REPORT OP THE MOTUEKA ELECTION COMMITTEE.

H.—No. 14.

35

Mr. Ducker.

9th Sept., 1871.

Before Bell said anything to you about your speaking to Bosselmann, did he ask you whom you were going to vote for ? —Yes. Eor whom did Bell ask were you going to vote ?—Bell asked me for whom I was going to vote. What did you say to Bell ?—Ho asked me if I would vote for Sir David Monro ; I replied that I didn't know what the understanding was with Bosselmann. Did Bell say anything as to Bosselmann ? —Bell said he had spoken with Bosselmann, and that they would get £2, and tho rest of the money would be sent to them. By the Chairman :In what language did you and Bell converse ?—ln English. Did Bell say whether he had paid the money or not to Bosselmann at that time? —Yes, he said £2. After Bell had stated that, did you go and vote ? —Yes. For whom did you vote ? —For Sir David Monro. Did you get refreshments at Palmer's ? —Did you go in and have dinner?— Yes. Have you paid for that ?—No. After the election, do you remember seeing David Kerr some days afterwards ? —Not exactly one or two days, but I recollect seeing him about a fortnight afterwards. Did Kerr offer to pay you any money ? —Yes. Did David Kerr say what the money was for ? —Yes, that we had come down, and for having voted. Did you take the money, or tell Kerr to pay it to some one else? —No, he said he should pay it to Bosselmann. By Mr. Allan : When Kerr offered to pay the money, what words did he use ? —The first words were that he said, "He had brought the money for the voting." I said, "I would not have the money," and he gave it to Bosselmann, the contractor. Did you see him pay money to Bosselmann ?—Yes. By the Chairman: Why did you tell him to pay the money to Bosselmann ?—I could not understand him properly. By Mr. Allan : Did you receive afterwards any money from David Kerr ?—Yes, he paid mo afterwards. I think you told my friend that you had signed a requisition to Sir David Monro asking him to stand ?—Yes. At that time when you signed the requisition did you know that Mr. Parker was a candidate ? Mr. Travers .- Was Mr. Parker a candidate then ? Mr. Allan: I ask him a perfectly simple question. (To witness) At the time you signed tho requisition, were you aware that Parker was a candidate, or about to become a candidate. Did you know that Parker was a candidate ?—No, I did not know. If you had known The Chairman : He says he did not know of it. Mr. Travers : You are not to put it in that way. Mr. Allan .- You know it is important; you know it goes to the root of the case : that your case is gone. The Chairman : You should not say that. Examination continued. By Mr. Allan: If you had known that Mr. Parker was either then a candidate or going to become a candidate, would you have signed the requisition ? Mr. Travers: That is an objectionable question in every sense of the word, and would not be permitted in any case. Mr. Allan : It is as clear a legal question as possible. If not a legal question, I say that, even within the rules and provisions in the Act which we have so often referred to, the Committee would inquire this for themselves. The Chairman : Mr. Allan, will you ask him if, on previous occasions he had ever supported Mr. Parker ? By Mr. Allan .- Had you been on previous occasions a supporter of Mr. Parker ?—I have not known Mr. Parker, and cannot say. Would you have come down and voted if you had not been promised your expenses ? Mr. Travers: That is rather for the Committee to judge. The Chairman : He was asked that already. By Mr. Travers : Where were you when Kerr came to you at Kerr's Hill, at the time you refer to ?—We were just going about the work ; we were at the place where we were working; we were just on the point of going to work. What were the first words Kerr used ?—The first question was if we would go down and vote for Sir David Monro. Did Kerr not say, Are any of you going down to vote for Sir David Monro ?—Yes, he asked first if we would go down to vote, or were we going down to vote. That is a different thing. Did David Kerr, when he came to you, say, Are any of you going down to vote for Sir David Monro ? Was that the way Kerr asked the question ?—No ; I cannot recollect that he put such a question to me. Was not the question put in English?— Yes. Repeat the words in English as you heard them ?—He asked if we were going down to Waimea West, and we said, " No." Did you speak, or who spoke ?—lt was Bosselmann spoke, and not me. You did not speak at all ?—No, not at that time ; it was to Bosselmann, the contractor, he spoke, and not to me. Did you speak to Kerr at any time about it ?—I have personally only spoken to Kerr when he brought the money. I have not spoken to Kerr, neither before nor afterwards.