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Thursday. 12th October, 1911. William b'BRGUSON Masset, M.P.. recalled. (No. 25.) The Chairman: The Committee have decided, Mr. Massey, in connection with a paragraph that has been placed before the Committee by Sir James Carroll, that you should be asked to give any evidence regarding it, or to say whether the statement is correct. Sir James Carroll has the paragraph before him. 1. Hon. Sir J. Carrol/.] I have asked the Committee, before we complete the Mokau case, to allow me to ask you one question, which you can answer or not as you like, but I think it only fair, so far as the Government is concerned, that you should be asked it. It is with regard to a statement you made when dealing with the Mokau case in your address at Levin, giving a special significance to the creation of a clause which was inserted in the Xative Land Act. This is what you are reported to have said : " What lifts been sold was the right to exploit settlers, and was done by virtue of a wretched little provision which had been slipped into the Land Act to permit the issue of an Order in Council." Of course, that directly charges the Government with having specially designed a clause in connection with the Mokau Block. That is the question I now put to you?—l did not say so. You will probably recollect, 1 think, that when the head of the Department was being examined I asked the question, " Was the clause inserted to Meet this case? " and his reply was in the negative. I think it was the head of the Department T asked. Anyway, I asked the question while the evidence was being taken. 2. I thought it only right to all concerned that you should be asked this question, because you yourself see there is a direct accusation of the Government? —Oh, no. I got my answer when the evidence was being taken, and I did not want to leave that impression. At the same time, I think it is a power that should not be there in that form. 3. Iliat is a different thing : that is your opinion?— Yes, that is my opinion. Probably when the Bill was going through Committee I would not have noticed it, because, as you know, we are in the habit of leaving Bills dealing with Native matters to the Native Affairs Committee. Unfortunately, I was away most of the time while this Bill was being dealt with. It was not noticed in the Upper House either.