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467. Including interest on the capital ? —Yes, on the capital paid up. 468. Has the company carried out the terms of sale stipulated for by the Government in the contract ?—Yes, as far as we have got titles for our land. 469. There has been considerable delay, has there not, in obtaining titles ? —Yes; we have not got them all yet. 470. But so far as you have dealt with the lands they have been dealt with in accordance with the regulations stipulated for by the Government at the time ?—Yes. 471. And which are very similar to their own?— Yes; indentical, I believe. 472. So that in selling these lands you are carrying out the system of settlement, which is also carried out by the Government ?—As it was carried out by the Government at the time our contract was made. 473. Now, in the townships which have been laid out by the company, have they set apart sites free of cost for educational and public purposes generally ?—ln the sites for the townships upon allocated land, and also upon the sites for townships upon our own purchased land, we have devoted five acres for educational purposes and three acres for public buildings, such as police offices, post and telegraph offices, &c, and five acres at every four miles on main roads in rural districts. 474. And so that out of your purchased lands you have made similar reserves for public purposes that the Government has stipulated for in respect to the allocated lands ?—Yes ; for educational purposes and for public purposes. 475. Now, after the late Government came into office, did you have any interviews with any members of the Government ? —Mr. Nathan, chairman of the company and several directors, have had frequent interviews with the Public Works Minister, and the Minister of Native Affairs, the Hon. Mr. Ballance. 476. The Public Works Minister, I believe, was the Hon. Mr. Eichardson?—Yes. 477. Had you an interview with the Native Minister on the 2nd of December, 1885 ?—Yes. 478. Did you, in that interview, make a minute of what had taken place ?—Yes, I did. 479. Is this a minute made immediately afterwards ?—Yes. 480. And do you believe that this correctly states what took place on the occasion ?—I submitted it to the members of the deputation, and they all recognised it as an accurate report. The deputation consisted of Messrs. Nathan, Shannon, Johnston, and myself. 481. And they considered it as a correct report of what had taken place?— Yes. 482. Was the substance of this afterwards communicated to the Government in a letter ?—■ Yes. 483. Have you the letter?— Yes. 484. Now, as a matter of fact, did Mr. Levin state, as a member of that deputation, that from his own knowledge he knew that when the company surrendered its claims in the Forty-mile Bush, Sir John Hall said he knew it was their duty to make up the blocks for allocation ?—Yes. 485. Mr. Levin, as a fact, did say so ?—Yes. 486. Did the Hon. the Native Minister dissent from the proposition of Mr. Levin?—He said that he did not recognise at that time that the company had that claim, but it was only his private opinion. 487. The point I want to know is, did the Native Minister dissent from what Mr. Levin had stated as to the understanding of his predecessor ?—No, he did not ; he merely expressed his own opinion, and said he thought the company had done its work very well, and was entitled to a recognition ; but he was not prepared to say that it was the duty of the Government to find money to purchase Native laud. 488. Can you say or not whether any communication took place with Sir Julius Vogel, who was then, I believe, Colonial Treasurer, with reference to this matter?—No individual interview, but at a subsequent interview with the Native Minister there was one. 489. I suppose you did not find Mr. Ballance very favourable to the views of the company ?— No. 490. But he did not allege or state that the proposition made by Mr. Levin was correct or otherwise ? —That is so. 491. You had a subsequent interview with him on the 9th November, 1886 ?—Yes. 492. What was that about ?—Specially advocating the company's claim, and referring to what we had been agitating about, and asking the Government to make up the deficient allocation. 493. Was there any particular block of land referred to ? —Mr. Nathan, chairman of the company, and myself were the only members of the deputation at that time. We pointed out to him that there was a probability of the Government being able to purchase the Horowhenua at that time, as we understood Major Kemp to be favourable towards making application for a subdivision of it. 494. You made a minute of what took place ?—Yes. 495. Is this the minute ?—Yes. 496. Is that a correct statement of what you believe to have taken place then ?—Yes; and it is embodied in the letter addressed to Mr. Lewis, which Mr. Lewis produced. 497. That was a letter to Mr. Lewis, written in consequence of what took place between you and the Minister?— Yes. 498. Is this a minute of what took place on the 20th May?— Yes. 499. And you addressed Mr. Lewis on the following day ?—Yes. 500. Had you any interview with Mr. Lewis about this?—On the day of the interview with the Minister Mr. Ballance introduced Mr. Nathan and myself to Mr. Lewis. The interview was to this effect, that Major Kemp was willing to go in for a subdivision, and we knew as a matter of fact that, through the influence of Mr. Alexander Macdonald, who was in the employ of the, company, Major Kemp would make that application, and that Wirihanu Hunia, who was largely interested as one of the owners of the block, was in harmony with Major Kemp at that time.