I.—sa

60

[b. a. patebson.

29. It had absolutely nothing at all to do with your business? —Yes, it had. 30. How?— There xvas a proposed sale of land. 31. You have nothing to do with a proposed sale of land until the money comes in?— Yes, I have. All business is shoxvn to me xvhen it passes. It does not matter whether the business is completed before—it is made known to us. 32. Do you knoxv if there xvas any other business that concerned me at that time with land on Wellington Terrace? —No, there xvas no other. 33. I mean at that time or since? —There has been no other so far as I know. 34. Anything to do with the Terrace land?— Not as far as I know. 35. No proposed sale or any suggestion of a sale? —I believe there xvas, but it has not got beyond that. 36. Are any of these proposed sales explained to you?— The only other proposed sale is in the correspondence. 37. Was that explained to you?— There xvas nothing to explain, because it has never got beyond. 38\ Was it explained by Mr. Kensington?—No, because he had never decided to do anything. 39. I want to know how it comes within your business to consider the question of sales?—l do not consider the question of sales at all. 40. Have you anything to do with sales until the sale takes place and the money actually comes to hand ?—I might have. 41. Hoxv ?—I might be asked to write the correspondence. 42. Did you in connection*xvith that sale?— No. 43. It was no part of your business to do so?—No, not particularly. 44. Mr. Lawry.] Did you know Mr. Hislop and Mr. Macdonald personally before the alleged visit? —1 did not knoxv them personally, but I have known both of them for a number of years. 45. Mr. Witty.] You said that Mr. Kensington told you the business, and that Mr. Hislop had said that Mr. Macdonald xvould xvrite?—Yes. 46. In xvhat position? —In connection with the exchange of land at Woodxvard Street. 47. Not the Craxvford affair?— No. 48. Hon. Mr. McNab.] If Mr. Macdonald cannot recall being there with Mr. Hislop, and Mr. Hislop cannot recall being there with Mr. Macdonald, are you quite positive in your own mind that the txvo gentlemen—Mr. Hislop and Mr. Macdonald—were both xvith Mr. Kensington in his room when you saxv them? —Perfectly certain, sir. 49. Hon. Mr. Hislop.] What time of the day do you say it was?—l could not tell you that exactly—not xvhether it was morning or afternoon. 50. Can you tell us of anybody else you saw that day, or any other business you had about that time?—l do not think it is a fair question to ask. 51. Do you knoxv of any other business that was done on that day?—l say I do not consider it is a fair question to ask. 52. Not xvhether you know xxhether there xvas any other business done that day? —Yes. 53. Mr. Fisher.] Ordinarily you xxould not remember any one coming to the office unless they were distinguished as public men?— That is so. 54. And at the time of this visit I suppose you must have known that Mr. Hislop had just been elected Mayor of the city?— Yes. 55. And that fact xvould impress it on your memory?—l do not think so, but he xvas a prominent public man. 56. Mr. Symes.] Do you think you could have mistaken those txvo gentlemen for any other two ?—Quite positive I could not. 57. Mr. Remington.] And you are equally certain that the subject xvas the Woodxvard Street property on which these gentlemen were there?— Yes, quite certain. F. T. O'Neill sworn and examined. (No. 17.) 1. Mr. Kensington.] What is your name?— Felix Theophilus O'Neill. 2. WTiat position do you hold in the Lands and Survey Department?— Chief Clerk. 3. Have you had long service? —Yes. 4. About how long?— Over thirty-four years. 5. Will you tell the Committee if it has not been my practice ever since I became UnderSecretary to tell you the result of any meeting I had with any public persons in connection with the business of the office, the reason being that you might be able to toll the Minister of any inquiries made xvhen I xvas absent? Has that not been my universal practice since I have been Under-Secretary ?—Yes. 6. You are quite positive of that?— Yes. 7. Do you remember, in April, 1907, my telling you that Mr. Hislop, the Mayor, and the Hon. Mr. Macdonald had paid me a visit?--Yes. 8. You remember that distinctly?— Yes. 9. Will you tell the Committee, in your oxvn way, xvhat I told you, perhaps xvithin a fexv minutes or a very short time after they had left the room ?—I remember you telling me that Messrs. Hislop and Macdonald had interviewed you regarding an exchange of land, and that Mr. Macdonald xvas to xvrite in reference to it—to put it in writing—that the exchange was to be made in connection with widening Woodxvard Street. 10. You quite understood then, from what I told you, that the two gentlemen came together at the same time? —Certainly.