I.—B.

138. Do you know anything of Johnston's means or position ? —No ; I have not asked any questions about him. 139. Nor what he is ?—No; I have not asked these questions. An agent does not trouble himself about these matters so long as he gets his guarantee ; that I certainly required. Ido not know anything of Johnston. I have had no communication with him in the least, nor have I had any with Mr. Gellibrand since he left this place in reference to this affair, though I have had to do with several large matters. 140. Is there anything more that you know about this matter beyond what you have told us ?— I do not think there is anything more. I know that these people are not dummies, because they were there speaking in flesh and blood. 141. Mr. Stout.] In whose handwriting is the authority ? I think it is in Mr. Gellibrand's. Is it in Johnston's handwriting ? —I could not tell you. Ido not know whose handwriting it is. 142. You know Mr. Gellibrand's handwriting? —Yes. 143. Is this in Mr. Gellibrand's handwriting ?—I do not think it is. I have letters of Mr. Gellibrand. Mr. Stout: Mr. Haggitt, you have not asked re Webb and another. Mr. Haggitt: I have not. We are confining ourselves just now to Johnston's case. It came out incidentally that there were two other persons for whom Mr. Bradshaw was acting. 144. Witness : I had authority to purchase for all three, and purchased for two. 145. Mr. Stout.] Was there any suggestion about one person transferring to another, say, from Pearsall to Johnston, or Pearsall to Webb ? —No ; nothing whatever. There was a conversation, but Ido not know whether it is material. When I saw these persons at 'my office they said some person coming from Tasmania was disappointed in not getting a section, and I think it was Pearsall who said, as he had a place of his own, he would be willing to transfer his section to the other person, but I discouraged him. I said I did not think it would be proper for a transfer to take place so soon. That is all that occurred with reference to transferring. I do not think it had anything to do with what you are trying to find out. 146. Mr. Kimbell: I have no questions to put to Mr. Bradshaw. Thomas Hughan, examined. 147. Mr. Haggitt.] You are Crown Lands Banger?— Yes. 148. And therefore you go about the country a good deal?— Yes. 149. Do you know Section 2, Block VI., Strath-Taieri, that Mr. Bradshaw has been talking about? —I was over the whole of that run. I do not know the boundaries of it, but I know the land generally. 150. You say that you do not know the exact boundaries, but you know the section ?—Yes, 151. On what run is this section?— What is called Cottesbrook Station. 152. Who are the proprietors of Cottesbrook Eun?—Smith and Gellibrand. 153. Do you know the number of the run?—No; I know the land very well. 154. Who were the last licensees of Cottesbrook Eun ?—Smith and Gellibrand. 155. On what date was it that you went over that section? —On Friday and Saturday last. 156. Were there any sheep on the section then ?—-Yes ; there were sheep all over it. 157. Did you notice the brand of the sheep?—No; I did not. I did not go sufficiently close to do that. 158. Do you know the brand of the Cottesbrook sheep?—l do not know that I do. I went over the land with one of the shepherds. 159. What shepherd ?—One of the shepherds on the station—one of the shepherds who are keeping the boundaries. 160. Are you able to say who he was?—No ; but he was a shepherd on the station. 161. You say that he was looking after the sheep running on this land, and that he is one of the servants of Smith and Gellibrand ? —Yes. 162. Were there many sheep running there?— Some thousands. 163. Do you know anything of Mr. Thomas Johnston, who is the purchaser of this section?— Only by hearsay. Ido not know him personally. 164. Do you know what is his occupation ?—Yes; he is a labouring man. He was formally bullock-driver, I understand. 165. For whom?— Partly on his own account. 166. You went to his house the other day. How is his house furnished, and what sort of a house do his family reside in ?—I was not inside the house, but it seemed to be a four- or six-roomed house. 167. Was it in the township ?—Yes; in the main street. 168. Do you know whether Gellibrand and Co., Or Smith and Gellibrand, hold any land portions of which were sold on deferred payments a short time ago?—No; Ido not know. What is known as Cottesbrook Eun forms what was originally a good number of runs. They have all been put into one. 169. You do not know the numbers of the different runs, but you know that Cottesbrook comprises the country previously held under separate licenses?— Yes. 170. 'Have any of the runs held under these licenses, or any portions of the land, been sold on deferred payments on anySccasion prior to the 28th February last, to your knowledge ?—-Some in - the Silver Peak .District were sold. 171. Was that a portion of the Cottesbrook Eun?—Yes. 172. When was that sold?— Two years ago—about that. 173. Are the purchasers living on the land which they purchased at that sale?—l am not sure. It is not in my regular district. 174. Are there sheep running over that land?— That I could not say, because I have not been ever it.

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