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162. Mr. Gore.] Do I understand Mr. Ussher to say this was in the foundation or in the wall itself ?—There was a break in the wall: it was not united. 163. TJie Chairman.] Are you speaking of the foundation ?— Yes. 164. Below the surface of the ground?— Yes. 165. Mr. Gore.] Below the concrete lloor? —Below the floor in the ambulatory, yes. [Letter referred to in this portion of the evidence put in, and marked " B."] 166. Mr. Blair.] After that the question of defective foundations passed out of your hands. Mr. Hay took the matter up, and you were not personally concerned in it ?—Not beyond that: merely in putting drains in which you have asked me about before. 167. As to the concrete in the foundations, did you see this concrete being put in at any time? —I cannot say that I have. 168. I mean during the time of the building?— During the time of the construction of the building ? 169. Did you and Mr. O'Connor see that together?—l was out with Mr. O'Connor, I may say, when the concrete was being put in, but did not pay attention to it, did not examine it, not having anything to do with the work whatever. That is the position I have always taken up in connection with it. 170. Did Mr. Brindley ever complain to you of the concrete?— Yes, bitterly. 171. What did he tell you ? —Well, he complained of the manner in which Mr. Gore : I beg pardon, Mr. Chairman, but Mr. Ussher is now retailing hearsay evidence. I think Mr. Brindley should be called to prove what he said. Mr. Blair: lam giving evidence of what Mr. Brindley said to Mr. Ussher. The Chairman: As Mr. Brindley will appear, I think it will be better to get it first-hand. Mr. Blair : Then I will reserve the right to recall Mr. Ussher. Mr. Brindley has many times complained. The Chairman : You will have an opportunity of getting that later. You can ask Mr. Brindley these questions, and Mr. Ussher can always be recalled. 172. Mr. Blair (to witness).] Very well, then. Do you know anything about the bricks of your own knowledge? —Yes. 173. Have you seen these bricks ?—Yes. 174. Were they good?—No ; very large quantities of them were very bad. 175. Did you see any bad bricks put into the building ? —I have seen bricks being put in the building that I certainly would not have allowed myself if I had had anything to do with it. 176. Have you seen many of them ?—I have from time to time seen bricks going in, but did not take any special notice. 177. Was your general impression that the bricks were faulty? —Yes, decidedly. Mr. Blair (to the Chairman).] I suppose I cannot ask him what Mr. Brindley told him ? The Chairman : Not now. 178. Mr. Blair (to witness).] Do you know of your own knowledge that Mr. Brindley was preparing these detailed drawings ?—Yes. 179. You do?— Yes. 180. Have you seen them ? —Yes. 181. Many of them?— Yes. 182. The Chairman : You say " these detailed drawings : " which? 183. Mr. Blair.] The detailed drawings required by the Contractor ?—To the best .of mv knowledge Mr. Brindley prepared three-fourths of them. The Chairman : We have no detailed drawings put before us. 184. Mr. Blair (to witness).] The detailed drawings in connection with the work. You can make a statement ? —I give this upon my oath. Mr. Brindley came to me, and said' he was frequently asked by the contractors for detailed drawings, and that he (Mr. Brindley) often asked the Architect to supply them ; that he could not get them out of him ; and that ultimately he (Mr. Brindley) had to make them himself. I have frequently seen him at the drawings; he has shown them to me from time to time ; and I think, further, that if the drawings are produced they will be proved to be Mr. Brindley's, and not Mr. Lawson's. 185. The Chairman.] I suppose Mr. Brindley had an office ?—An office, a drawing-board, and instruments —everything an architect required. 186. Mr. Skinner.] Can Mr. Ussher tell us if the clerk of works, Mr. Brindley. was engaged during the day making out these detailed drawings ?- —Yes ; and I can go further, and state that Mr. Brindley, when applied to by the Architect to supply drawings, stated that he was unable to do so, as it interfered so much with his other work that he actually could not do so; that he had quite enough to do looking after the inspection of the building—with which I thoroughly concurred. 187. Were there any detailed drawings with the original plans at the time of the tender?— Not that I am aware of. 188. None but what are here now ? —None. 189. The Chairman.] I should like to ask one or two questions about the drains. Were you in charge of the carrying-out of the drainage-works at the back of the north wing ?—Yes. 190. Were you in these shafts ?—No, I cannot say I was. I have seen them during the course of construction. 191. But you have not actually been in them?— No. I am unable to give the strata through which the shafts passed, not having been down them. 192. I was going to ask about the quantity of water? —As to that I could not say. 193. Mr. Hunter, I suppose, would ? —Yes ; he would be able to give all that information. 194. Mr. Skinner.] I suppose you have no proofs of the moving of the foundation. Have you any measurements with reference to the moving of the north portion of the building ?—No, I can-

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