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72. Will you give us the names of the directors in 1888 ?—-Messrs. J. Williamson, G. B. Owen, J. M. Clark, Sir Frederick Whitaker, W. I. Taylor, W. S. Wilson, and S. Browning. 73. And in 1889 ?—ln 1889 the directors were Messrs. W. H. Colbeck (president), W. I. Taylor, W. S. Wilson, F. Nelson George, Arthur Bull, John Murray, and Thomas Peacock. There was a London board also—the Right Hon. Sir J. Fergusson and Right Hon. A. J. Mundella (both members of Parliament), Sydney Carr Glyn, Sir Hercules Robinson, and Messrs. John Alexander Ewen and David Murray. Mr. T. M. Stewart was manager of the London office at that time. 74. Now, the next—directors of 1890?— We have no record beyond this : that, the head office being transferred to London, the management appears to have been entirely with the gentlemen whose names you have already —Messrs. Colbeck, Bull, Murray, and Wilson, directors. They appear to have acted as directors with the London board up to the balance-sheet of 1891. The London board of 1891 are : Mr. Richard H. Glyn, president; Colonel Robert Baring, Mr. J. A. Ewen, Sir James Fergusson, Mr. E. H. Fison, the Right Honourable A. J. Mundella, and Mr. Thomas M. Stewart. The London manager was Henry B. McNab. 75. And the directors for 1892?—1n 1892 there is no change. They are exactly as in 1891. In 1893 they were : Mr. Richard H. Glyn, president; Colonel R. Baring, Mr. J. A. Ewen, Sir James Fergusson, and Mr. E. H. Fison; the manager being the same —Henry B. McNab. 76. In 1894 ?—The same as in 1893 ; but the manager was changed from Henry B. McNab to C. G. Tegetmeier. 77. Did I get a change in the Christian name of Glyn ?—Richard H. Glyn. The other Glyn was Sydney Carr Glyn. 78. Which of these two is connected with the firm of Glyn, the celebrated bankers of London ? —I understand that Mr. Sydney Carr Glyn is the gentleman who belongs to the firm of Glyn, Mills, and Co. 79. There is a change in the Glyns, then. What year does that take place in?— Sydney Carr Glyn is on the board in 1888 and 1889. In 1891 Richard H. Glyn comes on the board; in 1890 it was the gentleman who held the power of attorney, and in 1891 Mr. R. H. Glyn comes on the board. . 80. Now, we will go back to the balance-sheet of 1894 ?—-On the 31st March, 1894, the capital remains at £900,000. In 1894 there was only one half-yearly dividend paid; there is £982,740 17s. Id.; then, there is £45,000 of reserve fund, which has had no increase from the year before, and after paying the dividend in September—£22,soo—there is £982,740. 81. Is that assets over liabilities?— Yes. The Committee understands that in this year ending 31st March, 1894, there was one dividend for the first half-year paid. 82. What is the profit and loss? —For the year, £60,240, after which a dividend was paid, and the balance carried forward. 83. What are the writings-off in 1894?—£15,164. 84. Was there a statement prepared—on the 31st March you have your position of the bankhave you a statement prepared showing the position of the bank in June—a statement submitted to the Government in 1894 ?—The next document I have got is the 1895 balance-sheet, showing the condition of the bank at the 31st March, 1895. 85. We had better stop here and get a statement of the position of the bank when it came to the Government in June, and I will take it in proper order and sequence to show the position of the bank in the same way. Did Mr. Murray prepare and submit a balance-sheet in 1894 ? The position is this : You show by balance-sheet the position of the bank in 1894. Well, in June the bank came to the colony for assistance, and it was stated that the bank was in such a serious position that, unless immediate help was granted, it would have to put up its shutters. I have no doubt you will be able to find in the bank a record of the statements submitted by Mr. Murray to the Government ? —I think there must be some private papers based on information supplied from London to Mr. Murray. There is nothing in the bank from which we can get any knowledge except from London in 1894, and whatever the position it must have been communicated to Mr, Murray by cable. He must have knowledge which we have not. 86. Was there no record of a statement prepared by Mr. Murray in June ? —No. He must have been acting on instructions from London, and his information must have been supplied from London. 87. The Committee will want you again to-morrow, and in the meantime I want you to search the records and see if there is no record prepared by Mr. Hanna, manager of the Estates Company in Auckland, in June, 1894. There is also a statement of the Agricultural Company for the same year ? —Were the statements left with the Government by Mr. Murray, or did he take them away ? 88. I am asking you to search diligently for these statements and to bring them to-morrow if you can? —Very well; we have no knowledge of their existence at present. We will search and see. 89. There may be some other papers also in existence—reports which conflict with the balancesheets at the time of the transfer of the accounts to London. We intend to ask you about them to-morrow.

Wednesday, 22nd July, 1896. Examination of William Booth, Director of the Bank of New Zealand— continued. 1. Hon. Mr. Seddon.] I would ask you, Mr. Booth, whether there is any balance-sheet or statement of the position of the bank prepared at the time Mr. Murray approached the Government —that would be in June, 1894 ?—We have no record in the bank so far as we can discover. 2. Is there any record in the hands of the Bank as to Mr. Murray being authorised to approach the Government at that date?—l could not answer that question, Sir. The head office was in' London, and I suppose his instructions would come from there.