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nothing of your interviews with Sir Julius Vogel, of his own knowledge, how could he have gained the information contained in this account unless by moans of direct communications made to him by yourself? —I think it will be found by the evidence I have already given that I believe—l may go further, and say I am certain—he could only have arrived at these details by the letters which I wrote to him every mail. I was in the habit of informing him of everything that had been done by me in professional matters. 86. And yet in giving the details he has committed a series of blunders, I understand you to say? —I do not think I have gone so far as that. In two respects certainly he is wrong—viz., in assuming that I was to be paid anything in respect of the Waterworks Bill. That is absolutely wrong, because I did not draft that Bill, and could charge nothing in respect of it. The account is also erroneous in statins that certain clauses of the other Act were drafted in Wellington. I have already stated that the Bill was drafted before I left Auckland. Still the miatake on this point is easily accounted for, as I have said I was in the habit of writing to Mr. Beale, and giving full particulars of what was being done. I used, I believe, to deal with all matters of this kind seriatim under various heads. Thus, I might have written, " Municipal Corporations Act: Met Sir Julius Vogel and the Solicitor-General, and had a long conference with them on the question whether it was or was not necessary to bring in my Bill. Sir Julius Vogel invited me to give him a draft of the provisions proposed by the Auckland Council, which I agreed to do." Mr. Beale would probably consider that I drafted the clause specially, and would charge the item, not knowing there had been a special bargain. 87. Then is it not remarkable that Mr. Beale should have entirely lost recollection of going through such a process ?—I do not know that he has. 88. He says so. He says he has no recollection of the matter, but supposes the information must have been got from you ?—Tes, he must have got it from my letters. 89. But from you personally ? —lf he got the information from my letters I suppose he would get it from me. 90. Is it not extraordinary that it should have passed out of his mind altogether ?—No ; I should think it the most natural thing in the world. 91. Hon. Mr. Gisborne.] Do you recollect having any conversation w Tith him when you were in Auckland ?—No; it was a matter of surprise that the account had been sent in when I saw it. 92. The Chairman.] Had these Acts passed when you were in Auckland ? —The Waterworks Act had passed. 93. Was it not remarkable that an account should be sent in for unfinished work ? —lt was not for unfinished work. The work was done when the Act was drafted, or at any rate, when I handed it to Sir Julius Vogel. Most unquestionably, I should have claimed the money from that day. 94. Son. Mr. Stafford.] Did you make any attempt, when the Municipal Corporations Bill was before the House, to get those clauses inserted which the City Council wished to have passed into law, and which you said the Government did not accept, notwithstanding the interviews you had with them ?—No, I think not. I did, however, endeavour to make certain emendations in the Bill, and it is quite probable they were in the direction of assimilating the Bill to that which I had drafted. 95. Son. Mr. Gisborne.'] I see, by the " Proceedings " that, when the Bill was in Committee, you voted several times, and once proposed a new clause? —I certainly sat and voted on the Bill. The only thing I remember doing, in the way of moving a new clause, was a reference to the extension of the term of lease from twenty years to sixty-six years, which was carried. 96. Sir G. Grey.] Are you aware that, in doing that, you were only proposing to carry out what had been generally the rule in Auckland with regard to endowments ?—Yes ; that was the ground on which I moved the clause, because I knew that such a provision had worked exceedingly well. 97. The Chairman'] You became aware, apparently from your evidence, after you had been in Wellington some time, that it would not be legitimate for you to promote a Bill in the House for professional remuneration ? —Yes. 98. On learning that, you telegraphed to Auckland suggesting to the Council that they should send down Mr. Stevenson?— Yes ;an agent. 99. Are we to understand that that implies that you found yourself in a difficulty in being in the position of promoting a Bill for which you were to receive remuneration ?—lf I have conveyed that impression I have done wrong. Before I left Auckland a conversation took place between myself and the Mayor, as to the possibility of it being necessary to send some one down to look after the interests of the Council in respect to the Waterworks Bill, and also the Municipal Corporations Bill; and I was to ascertain when I got down here whether there would be any difficulty in my doing all that was required to be done in respect to these Bills. We thought there might be a difficulty in getting the Bills through the Upper House, because, of course, a member of the House of Representatives could exercise no influence on that body. That was the fear the Mayor expressed to me, and my telegram to him was to state that I thought it would be better to send an agent down. I found on my arrival here, and I have no doubt the conversation with Major Campbell had something to do with it, that the practice of any member having anything to do with a matter, except purely as a member, was discouraged. 100. The Chairman^] The point to which I wish to draw your attention is this : You discovered that a certain course would not be compatible with your duties as a member of the House, and therefore you suggested that an agent should be sent down. Now the only difficulty in a member promoting a Bill through the House is when he is to receive remuneration for it. Any member has a perfect right to promote any Bill provided he does it solely in the public interest. For instance, lam promoting the Wanganui Harbour Bill. I have introduced it, had it read a second time this morning. I have been to the Waste Lands Committee to get it passed through, and I shall promote it in all stages through the House, and then endeavour to get a member to take charge of it in the Legislative Council. There is no impropriety, or indecency, or breach of the Standing Orders in all that. It appears you must have been in. a difficulty owing to your expecting to receive remuneration on account of