I believe the conditions were that when we came to the colony, and settled down to work, there would be a portion of land for each of us. 597 When you signed the note, was it simply for the passage-money, or were there other conditions, as a guarantee of a certain rate of wages for a certain time ? —I think not. 598. You simply gave the promissory notes for the passage ? —I could hardly remember. 599. Were you prepared to pay ? —No. 600. Why ?—Because I had no means to do it. 601. Then you have no complaint to make. Tou simply found yourself unable to meet your engagements, and. took the legal course to get rid of your liability ? —I thought of the unjustness of charging me so much, and letting me have less than the Government immigrants on the voyage. I do not think any man would support a thing like that. I would hare tried more than I did, provided I had been satisfied as to the treatment on the way out. 602. Then you would not pay even if you had been in a position to ? —No, not if I could help it. 603. Although you had signed this document and entered into the contract ? —I promised to pay. 604. Mr. Turnbull.~\ Would you have given that note for £45 if you could have got out for £25 ? —No ; but I did not know at that time. 605. How soon did you hear ?—I heard on the passage. Sir G. M. O'Eoeke, examined. 606. Mr. Trovers.} I believe, Sir Maurice, that you were Minister for Immigration in the years 1872 and 1873 ?—Tes; from October, 1872, to October, 1873.