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428. Then, the Committee are to understand that the only contribution of the State towards Bellamy's are the coal, premises, furniture, and your salary?— Yes. 429. Any other person's salary ?—No. 430. "With reference to your salary : your salary is paid for the performance of all your duties, of which the superintendence of Bellamy's is only a small portion ?—Yes ; only a small portion. 431. About one-fourth or so?— About one-fourth. 432. For even the fourth of the year during which the session lasts, you have still your other ■duties ?—Yes ; I have plenty of duties to perform. 433. So that it would be nearer one-fifth than one-fourth in that case ?—Yes.

Monday, sth July, 1886. Captain House, Sergeant-at-Arms, in attendance, and examined. 434. The Chairman.] I find your duties scheduled in this return. [Schedule read.] Do yon also appoint the Messengers ?—I submit the names to the Speaker and the Speaker appoints. 435. Have you any duties during the recess?—No special duties. Mr. F. E. Campbell, Clerk of Parliaments, in attendance, and examined. 436. The Chairman.] You are Clerk of the House of Representatives ?—Yes. 437. Do you appoint the officers, clerks, and people of that kind employed?—l do not appoint the superior clerks. 438. But you appoint the assistants ?—The sessional clerks, yes. 439. Then, the messengers and people of that class? —I have now nothing to say to the appointment of that class, but I had for many years. The control has been taken out of my hands and placed in the hands of the Sergeant-at-Arms. 440. Do you know why that was done?— Partly to ease my duties. 441. Your own duties occupy some time during the recess? —Yes; some considerable time during the recess. Indeed, I may say that there is no time during the recess in which I have not certain duties to attend to. 442. You have two assistants, have you not ?—There are the First and Second Clerk-Assistant. There is also another permanent assistant—the Eecord Clerk. 443. Have those gentlemen much to do during the recess ? —I have stated in the return which you have before you somewhat of their duties. The First Clerk-Assistant has not much to do, virtually nothing but to complete the record of the proceedings of the House in Committee. 444. The Second Clerk-Assistant, is he required much during the recess ?—Yes. 445. Does he attend during office-hours in the building? —Yes. 446. Then, there is the Eeader ?—His duties are stated in the return furnished; it is also stated there that his services are only available ten days before the session and for ten days after. 447. Do you know anything of the Interpreters ; do you appoint them ?—They are appointed by the Speaker; their services are for the session only. A salary of £200 was at first allowed them for interpreting in the House only. Afterwards the duty of attending the Native Affairs Committee was laid on them, for which they are allowed £25 each. Subsequently, when it was ordered that the Native members' speeches in both Houses should be printed in Maori, a further sum of £20 each was allowed for that service to the Interpreters of both Houses. 448. I think you stated that you had the appointment of the Committee Beporters?—Not now; the Speaker has taken the appointment of Committee Eeporters into his own hands, 449. Mr. Garrick.] The Hon. Mr. Reynolds has given evidence before this Committee as to the estimates of the Legislative Department, and the persons who were responsible for them : are you able to say whether the estimates of the Legislature are subject to review by any person ? Whether they are to be considered the Speakers' estimates; and whether they are subject to review in any way?—l have seen Mr. Eeynolds's evidence. It is a new theory to me that they are the Speaker's estimates. It is quite true that he signs them, and sends them to the Government, but I always understood that the Government were responsible. The question was, I think, first raised sometime in 1879 or 1880. In consequence of the diversity of opinion on the subject, I obtained from Sir Erskine May a statement as to the practice of the Imperial Parliament. The following is an extract from a letter received from him: "House of Commons, 24th February, 1880.—The expenditure for the Houses of Parliament is authorized and controlled in precisely the same manner as that of other public departments. The estimates are prepared for the several departments and services in each House, and sent in to the Treasury. The Treasury may accept them as they are received, or arrange with the departments for any reduction ; but in either case they are presented to Parliament by Her Majesty's command, and upon the responsibilty of Ministers of the Crown. They are voted by the House of Commons, and included in the Appropriation Act, and are subject to the Audit Office like the votes for other 'departments. In neither House has the Speaker or any other officer any authority to vary the appropriation of any of the votes.' —T. Eeskinb May." 450. Does the same practice as you have just read obtain here ?—I think different Ministers have taken different views of the subject. I have heard it recently stated in the House that the estimates were the Speakers' estimates, and the Minister of the day declined to interfere or defend them. But I have been accustomed also for many years to hear Ministers express an opposite view; in effect, that they were responsible for the whole of the estimates. 451. Do I understand you that, as the practical result, the Speaker does furnish the estimates of legislative expenditure to the Minister ?—Yes. 452. And he either adopts them or not, as he pleases? —Yes. 453. Mr. Barron.) You have been a good many years in your present position as Clerk of the House of Eepresentatives ?—I have been a servant of the House for thirty-two years.