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72. Roan too?—He is sitting next to me. 73. Did he have a look at it? —I do not know that he had a look at it. The others were standing round; I could not be sure whether he saw it or not. 74. The letter was handed to you while Roan was sitting next, and opened by you while he was sitting next to you ?—I would not be sure he looked at it; he may have seen it. 75. Can you tell us the words you said ? —I could, not tell the exact words. 76. Tell us the effect of them?—l mentioned I had received an invitation to an Orange Lodge meeting. 77. Can you tell me how Mr. Roan could know from that statement that that letter, say, contained an invitation to an Orange Lodge meeting? Have a look. How could Mr. Roan possibly tell from your opening a letter and saying you had an invitation from an Orange Lodge that that letter contained an invitation ? —I could not say, unless he knew the inscription on the top. Mr. Gray: The reference to box 912. 78. Mr. Ostler.] You do not know who rents the box, do you? You could not tell?—No; I cannot explain. 79. Mr. Gray.] Did Roan have an opportunity of seeing the envelope?—He was sitting next, and if he cared to look he could have seen this stamped thing, " Return to box 912." John Bleakley, Assistant Officer in Charge of Letter-carriers, Auckland, examined. 1. Mr. Gray.] What is your name?— John Bleakley. 2. What are you? —Assistant Officer in Charge of Letter-carriers in the Auckland Post-office. 3. Do you know that in the first week in July some letters for box 912, or coming from box 912, were submitted to the Censor?— Yes. 4. Is it part of your duty to see that letters that come in, intended to be censored, go to the Censor?—No; it is really the duty of the Officer in Charge, Mr. Abercrombie. 5. What is your duty with them?—ln his absence I receive them, and hand them to him when he comes in. 6. Did you receive any letters to be submitted to the Censor from that box 912 in the first week in July? —No; I saw a number on Mr. Abercrombie's table, 7. Do you know that the Censor released some letters? —Yes. 8. What were they?— Letters similar to those produced. 9. Bearing the superscription " Return to box 912"?— Yes. 10. When were they released ?—About 11 a.m. on the Monday. 11. That is to say, they came back from the Censor about 11 a.m. on Monday, the 9th July? —Yes. 12. When letters are released in that way—received from the Censor—what is done with them?— They are sorted up to the letter-carriers again. In this particular case special notice was taken of it, and Mr. Abercrombie, Officer in Charge, distributed them to the letter-carriers. 13. If these letters were released by 11 o'clock would they be in time for the 2 o'clock delivery? —Yes. 14. Can you say whether or not letters received from the Censor that day were given out to the letter-carriers in time for the afternoon delivery?—l can say none were left behind by the letter-carriers on the afternoon delivery. 15. After when? —After 2 o'clock. 16. Does that mean-they had all gone out?— That means all the suburban men had gone out. 17. What about the city men ?—They go out at 3 or half past. 18. What have you to say about them? —Nothing. My hours of duty are from 7 to 3. I made no check. 19. Who would know about the afternoon delivery in the city?—l do not know that anybody would, unless Mr. Abercrombie. 20. You had not charge, then, of all the correspondence?— No. 21. You were dealing with the letter-carriers who went out delivering during your hours?— Yes. 22. " Mr. Bailey, Richmond Road, Grey Lynn," would be a suburban delivery. Are you able to say whether that letter was left in the letter-carriers' rack after 2 o'clock on Monday, the 9th July ?—I am able to say it was not. 23. This bears the postmark " Auckland, 7th July, 5 a.m." I—l am speaking about Monday. 24. If this was included in the correspondence released by the Censor at 11 a.m. on the Monday, it was not left behind by the letter-carriers ?—I would say it was not in the letter-carriers' room at 2 o'clock. 25. Where else could it be? —I have no idea. 26. In ordinary course should it be in the letter-carrier's bag at 2 o'clock?— Yes. 27. And should have been delivered by him that afternoon?— Yes. 28. Do you ever find instances of letter-carriers holding letters over and taking them out for delivery next day?— Rarely. 29. Mr. Ostler.] You do not know whether it was released by the Censor or not?— No. John Peter Porteous Clouston, Censor, Auckland, examined. 1. Mr. Gray.] What is your name? —John Peter Porteous Clouston. 2. W T hat official position do you at present hold? —I am Acting Senior Clerk in the Chief Post-office, Auckland. 3. That is your official position? —As far as the Post-office is concerned.

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