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Mr. J. Sheehan, M.H.B. Aug. 9, 1880.

83G. But you were present at tie hotel ?—I was present. §37. What money was paid to Adam Clark that night?—l am not quite sure. There were deductions of £25 apiece, I think, and he had £50 besides. I would not be quite certain whether £50 or a little more. I have no doubt Mr. Nelson will be able to produce the accounts. 838. The gross amount was £450 ? —Yes, I think so. 839. Well, of that £450, £50 was paid to Adam Clark for the survey ? —No ; the total amount of the survey was £150, I think you will find. You can easily get the amount of the survey from the Native Land Court. 840. I am trying to account for the £450 ?—The £25 which Adam Clark spoke of, I presume, would be £25 given to him by Nelson, and £25 more given to him. 841. Well, then, £50 ?—I think he received £50 there and then. lam perfectly certain that the money which Adam Clark took away represented the fair outcome of the transaction settled in my presence. The whole thing took place in Maori. 842. I want to find out how it was, if the £300 was paid into the bank as the net proceeds of the sale —how there was still a claim upon it for survey ?—I cannot state at this lapse of time. The accounts were gone into then and settled. 843. Yes; and the outcome of that settlement was a net sum of £300, which was paid into the bank ?—I did not say £300 was a final settlement, or whether a portion of it was not dealt with on the following day. 844. And you did not take any receipt at all for this money ? —No; nor did Adam Clark, so far as I can remember. 845. Did not you regard this £300 as being the property of Wi Apo ? —Not in the same sense as if he were-a European youngster living under my care and protection, The Government have frequently paid moneys in that way before my time. 846. You did not regard your trust of Wi Apo's property as such a particular one as that of a European trust would be ? —I have said in my evidence in chief that I was very careful to point out that the land was almost worthless, and could not be dealt with. Europeans would not touch it; and the only person who did touch it gave it up. Looking at the fact that Adam Clark had this boy under his charge at a considerable distance from Auckland, I considered it the proper thing to let him have this money and the disposal of it. 847. I want to ask you another question —of course it is a tax upon your memory —are you sure this cheque was not drawn in the bank at the time the £300 was paid in?—l am certain it was not. It was not filled in by me. 848. Do you not think that this cheque was actually got at the bank by Brissenden or Nelson on that day ? —lt is quite possible that they got the form there, or that Adam Clark got the form there; but I can say I filled up the body of the cheque and signed it in his presence. 849. But you think it is possible the cheque may have been obtained in the bank on that day ? — It is possible ; but it is impossible to recollect events of that kind after this lapse of time. 850. Are you sure they did not give you the cheque that day at the bank ?—I am absolutely certain. 851. But they did give you the bank slip ?—-Adam Clark says I got tho bank slip from him ; but I would not be quite certain that it was so. The bank slip would be only a duplicate copy of the one kept by the bank, and not signed. 852. Now, I find that this cheque was paid into Brissenden's account by Brissenden himself, on the same day on which it was drawn : have you any knowledge how it got into Brissenden's possession ?— I have none whatever. I have got just a notion that Brissenden had advanced money out of his own account pending a final settlement of this account, and possibly it may have been a refund of the amount so advanced by him. 853. You have told us that in 1877, when you heard of this bet between the two members, you moved in the House that this matter of the Pakiri purchase should be referred to the* Public Accounts Committee for inquiry so far as you were concerned: was that the case ? —I think it was, and I caused myself to be brought before the Committee as a witness. 854. You do not mean to say that you made that motion ?—I may not; but I spoko to the matter in the House, and I think I spent a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes in the House in referring to it. 855. It was not on your motion?—l would not be quite certain it was not at my instruction. 85G. This is the order of reference: "On the motion of Mr. Kelly, That the petition of Mr. Brissenden be referred to the Public Accounts Committee " ?—That is the original petition, by Brissenden. It was a long while after that my matter was referred to the Committee. Brissenden, if I recollect aright, was petitioning for a settlement of account, and necessarily the Pakiri matter came up. 857. Now, Mr. Sheehan, about the £20. This cheque is dated Bth December: do you remember receiving that cheque ? —I cannot say that I do. 858. Do you remember Mr. Gittos asking you for this £20 ? —I do not remember. I have told the Committee that I presume the cheque must have been before me at some time. It bears my signature along with Adam Clark's. 859. Do you not remember drawing the cheque at all? —I cannot say I do. I only know that I signed it. 860. That is your handwriting ? —No ; it is Mr. Gittos's. 861. You know Mr. Gittos's account of it—that he went to you and asked you for the money ; and you told him he must get Adam Clark's signature to the cheque ; and that he went and got the signature and posted the cheque to you ? —That is very possible, because if he asked me for the money in town I should refer him to Adam Clark for his signature before tho money could be touched. That accounts for the cheque beino: in his handwriting. 862. Have you any recollection of this cheque ? —No.