REPORT OE THE PRIVILEGES COMMITTEE.

11

H.— No.'7.

23. Is it unusual for gentlemen in your profession who place their services at the disposal of another to take precaution against the fact being made public ? —lt is, certainly. 24. Mr. Rolleston.] Did Mr. Tribe intimate to you that he held the same view as to the impropriety of the offer as you held yourself? —I simply told him the view which suggested itself to my mind. In doing so I said, "I suppose something of the kind was said to you?" He replied, "Yes; something of the sort." I afterwards told him the course I intended to take, and he said he thought I was very foolish. 25. When did this interview take place between you and Mr. Tribe?— Some time during the Monday evening. 26. Mr. O'Rorlce.] When this proposal was made, did you understand that it was made with the authority of Mr. Brogden?—Certainly. 27. Mr Parker.] Did you not consider the promise of secrecy sufficiently binding on you to prevent you communicating with Mr. Tribe or Mr. Vogel on the subject ? —-After the turn the subject had taken, I did not consider the pledge of secrecy was so binding as to prevent my mentioning it to confidential friends. 28. The Chairman.] When you discovered the nature of the proposition Mr. Holt had made to you, did you tell him that you did not consider the pledge of secrecy binding any longer upon you? —No, I did not. When I discovered that the offer really intended was of a dishonourable character, I considered further conversation dangerous, and ceased it. 29. Mr. Sheehan.] On going to Mr. Brogden's office at half-past three you found Mr. Tribe there. You have told us that you said to Mr. Tribe, " I suppose something of the same kind was said to you." Did you refer to something that had taken place during the interview when you found him there ?— Yes, certainly. 30. You understood Mr. Tribe's answers to mean that at that interview Mr. Holt had made similar proposals to him ? —I did. 31. Sir J. C. Wilson.] Did you tell Mr. Tribe that evening that you intended to make the whole thing public ?—No, I did not then. 32. Then, in fact, it was not until after you saw Mr. Vogel in the morning, and he had told you to go to the Speaker, that you determined upon the course you would pursue ? —Yes. 33. Mr. Sheehan.] I understood you to say that you had told Mr. Tribe, and he said he thought you were very foolish ? —No, I had not told him at that time. 34. Mr. Rolleston.] What object had you in making this communication to Mr. Vogel ?—So much had been said about the possibility of large contractors interfering with the independence of Parliament that I thought it right to take his advice upon the subject. 35. You consulted with him, in order that you might obtain his advice as to the course you ought to take in the matter ?—-Exactly. 36. Mr. Fox.] You have been on intimate terms with Mr. Vogel for a considerable number of years, have you not? —I have been on intimate terms with him for the last nine or ten years. 37. And you have had professional relations with him ?—Yes ; during four years of that time. The witness went on to say:—I wish to add to my statement that I endeavoured to persuade him (Mr. Holt) that there was no necessity whatever for influencing Mr. Vogel as to bringing forward a motion of "no confidence " in the Government. I said to him that he might make himself perfectly easy on the subject, as there was not the slightest chance of any motion of this kind being brought forward unless it was absolutely certain of being carried successfully. 38. Mr. Fox.] In your conversation with Mr. Holt, was there anything said as to the value of your services, or was there anything said about remuneration ? —No question of remuneration was raised, but he stated incidentally that he supposed I found the daily paper very irksome, and that I would be glad to get out of it, supposing that a liberal arrangement could, be entered into. Nothing, however, was specified. Still, I understood that if any permanent arrangement were made, I was to receive a salary quite equal to the one I receive in my present capacity. 39. When Captain Holt used the word " we," to whom do you consider he referred ?—Brogden and Sons. During the whole of the interview nothing whatever was said which led me to believe that he referred to himself as an individual. I certainly regarded him as agent for Brogden and Sons, and what took place I did not look upon as having taken place with Mr. Holt in his private capacity. 40. The Chairman.] In what capacity did you understand that your services were to be employed? —To further the interests of the firm generally; to describe and advocate their undertakings in the newspapers. The drawing of prospectuses was, I think, also talked of. 41. Mr. Sheehan.] Was any reference made to these matters, or did any conversation take place on the subject at the dinner to which you have referred ? —No, not a word. [Eefercnce was made to a previous answer of the witness's, in which he stated that no other person was present at the dinner. He (witness) explained that he intended to except Mrs. Harrison when he made that answer. He added:—Not a word was said in my private house; in fact, Mrs. Harrison knew nothing whatever about the matter until the following day.] 42. Mr. Parker.] Had you an opportunity of referring to the interview after dinner. Were you alone at any time ?—No ; we sat in the same room with Mrs. Harrison. She was present most of the time. 43. Mr. Sheehan.] You say that Mr. Holt called upon you before you were up, and afterwards called after you left the house ?—Yes; he called twice that morning. 44. How are you aware of that?— From my servant.

Mr. Harrises.

7th Oct., 1672,

Wednesday, 9th Octobee, 1872. W. H. Harrison, Esq., was in attendance, and, 011 being sworn, was re-examined as follows :— 45. The Hon. Mr. Gillies.] How long have you been acquainted with Mr. Holt ? On what

9th 0cfc.,'1872,