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76. That would have occurred as a matter of course. Was there anything specially done?— Well, it need not have been published, because they could have kept it back if they desired to be fair. 77. You know that when a report is read at a table of a Council it is public property ?—lf read at the table, but not if read in committee. 78. This report was laid on the table ? —Yes, I believe it was. 79. Was there anything exceptional in that? —Nothing, except that it was read at the Council table, but not in committee. 80. It was their duty to read it at the Borough Council table—a report of that class ?—-I have a different opinion in respect to the duty of the local body. The counsel for the Crown drew particular attention to these paragraphs in the special auditors' report relating to extraneous matters, and brought them under the notice of the Court and jury, which extraneous matters must, in my opinion, have prejudiced the cases against the accused. 81. This is a matter we cannot criticize. I wanted your statement whether there was on the part 6f the Borough Council undue circulation ; but you do not now say that there was more than that this was read at the Borough Council table. You called evidence upon the information against Wylde as to this payment to Nathaniel Seddon ?—Yes; but I cannot give the Committee my client's explanation without his consent. 82. You made a suggestion in regard to O'Hagan, the Mayor. You say he went in and out of his office ? —That is what Mr. Wylde said. You will see it is in the evidence. 83. And you had your own opinions about it. You further said that O'Hagan denied that he was often in the office in the absence of the Town Clerk ?—I do not recollect his saying so. To the best of my recollection he never denied it, and my memory is refreshed by the report of his evidence of this exhibit. 84. You make that suggestion. Was it in any way the duty of O'Hagan to make a denial where there was no charge against him ?—There was Mr. Wylde's assertion as to that. 85. Why was the assertion made ? In page 15, Exhibit C, of the evidence given before the Magistrate's Court you will find the following: "Mr. Wylde accused me in the presence of Mr. Spence that I had removed some documents. Mr. Spence said to Mr. Wylde, ' The Mayor informs me he knows nothing of those reports of the finance committee.' Mr. Wylde said it was rather strange. I asked Mr. Wylde why he should think I had taken the documents. He said he heard I was often in the office during his* absence. I have not removed any documents from the office. I received the auditors' report from the Government. I saw Mr. Wylde and asked him for an explanation, and to come with me and see Mr. Spence. He said the matter was in the hands of his solicitor, and he could not interfere. He has never accounted to me for his deficiencies " You will see that Mr. O'Hagan denies that he took the documents?— But he does not in that evidence quoted by you deny the assertion that he was often in the office. 86. You said often in the office in the absence of the Town Clerk?— Well, that was the meaning of it. 87. Mr. O'pagan denied that he took away the documents, but your suggestion, drawing attention to his being there in the absence of the Town Clerk, is that it was probable or possible that he removed these documents. What motive could have induced O'Hagan to do such a thing? You know solicitors always look for a motive ?—Do you press me to give my reason ? 88. Yes, because the suggestion has been made against a dead man's memory that while he was one of the principal parties in the prosecution and desired to oust Wylde from his office, and that there was very bad feeling between the two. Well, Mr. O'Hagan denies that in his evidence, and, so far as the prosecution is concerned, he was performing a public duty which may have been very painful to him. Have you any knowledge that there was any exceptional bad feeling on O'Hagan's part towards Mr. Wylde as would induce him to take such action ?—I think if you will read the Kumara Times and the different speeches made by Mr. O'Hagan, you will see that considerable feeling did prevail. 89. Can you tell us the nature of the speeches? —I cannot now, but I remember very well in connection with the case that there were two antagonistic parties in the borough, one being led by Mr. O'Hagan against the Town Clerk, and another supporting the Town Clerk. Local feeling ran very high between the two parties. 90. It is a terrible suggestion that a man would abstract documents and get a man illegally convicted. You must have strong evidence to support such a charge as that ?—I do not think my suggestion goes that far. 91. You say in the absence of the Town Clerk these documents were missing. That seemed to convey a suggestion ?—I do not think it goes that far, but it shows that Mr. Wylde heard that Mr. O'Hagan visited the office, and that Mr. Wylde inferred from that fact that Mr. O'Hagan had something to do with the removal of the documents. 92. If I understand you aright, this was your opinion ; but it was not established that the documents were abstracted by him? —I do not think that is so. 93. You do not mean to assert that Mr. O'Hagan had any motive in doing this thing?—l would not assert from the mere fact of his being in the office that he took the documents; but Mr. Wylde seemed to think that there was some evidence to justify him in believing Mr. O'Hagan had something to do with taking the documents. 94. But still you draw attention to the fact?— Well, I have carefully read all the evidence, and I find that Mr. Wylde's assertions amount to that. 95. The Chairman.] Of being often in the office ?—Yes. It may have been an omission on the part of the Crown Solicitor not to ask him point blank upon that. He may have denied or admitted it.