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250. Mr. Johnston.] How many days elapsed from the time of your departure from Tauranga till your return ?—That I cannot say for certain; I have not kept a memorandum of dates. I think that it must have been about three weeks. I think I left about the 25th December and returned about the 13th or 14th January. 251. During those three weeks did your expenses come to £150 ? —I consider my services worth £2 or £3 per day. 252. You have sent in a bill for £150; was that a fair charge ? —-Besides my personal services, there was the use of my house for committee-rooms. I had to clear my shop out and also my parlour. 253. I think you said you kept a private hotel? —I do now, but did not then. I kept a shop then. 254. Mr. Whitaker.] Where were you residing before this election commenced ? —I was residing at Gisborne, and my wife was at Tauranga. 255. Your residence was at Gisborne ? —lt was not my fixed residence, because my wife was living at Tauranga. I went to Gisborne to get employment. I went into the employment of Mr. Adair. This did not suit me. I was going back, and thought the agency for Mr. Bead a good opportunity. 256. And you sent in a claim for £150 for services you rendered him ?—Yes. 257. Did you influence many votes ? —I asked a good number of people to vote for Captain Bead. 258. What was the nature of the influence used?—l merely told the electors I met that he was a jolly fellow, and was a fit and proper person to represent the district. 259. Mr. Johnston.] And for that you charged £150? —Well, I thought I did something for the money. 260. Mr. Wason.] You were working for about twenty-one days ?—Yes. 261. And you reckon your time worth £3 a day. It seems to me you ask more than £3 a day, a good deal ?—I could not travel about for nothing. 262. Oh, you wanted £3 a day and travelling expenses ? —I consider I was entitled to the amount I claimed from Captain Bead for the work I did and the accommodation I provided. 263. Did you pay any money away, or would you have paid any money away if the £87 had been paid you ?—I did not; and if I had got the money, I would have taken good care not to have paid it away. 264. Did you make out an account, or did you merely demand the sum?—-I demanded the sum. 265. Can you give us any account of the expenses you were put to ? —No ; I expended all I could in Captain Bead's service. 266. You have made nothing out of the transaction ?—No. 267. And had to give up your shop and parlour as well ?—Yes. 268. You have stated Pitt ordered you about and paid your expenses, That was after he superseded you ? —Yes. 269. Were you acting as a subordiuate to him ?—Yes. 270. And he paid your expenses?—No ; he simply authorized me to buy certain things, and when I did buy the things, such as bread and meat, I got the tradesmen's accounts, gave them to him, and he supplied me with the money to pay them. 271. You were with Pitt on the day of the election?— Yes. 272. I should like to know how you voted ?—I voted for Captain Bead. 273. Mr. Montgomery.] What were the provisions—the bread and meat —for? —For keeping open house. It was necessary to keep something for the Natives to eat. All the other candidates did the same. Captain Morris and Mr. Kelly did the same. 274. These were paid for by Pitt?—Yes ; he gave me the money, and I paid the tradesmen. 275. How many electors did you call upon during these three weeks ? How many votes did you solicit? —I could not say. I asked every person I met. 276. Did you hold out any inducement besides talking to them ? —I did not. 277. The Chairman.] You did not bribe anybody?— No. 278. Mr. Barton.] Did you not leave Tauranga on the 23rd December, and return on the 12th January ?—I will not swear to dates. 279. Mr. Shaw.] You'first got £20, which you spent in travelling expenses up to Tauranga ?— Yes. ' 280. Then you got £25?— Yes. 281. And that is the only money you had besides tho £21 2s. 6d. which you paid for bread and meat, and other things ?—Yes. 282. Did you not sell the horse ?—Yes. 283. Mr. Whitaker.] What did you do with the money you got for that?—l paid incidental expenses out of it. It is not fair to bring me down to these small matters.

Friday, 28th July, 1876. Thomas Joseph Henshaw re-examined on oath. 284. Mr. Shaw.] Did Captain Bead speak to you yesterday, just as you were coming in here ?—Tes. 285. What did he say?—He asked me how I was. I said I was quite well. He said, "Well, if you tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, I will make you a present of a cheque for £20." 286. Was that all ?—That was all. 287. What did you say ? —I said I came here to tell the truth. 288. Mr. Whitaker.] Do you claim the £20?— Oh, no, Sir.