1.—7

54

Mr. Cave: Ido not think Messrs. Brogden do that. They are here not because they have any legal grounds, but they are asking for a concession. Hon. Mr. Oliver: It seems to me that, in endeavouring to put the construction which you put on Mr. Beid's letter of the 14th February, 1877, in which he consented to adopt Mr. Travers's proposals, you are greatly undervaluing Mr. Travers's letter. That letter did evidently contain proposals meeting the case, in his opinion. He was the trusted legal adviser of Messrs. Brogden. He made certain proposals which he must, as their solicitor, have thought covered the whole ground necessary to them. He immediately receives a reply consenting absolutely to his proposals. How can you get over that ? Mr. Gave: I can only say that unfortunately Mr. Henderson was not quite satisfied. Hon. Mr. Oliver: And the result was a change in the mode of procedure. Mr. Cave: Mr. Henderson had some doubts as to the course of procedure. He had some doubts as to whether Mr. Travers had got such an assurance that the clause would be waived as Mr. Travers himself thought he had. Men's minds, of course, are differently constituted, and what was enough to satisfy Mr. Travers did not satisfy Mr. Henderson.