STATEMENT BY MR JAMES MACKAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 142, 18 June 1896, Page 2

STATEMENT BY MR JAMES MACKAY.

With reference to tke statement made by the Hon. Mr Cadman in the House of Representatives laefc nighb, Mr James Mackay called ab onr office to-day. He states ib is entirely untrue that he acted as a representative qf private land purchasers while in the Government service; that after be had left the Government service he engaged in land purebate business, a»d concludad a number of agreements for timber cutting and other purposes on the Coroma«d«l Penintula. While he was so engaged, Mr Ormond, then Minister, requested him (Mr Mackay) to purchase land for the Government. Ho informed Mr Ormood tbab a considerable) area of land had already become eobjecb to agreement, and that the right* already existing would have to be respected. Mr Ormond replied that the Government were qnite agreeable that that should be done, and Mr Mackay etales the correspondence or. this (subject) will be found in the Blue Books. Ha (Mr Mactcay) then proceeded to B§care freeholds for the Government, and he asserts that Hoy other leases that were Q)ade were based upon private agreement* of long standing. He denies moat emphatically that ab any fcjmn daring h|a employmeatk Me pablic ier-

vice he acted for the benefit of any private p«!i8OB. He says that the whole of the Thames goldfiflds were open«d in tfa e f ac . of opposition ftpm, hostile natives throowK b|B exertipm, an^ h,e regards it a a a mi \, wrong that ab this time of day he should be made the subject of !sk?epreßentatioo,