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728. You say that all the cracks in the north wing, and in the central block, are due to settlement ?—Yes, I have said so. 729. You do not think that the foundations of the north wall are straight ?—I do not think that there is any settlement there. It is very much drier there. 730. Then you do not think that there is any settlement in the north wing ?—Not where the cracks are. 731. You say that the back wall, in three places out of four, is diminished in thickness?— Not the back wall, but the foundations. 732. Then you say that the foundations, in three places out of four, were diminished in thickness ?—I said the wall overhangs the foundation. 733. Your evidence was—and I took a note of it—that the back walls in throe out of four places are diminished in thickness Mr. Blair : I remember the witness saying that ho could not go down 12ft. at the back. Mr. Skinner : I would not strike out the witness's last answer ; but I suggest that Mr. Gore should ask him whether he is prepared to swear so-and-so. The Chairman : I think, Mr. Gore, you should put the question to the witness in that form. 734. Mr. Gore.] Then, you are not prepared to say now whether the back wall has been reduced in thickness or not ?—I said nothing about the thickness of the wall. 735. This plan that has been prepared by y6u—the plan that was laid on the table of the House of Assembly—w Tas a copy of your plan, was it not ?—Partly a copy, and partly some additions to it. 736. Were the ambulatory-piers shown ?—Yes. 737. How did you get the thickness of the foundations ?—I only dug at one place—at one side. 738. Can you say that this red line shows now the concrete that has been put in since the building was finished ? Let me ask you, could not the walls have been measured then ?—lt might have been done ; but I was not there. 739. It would have been a very simple matter to have measured it at that time ?—lt might have been. 740. Could you not, in digging these pits, have made it worth while to have broken the concrete floor, and not have put them on one side like that ?—lt was pretty much the same on the inside as on the outside; and I did not think it worth while to destroy the whole floor in order to ascertain that. 741. This concrete foundation is shown here as 3ft. by lft.; and then it tapers off to 2ft. by 3ft. ?—2ft. 6in. It is sft. from the floor. 742. Then you have to stop?—lt goes from 3ft. 6in. to lft. 743. Mr. Mountfort.] Were there plans of the foundations issued for the Contractor to work to? —These are the contract drawings, Sir. Mr. Blair : These are the signed contract drawings. There was no other document attached to the contract. Mr. Gore : I quite admit that. But Mr. Blair is as well aware as lam that a contract drawing will stretch. 744. Mr. Mountfort.] If a party is prepared to swear that the foundations were put in 3ft. by 3ft., will you swear that he is wrong—in other words, that, though there is not packing in the footing—for you have sworn that—the footing as carried up is straight ? This wall [indicating on plan] is carried up straight. 745. I mean, that it is built 3ft. by 3ft. in the whole width of the footing ?—I do not think so. 746. If I show'you Mr. Brindley's signature to the measurements? —[No answer.] 747. I should like very much to have an answer to my question. Why, I may ask, do you make a one-sided plan like this, and not show the depth, which you could easily have ascertained? —I would not destroy the floor for a thing like that. 748. Do you not think it would have been worth your while to have done so, seeing that it is a matter that may involve thousands of pounds ? Mr. Skinner: I may mention that the Commissioners have made up their minds to have an examination of the inside of these walls. Mr. Blair : Do I understand Mr. Gore to say that the concrete was put in as per contract ? Mr. Gore : Yes. Mr. Blair: All through ? Mr. Gore: Yes. Mr. Blair : And that the foundations were put in according to contract ? Mr. Gore : Where less was put in we deducted it. Virtually these were all measurements, and were paid for as such. 749. Mr. Mountfort.] You have said that the back wall is overloaded ? —I said it overhangs the foundations. Mr. Mountfart: What you said was that it was overloaded, and that the earth was supporting it. The Chairman : I think that the witness said that the friction of the earth at the back wall would help to support it. 750. Mr. Gore.] There can be no dispute that that wall is 2ft. 6in. ?—I did not measure that wall. 751. If I say it is 2ft. 6in., should Ibe right ? —I cannot say. 752. Have you measured the weight of the superstructure ? Have you reckoned whether the strength of the concrete that has been put in is equal to bearing the weight of the superstructure ? You have said that the foundation is not?— What I said was that the clay is not. 753. Then, what you mean to say is that the clay is not able to bear the weight of the superstructure ?—I stated that the foundations were dangerously loaded. 754. You mean to say now, then, that the clay is not able to bear the superstructure?—l did not say anything about the strength of the concrete.