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Myers until to-morrow morning to enable him to prepare his defence with Mr. Massey. I should be very sorry to give my vote in a way to prejudice any person before this Committee. Hon. Mr. Millar: I take it that Mr. Massey"s case is narrowed down, to the lowest possible point. He said there were do other witnesses required that he knew of. He said that he had asked this man to come down here, and the whole thing is whether the letter is going , to be placed (in the table now. Mr. M. Myers: If that is the position taken up, lam prepared to go on now. I have already stated that if it is a matter of going on at '■> o'clock this afternoon it is better to go on now; but it would be wasting the time of the country to adjourn till 3 o'clock after 1 have said that I should be quite as prepared to go on now as at 3 o'clock this afternoon. Hon. Mr. Millar: Mr. Myers need not trouble himself about the country. The business of the country will go on without consultation or advice from him. The motion for the adjournment of No. ! Order of Reference until Wednesday at 1.0.30 was agreed to. Mr. Fraser: 1 presume the same facilities will be given to this effect by the other Committees; or perhaps they are prepared to go on this afternoon or now. Mr. Vir/or Brown : From the remarks dropped by Mr. Fraser I presume he is referring to No. 2. Mr. Fraser: No. 2, or No. ■'! if required. Mr. Vigor Brown : There need be no adjournment so far as lam concerned. I had engaged counsel to appear for me this morning, but after the ample apology I received from Mr, Massey I asked my counsel to withdraw. I accept the ample apology made by Mr. Massey, and \ hope that in future he will be more guarded. Mr. Fraser: I object to that. Mr. Vigor Brown : I hope the experience the leader of the Opposition has gained in this case will make him more guarded in future. The Chairman: Is that all you have to say? Mr. Vigor Brown: 1 accept it, but there are other things in connection with mv name that I wish to — Mi , . Fraser: The remarks Mr. Brown has made and is making he is at liberty to use in the House, but they are out of place here. I think you must see —and Mr. Brown on reflection will see —that this Committee is not a place in which to make such remarks. The Chairman: You may reply to the suggestion made by Mr. Fraser, Mr. Brown. Mr. Vigor Brown : I say that T do not require any adjournment, because, after the ample apology the leader of the Opposition has made, I do not wish to go any further, and I have asked my counsel to withdraw. \ do not wish to delay Hie Committee. Of course, if my tongue is tied The Chairman: Your tongue is not tied. When we get through the whole of the inquiry you will have ample opportunity of discussing the matter in the House. At this stage the parties-concerned and members of the Press withdrew. Mr. Allen: 1 move that we go into the question of the breach of privilege in No. 2. The Chairman: Mr. Myers, the Committee purpose proceeding with paragraph 1 of No. 2. It is the wish of the Committee to proceed with the inquiry as to the truth or otherwise of the alleged charge contained in the following words used by Mr. Massey: 'Then he said something about whether he was supposed to have been squared, and I said, ' What was stated in Auckland at the present moment was this : that he had been squared by Mr. Vigor Brown and Sir Joseph Ward at Napier.' Now, that was the statement that was made quite openly in Auckland. I think Mr. Payne had begun to see the serious position he proposed to take up, and he said, ' Just let me think this over.' " Mr. M. Myers: That statement has already been withdrawn by Mr. Massey, fully and amply withdrawn ; and 1 propose to do no more than put in the statement that Mr. Massey has made in the House. [Statement put in.] The Chairman: Can yon assist the Committee with evidence—by letter or otherwise —with a view to ascertaining whether this alleged charge has any foundation in fact? Mr. M. Myers: The charge that Mr. Payne was squared with money or something of that kind? The Chairman : No. Mr. M. Myers: That he was squared? As this is a matter which affects Mr. Massey, perhaps the Committee would hear him very briefly on that point. He has already made a statement in the House. Ido not understand that any change is made against Mi-. Payne. The Chairman : Can you answer my question —whether Mr. Massey can assist the Committee by furnishing evidence, by means of documents or otherwise, with a view to the Committee ascertaining whether the alleged charge has any foundation in fact? Mr. Massey: No, nor is it suggested that the charge has any foundation in fact. Mr. Bussett: May 1 point out, for the benefit of Mr. Payne and his counsel, that the position is this : Mr. Massey has in the House made a full and ample retractation of the charge contained in the paragraph;' but the Committee consider that, whether Mr. Massey leads any evidence or not in connection with that charge—and presumably he will not do so, having withdrawn it—Mr. Payne should have the fullest opportunity of stating for himself, on oath, whether there ever was any ground for the statement that has been made. Mr M Myers: What 1 want to make quite clear is that Mr. Massey did not ever make the charge thai Mr. Payne was squared, nor do we make the charge, nor do we suggest that any such charge has any foundation in fact. Mr Sher'rett: I appear for Mr. Payiie. All I. have risen for at the present time is to say this: that we do not accept Mr. Myers's interpretation of the expression "squared." in this paragraph. We regard it as an opprobrious term, connoting some bribery or corrupt influence