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1896. £ s. d Dec. 22. Attending at Native Appellate Court, Wellington, on the hearing of the claim by the Hunia family to the purchase-money of the State farm, now in hands of the Public Trustee (£4,000), and watching the case on your behalf and in the interests of the tribe, who contend that the allotment of the State farm exhausts Hunia's share in the estate— Two days, at £4 4s. per diem ... ... ... ... ... 8 8 0 1 Dec. 24 to Special trip to Manawatu District and to Hawke's Bay for the purpose of Jan. 1, collecting information required in support of your case, both in 1897. Supreme Court and Native Appellate Court, including two visits to Horowhenua for the purpose of briefing Maori witnesses— Eight days absent, at £4 4s. per diem .... ... ... ... 37 16 0 1897. Nine days'expenses, at £1 Is. per diem ... ... ... ... 990 Jan. 12 to Special visit to Wanganui and Auckland, as authorised, for purpose of Feb. 14 briefing evidence required by counsel, and generally to give effect to inclusive. your instructions— Twenty-five days absent, at £4 4s. per diem ... ... ... 105 0 0 Twenty-five days'expenses, at £1 Is. per diem ... ... ... 26 5 0 Feb. 16. Visit to Levin, as arranged with you, for the purpose of meeting Muaupoko claimants on your side — Engaged the whole day selecting the witnesses, &c. ... ... 4 4 0 Expenses for one day ... ... ... ... ... ... 110 May 23. Attending on Mr. H. D. Bell, and long conference with him at his house, and appointment made for to-morrow ... ... ... ... 0 13 4 May 24. Conference with Mr. Bell and Mr. Beddard, and settled form of pleadings; long and special ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 11 6 June 8. Long conference with Mr. Bell, by appointment, at his house ... ... 110 Nov. 2. Attending Mr. Bell, by appointment, at his house in the evening, and engaged till midnight considering points raised by Judge Mackay's special case for the Supreme Court ... ... ... ... 220 Nov. 3to Engaged for three days in the Court of Appeal attending and instructing 5. Mr. Bell, as counsel, at £4 4s. per diem ... ... ... ... 12 12 0 Dec. 10 to Special visit to Horowhenua, as instructed by you, for purpose of collecting 13 inclu- evidence before applying to Supreme Court for injunction— sive. Four days absent, at £4 4s. per diem ... ... ... ... 16 16 0 Four days'expenses, at £1 Is. per diem. ... ... ... ... 440 Dec. 25. Special visit to Horowhenua, as instructed by you— Two days absent, at £4 4s. per diem ... ... ... ... 8 8 0 Two days' expenses, at £1 Is. per diem ... ... ... ... 220 Dec. 31. Amount forwarded to Judge Wilson, by your direction, on account of his expenses as a witness attending from Auckland ... ... ... 10 0 0 Amount paid, by your instructions, in settlement of an old claim for rates due by you, legal proceedings having been threatened ... ... 4 13 9 £350 8 6 14th October, 1898. W. L. Bullee.

COBBESPONDENCE UPON THE CASE AS BEFOBE THE COMMITTEE. Sic,— Wellington, 13th September, 1898. I have the honour to forward herewith the further statement asked for by your Committee on the 31st ultimo. It is strictly in compliance with the terms of the resolution, except as to the one item of solicitor's costs. I have given full particulars of the fees charged by me as counsel in the Native Appellate Court, and also the total amount of my costs and disbursements as solicitor ; but, in the face of the inclosed letter from Mr. Bell, it is obviously impossible for me to place the details of these costs before the Committee. I have, &c, The Chairman, Public Petitions Committee A to L, W. L. Bullee. House of Bepresentatives. Deae Sic, — Panama Street, Wellington, 12th September, 1898. You must remember that you, as a solicitor, are prohibited by the rule of law as to professional confidence from producing any bill of costs containing statements of the nature of work done for your client. The privilege is the client's, not the solicitor's, and any attempt on the solicitor's part to disclose privileged matter will be restrained by injunction. So strict is this rule that the Court of Appeal in England sits in private in such matters alone to hear motions for injunction. See Mellor v. Thompson, 31 Ch. Div. 55. The rule applies equally to bills of costs as to other documents. See Annual Practice for 1898, p. 604. And it applies with greater force after the death of the client. You cannot, therefore, in giving the particulars required by the Public Petitions Committee, give details of the matters charged for in your solicitor's costs. Yours, &c. H. D. Bell. Sir Walter L. Buller, K.C.M.G., Wellington.