THE EL DORADO G.D. COMPANY AND ITS LATE SECRETARY. —AN EXPLANATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2527, 20 August 1902, Page 25

THE EL DORADO G.D. COMPANY AND ITS LATE SECRETARY. —AN EXPLANATION.

"With .reference to the report of the above company's meeting, published in our columns on the 15th inst., we have been requested to publish the instructions under which the company's solicitor acted in connection with the proceedings that were taken against the secretary, Mr Branigan. It will be seen from the following information pupphed to us that Mr Calvert should certainly bo exonerated from any blame for the failure of the proceedings ihat were taken : — On the 27th May Mr Calvert received instructions' to see Branigan and arrange for payment of the full amount, failing which steps were to be taken to prosecute.- Mr Calvert wrote Branigan the same day. On the 29th May Mr Calvert saw Branigan, who requested time till the arrival of the first Melbourne eteamer, by . which mail lie expected assistance. Ou the 30th. May Mr Calvert wrote to Mr Stevenson informing him. of this request, and asking- -for instructions'. Ho saw iHr Stevenson the &ame day, and was instructed to accede to the request. On June 4 Mr Calvert saw Branigan, who said no le.ter had arrived, and asked for further time till tho ,vxt boat arrived. On June 6Mr Calvert saw Mr Stevenson, who decided to wait till next nail Mr Calvert received no further instructions, and learned that a meeting of directors vas to is nc-ld to d.scuss the matter with Bianiga.i. On June 18 Branigan was unable to make any satisfactory arrangement, and on June 19 Mi- Calvert was instructed to gno ,m till the 24th. On thtt date he was inItnic'ed to lav an information. On the day f ,11nwfrVhe vai ill On the 26th he got paiS.« 8 «"i ««t *»y aied ih ; Y?™ton but found Mr Stevenson out of town, a ?d 'the -ecretiuy refined to swear the informs, ton He ««red to Mr Stevenson Mkmg .who wou'd lay the information. On the 28 h l.r Stevenson returned to town, and the inform*-

tion waa laid. With Mr Stevenson's concurrence, Branigan was served with a summons, tut not arrested. On the Bth July Branigan requested an adjournment, and to this Mr Stevenson consented. On the 9th Mr Calvert Attended court, and, the court being very busy, the case was adjourned to the first available ijlay. On the Monday Mr Calvert learned that •ortte of Branigan' s > friends intended to send him away to Wellington, and he at once informed Mr Stevenson and advised immediate ■nest. He applied for a warrant, not then Knowing that Branigan had gone. The detectives not beinjf able to find Branigan, he (Mr palv»rt) J _conßidered there was no use appearing at the court on the date on which the case had been adjourned to. No complaint was made that he (Mr Calvert) was not carrying out instructions, although he was coutimially coming into contact with Mr Stevenson on other business.