W. A. VEIICH.j

5

I.—B

10. What did you do with the letter addressed to yourself?—l destroyed it—the letter addressed to myself. 11. Will you please read the first page of that [document produced and handed to witness! I hat is what 1 call the covering letter?—As near as I can remember that was the letter sent to me 12. Do you notice that was marked " Private and confidential " 2—Yes. 13. If you receive a letter marked " Private and confidential," and are not prepared to treat it as private and confidential, do you not consider it to be your duty to send it back to the writer * —JMo. 14. Those are your ethics? —I do not say that. 15. You did not keep that letter, but destroyed it?—As far as 1 can recollect I destroyed it 16. What did you do with the enclosure addressed to Mr. Carr?—l do not know that 1 am prepared to admit your right to ask me. I accepted it as an enclosure to the private and confldential letter. Mr . Skerrett: Is it relative that we should ascertain the nature of the contents of the letter Mr M rT' & ; eem f. th f * had been sent to thirty-nine members of the party, or how it came to Mr. McCallum s notice? 1 apprehend that all the facts are now available to allow of the Committee to come to a decision on the matter. We have the fact admitted that the letter was sent to thirtynine members of the House. y f T ? inda \ r -\} submit that "light affect the quantum of punishment, and that lam entitled to rely on the Hansard report. Mr. McCallum is reported to have said, "I do not blame Mr. Sinclair: I must ask you to rule, Mr. Chairman, it to Mr ?cCal].mri ma "' ] * think ° Ught *° """"* l uestioll ' Mr - Veitch '—Well, I did hand 19. Mr Sinclair.] Now I want the date?—l cannot give you the date. I considered the letter contained statements of a discreditable nature. coiy>.meiea tne lettei 20. You got the letter some time in March?—l cannot remember the date «.V;S.wfilKS: ,n " ,e H "" e m " hioh '»B°id'"tod8° id '" tod ><*"-'•> •'■« t w»^otru:~i!i\,«v~?wlxTpir:::f^^:r- d - "* d "- Mte »»• ■» fl w 3 ' Dl i yOU not h ar the S P eaker rule that if Mr. McCallum brought the matter up before the House the moment he received the letter he was entitled to have it treated as a matter of urgency ?-I cannot tell you the time, but it was one or two days previous to that v !v. a atter ° f faOt ' WaS i<; not a week before?—l" cannot say that 'it was Ido not remember the date exactly. Ido not want to shuffle out of the matter at all but you are trying to tie me down to details winch it is impossible for me at this time to remember ? 7 S up at of y0 " the lotter by POSt -- l deli — d t0 him P-onally-either HousS-^es.fdid!" 0 l Understand 0U re S arded the letter « attack upon a member of the 27. And you thought it proper that such ah attack, should be brought under the notice of the member concerned?-I thought it only fair .that he should know what had been said of Mm 31. But you cannot speak with any positiveness on the point?— if t\ ■ , te incorrS" Wi "' " r - M ° C *"" m ' S > Mmt '» b « «orp«lt-I have no ~.,„„ ,„ Wieve it to July, I9li. —lhe Hon. Thomas Mackenzie, M P Wellington T l "lenneim, acknowledge the receipt of your communication'of the lltf 4 tl