1.—6

22

*■ 439. And that you did not want to be mixed up in this matter ?—lf I did, you yourself " took it out" of me. 440. Did you first of all yourself come to me in the lobby of the House and tell me about your connection with this Waikato-Piako Swamp ?—I had no communication with you whatever, either directly or indirectly. I never told you so. 441. Did you not come to me in the lobby of the House and tell me of the knowledge you had in regard to this swamp, and about Mr. Dilworth \s application ? —I have told all the conversations that took place between us. 442. Did you not tell me in the lobby of the House several days before you met me in the street ? —No. 443. Not a single word upon the subject?— No. 444. Had I, to your knowledge, any previous acquaintance with or information that Mr. Dilworth was an applicant for this land?—l do not know that you had. 445. Prom that point, will you undertake to say that you did not volunteer the first statement with regard to this swamp ? —I do not know what information I gave you regarding this swamp. 446. Did you not volunteer the information to me ?—"Whatever information I gave you, it was in the course of the conversation which you extracted from me. 447. Did you not, in the first instance, volunteer the information ? —I do not remember volunteering anything. 448. The Chairman.] Had you no conversation with respect to this swamp ?—Mr. Sheehan asked me if I knew anything about the swamp. 449. Mr. Sheehan.'] lam going to put to you a question more specific still: Do you remember asking to see me in the lobby of the House ? —I do not. I wanted to see you several times. 450. Do you remember seeking me there, and telling me that you required my assistance in a grievance which had come upon you with regard to being dismissed at Poverty Bay ?—I met you not in the lobby, but in the hall. You asked me what had brought me down, and I told you I had got into disfavour with Sir Donald McLean, inasmuch as I had incurred his displeasure in some work on the East Coast, owing to some surveys I did on that coast for Mr. Fitzgerald. I was not dismissed. I was no employe of the Government. 451. Did you not ask to see me and request me to do what I could for you?—l think I met you in the hall, as well as I remember. 452. "Will you undertake now to say that, between the time of your first meeting me and the final meeting when you were going away in the " Eangatira," you did not in some part of the House volunteer the information which you possessed in regard to this particular swamp ? —I do not think I did. 453. Did you speak to me about it, supposing, as you say, I "took it out of you " first? —In the House or in the street ? 454. In or about the House, or wherever it might have happened to be ?—I do not remember particularly, but in the street you began. 455. Will you undertake to say you did not ?—I do not recollect particularly speaking to you about the swamp ; and Ido not recollect beginning the conversation about the swamp. I met you in the street, after your coming out of a shop. 456. Perhaps I can refresh your memory: you overtook me in front of the Empire Hotel ?— It was down there. You came out of a house and met me. 457. Do you remember my going into an office and asking you to wait for me ? When I came out what did you say to me ? —I cannot tell exactly. 458. Do you remember telling me you had arranged your difficulty with the Government?—l told you that Sir Donald McLean had been kind enough to order that I was to continue my \Vork again. 459. Did I not say to you you might have to come back again to give evidence before the Committee ?—I do not recollect your speaking to me about the swamp before that in the street. I met you coming out of a house, and then we walked along the street. It was you yourself who introduced the topic about the swamp. 460. And we had never spoken about it before ? —I dare say we had. But I think that was the first occasion we spoke about Mr. Dilworth. 461. Try and recollect —was that the first occasion ? How long had you been in Wellington ?— I had been here nearly three weeks. 462. Will you say that not before that time we had any conversation about this swamp ? —I dare say you spoke to me, or Ito you. We had conversations on a great many subjects. 463. Can you remember one beyond this swamp and your own grievance ?—No. 464. Did you get this cheque from Mr. Dilworth to pay for the land ?—Yes ; as well as I can remember. 465. Did you pay it over ?—Yes ; to Mr. Sinclair. I think so. 466. What did you say to Mr. Sinclair? —I told you I pencilled off the land Mr. Dilworth wanted. 467. Did you not ask for the plan first ? —The plan was on the table. 468. Then you merely said to Mr. Sinclair, Mr. Dilworth wanted a piece of land ?—Yes. 469. Did you mention the acreage ?—No. I said we would take 3,000 or 4,000 acres or more. It was left discretionary with myself, after seeing the place. 470. Did you mention any acreage?— Not precisely. From 3,000 to 10,000 acres, if it suited. 471. Did you get any receipt ?—I forget. I was busy with plans in my hand for Mr. Heale. 472. Can you recollect whether the tracing was marked in any way ? —I drew the line across it myself. 473. Did Mr. Sinclair mark it ?—No. 474. Did he make any note or entry of any kind ?—I do not know.

Mr. E. O'Meara.

12th Oct., 1875,