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V. E. N. (-lAUPTN.

149. But ho used to pay the troops in gold up to a certain point?— Only £2 or £3. 150. Was not the reason that he stopped paying the troops in gold the fact that the troops spent the gold with the traders, and the gold was not put into circulation again?— But it was in circulation. I got £832 in gold that was in circulation. 151. You got that from the traders?— Yes. 152. What caused Colonel Logan to stop the payment of gold to the troops?— But Colonel Logan paid most of it himself. He was buying from the traders such things as engines, hiring cars, vehicles and lorries, horses and cattle. 1.53. Was he paying out gold or paper?— Only for the first fortnight he paid in gold. 154. At the time you -knew you were committing a breach of the regulations' in taking the gold away, did Colonel Logan tell you there would be a penalty attached to taking the gold away?—No, he did not tell me there would, be any penalty; but I must admit I knew it was a breach of the regulations to take the gold away, because there was a Proclamation. 155. You got a warning from the Proclamation?— Yes. 156. Why did not the senders of the letters post them in the usual way—it may be said the steamer was just going, but I believe it is a violation of the postal regulations for any one to carry letters without putting them in the post?— That is so, but the position was that the mail closed, at 10 o'clock in the morning. I promised Mr. Klinkmuller to carry the portmanteau, and he also asked me to take a note, and I did so. 157. Sir John Findlay stated that the letters were not to be delivered. Were the letters delivered to a British officer voluntarily on your arrival ?—They were taken from me. 158. What guarantee was there that you would not deliver those letters —that you would post them?— Well, I am a Britisher as you are, and I never doubted that they would consider my intentions as honest, I could have posted those letters on the ship and got rid of them in Fiji, but I held them with the honest intention of passing them over to Colonel Patterson together with the portmanteau. I would not have put the portmanteau in the post. 159. He was the officer who conducted the trial at Apia?— No. Colonel Logan was convener ; Major Head, Captain Kidd, and Lieutenant Gascoigne comprised the Court. 1.60. I do not suppose either of those officers had had. much experience of such matters?—T do not suppose I am expected to give any information on that point, 161. Mr. T. W. Rhodes.] You stated in your evidence that it had been your custom practically for years before to- carry letters; to New Zealand?—lt has been the custom for years in connection, with our firm and other firms. 1 62. But, to your own knowledge, the conditions were different to what they were when you carried them before? —That is so; but down in Samoa there was no feeling of bitterness. Everything was going on quite smoothly and nicely, and one would not think there was a war, although I saw the New Zealand troops walking about. I never thought for a moment that I was going to get into such serious trouble. 163. Do you not think it was at least indiscreet?—l admit that, on reflection. 164. It did not strike you at the time? —No, it did not. 1.65. You stated that included in the amount of money you brought with you was a portion due to creditors' in Auckland: did you mean creditors of your firm?— Yes. 166. Money for your firm?— Yes, every sovereign of it was for the firm. 167. I suppose there is no bank in Samoa that you could send it through?— There was no bank. 168. So that in the absence of Colonel Logan failing to agree to your proposal to issue a draft, you had either to leave the money there or adopt the course you did? —Yes, that is so. 169. Mr. Dickson.] You have been convicted of this charge, and you are a Justice of the Peace?—l was. 170. Was that cancelled?— That was immediately taken away from me. 171. Do you consider this prosecution was taken up simply because you were a member of the firm of which Kronfeld was the chairman?—l think if I had been connected with any other firm in New Zealand there would not have been any trouble at all. The name of Kronfeld was sufficient: that is my honest opinion. 172. Another traveller was in Samoa at the same time: did he collect any money there?— I prefer not to say. 173. Did he do anything different to what you did except receiving letters?—Am I bound to answer that question? 174. In regard to Major Kav, who was he?— Major Kay was second in command of the Auckland Regiment, and next to Colonel Fulton in Samoa, 175. When you were down there did you spend any evenings in the officers' quarters?—T spend most of mv spare time with the British officers. 1.76. How did you get through, the lines' to the officers' quarters?—On only two occasions was I out after 10 o'clock at night, and at that time I was in company with the Deputy Governor of Samoa and Judge Roberts. That is how T succeeded in getting through the lines on that occasion. On the other occasion I simply mentioned the fact that I was an officer on the Reserve of Military Forces in New Zealand, and I was immediately allowed to pass. 177. You say you. spent several evenings with the officers inside the lines?— Yes; on one occasion an officer accompanied me up to the Central himself. 178. Have yon seen the police report?—l have never seen it, It was applied for by me before T went to Samoa. T may tell the Committee that that report was withheld from the Court proceedings, and T could not understand that. I know that the report made by DetectiveSergeant Hollis was absolutely in my favour. Why it was withheld Ido not know. 179. Mr. Harris.] Had you any knowledge of the contents of those letters or manuscript for the New Zealand Herald at the time you received them? —I had not.