I.—3a

42

29. How did you get the list ?—I got it either from Eikihana or from Cochrane. 30. When did you get that list from Eikihana?—l got it from Cochrane about an hour before Eikihana went to the post-office to sign the deed. 31. Was it in Coehrane's office? —Yes; he could not get it anywhere else. 32. How many cheques were in this list that Eikihana gave you?—Oh, I could not tell. I have a document in my pocket that could tell. I think the way Eikihana described it was right. 33. What did those cheques amount to altogether?—£l3o 10s. 34. That was the amount that Eikihana actually got ? —Yes. 35. Then were there any other cheques on the list but these ?—Yes. 36. You said the cheques altogether amounted to £130 10s. ?—I mean the cheques Eikihana gave. 37. You said the list of cheques you got from Eikihana only amounted to £130 10s. ?—Oh, they amounted to £217. 38. You also stated in your evidence that you did not tell the Natives that the Government were paying 7s. 6d. per acre?—l said in my evidence that they did not know until they went to sign the deed. 39. Did you tell them before or after they signed the deed that the Government were paying 7s. 6d. per acre ?—I did not tell them at all. 40. Before or after signing the deed did you tell them that they were to receive 7s. 6d. per acre? —I did not. 41. Why did you not tell them that ?—I thought it was better not to tell them. Any one dealing with Natives uses his own discretion. I had no object in keeping it back. I never saw the deed until they went to sign it. 42. I am now going to put to you what may be considered a conscientious question : Did you consider it the correct thing to receive these high sums from the Natives while at the same time you were being paid by the Government ? —I think it was a right thing to get all I could from the Natives. I could have got hundreds of pounds more, if I liked. 43. You admit that the Government paid you £50?— Yes, towards expenses ; on condition that there were to be no survey-expenses. 44. Cochrane got £30 for interpreting. The £50, I consider, is payment for something in connection with this land ? —lt was so much money given on condition that there were no extra expenses. I would not take all the risk. [The Hon. Mr. Mitchelson read from the written evidence the questions and answers on this particular point.] Mr. Lunclon : When Mr. Sheridan was giving his evidence, I asked him did he know me, and he said he did not. " I don't know him," were his words. 44a. The Chairman.] Then, my reason for putting the question is that I consider it looks like payment by both parties ?—£so could not pay for doing that, nor two fifties. 45. That is not the point. It is not because a person agreed to take a certain sum ?—I am no party to that agreement. '16. You accepted £50 ?—I was offered the £50. 47. Have you accepted the £50? —I have. 48. You must have been a party to the agreement ?—No ; certainly not. The expenses were £130; and my own expenses—the value put upon my time—was £100. 49. Hon. Mr. Carroll.'] When you first saw the Government about this block, did you tell the Government that you, acting on behalf of the Natives, could purchase for the Government, and purchase at 7s. 6d. an acre?—No; I did not tell the Government. 50. Mr. W. Kelly.] Who did you tell ?—I told Mr. Cadman that that block of land was for sale. 51. Hon. Mr. Carroll.] When you first saw the Government in connection with this block, did you state that it was in the market for 7s. 6d. an acre ?—I do not think so. I said it was in the market; I did not mention the price. 52. Did you offer to get it for the Government at 7s. 6d. an acre ? —No; I offered to sell to the Government, and they put a price on it, not me. 53. So 7s. 6d. an acre was the price that the Government were willing to give?— Yes. 54. And you agreed to that?—l told the Government I could get it for less. 55. Why did you say you could get it for less money ?—Because I knew they were very anxious to sell; they told me so. 56. Was it not because you were acting on behalf of the Natives?—l had been acting for those Natives off and on for twenty odd years in all their troubles. I have gone to the Eegistry Office with them to see how the land stood. 57. Had you any special authority at the time you made the statement that you could get the block cheaper than 7s. 6d. an acre?—No ; none. 58. None? —None whatever. They sold the other half of the block for half a crown an acre. 59. So, then, you were not'acting under special instructions from the Natives when you were arranging about the purchase of that block with the Government ?—I had no written authority. 60. Then, if you could act, as you assume to have acted, as agent for the Natives without any written authority, where was the necessity for getting a written authority afterwards, the same day the deed was signed?—l did not get a written authority. They arranged to sell. When they arranged to sell I asked them for a written authority. I was not bound in any way. I was a free agent. 61. Then, when they agreed to sell, before the deed was signed, it became necessary to have a written authority from them ?—I thought so. 62. Then you also became their agent from the date of that agreement?—l have seen them