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SECOND REPORT.

CHARGES AGAINST MR. MAJOR. 1. The Select Committee, to which was referred the charges brought by the honourable member for Stratford, Mr Hine, against Mr Charles E. Major, has to report as follows :— The first charge against Mr. Major is as follows :— " That Charles Edwin Major, in or about the year 1904, while a member of Parliament, conducted the sale to the Government of a property of Frederick Bayly at Toko, and received from the said Frederick Bayly a commission or sum of money for so doing." The second charge against Mr Major is as follows :— "That Charles Edwin Major and Walter Symes, or one of them, in or about the year 1905, while both members of Parliament, conducted the sale to the Government of a property of Alfred Bayly at Toko, and received from the said Alfred Bayly a commission or sum of money, which the said Charles Edwin Major and Walter Symes divided." 2. At the hearing there appeared before your Committee Mr M. Myers as counsel for Mr Hine, and Mr Major appeared, but was not represented by counsel. The evidence taken at length shows:— (a.) That Mr Major was in the year 1903 a member of the House of Representatives, and ceased to be a member after the general election of 1908. (b.) That before and in the year 1903 he carried on the business of a land and commission agent. (c.) That in March, 1903, he negotiated in the ordinary way as a land agent a sale to the Government of Mr F. Bayly's property at Toko, and received commission from MiBayly at the usual rate paid on the sale of such properties. (d.) There is no evidence to show that the negotiations were conducted other than by correspondence. (c.) That in these negotiations Mr Major acted as agent for the vendors and not in any way as agent for the Government. (/) That the sale was conducted through the Land Purchase Board strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Land for Settlements Act, and not through any Minister of the Crown, and no influence or pressure at any time was brought or attempted to be brought by anyone upon the members of that Board. (g.) That no irregularity, favour, or interference took place either on the part of the late Right Hon. Mr Seddon (who was at that time Minister in charge of the Land Purchase Department, as well as being Prime Minister), or on the part of any member of his Government. (h.) As to the second charge . That Mr Major did not, in the year 1905, or at any time, conduct the sale to the Government of Mr. Alfred Bayly's property at Toko, and did not receive from Mr Alfred Bayly a commission or sum of money which he divided with Mr Walter Symes or anyone else. Finding. 3. Your Committee is therefore of opinion that as regards the first charge the evidence taken did not show any breach of any rule of law, but a direct contravention of a resolution of the House agreed to on 14th July, 1886. As regards the second charge, it has been disproved so far as Mr Major is concerned.

CHARGES AGAINST MR. SYMES. Fiest Charge. 1. The Select Committee, to which was referred the charges brought by the honourable member for Stratford, Mr. Hine, against Mr. Walter Symes, has to report as follows :— The first charge against Mr Symes is as follows : — " That Charles Edwin Major and Walter Symes, or one of them, in or about the year 1905, while both members of Parliament, conducted the sale to the Government of a property of Alfred Bayly at Toko, and received from the said Alfred Bayly a commission or sum of money, which the said Charles Edwin Major and Walter Symes divided."

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