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Q.-Still, have you formed any idea of your own?
A.-No. I don't know what the practice is at all.
Q. Did you go straight to Tai-tam when you came?
A. Yes. I have never been in the office at all.
Q.-Have you ever, in conversation with others, heard any particulars about the working of the department in these respects, or picked up any information which you could give us on the scope of this inquiry?
A. Well, I can't say I have not, but I must say I should not like to say anything unless it is strictly public, according to that letter I signed of Mr. BOWDLER'S.
Q. Is there anything you could or would say if it was perfectly public?
A.-No.
Q.—Well, in that case you might as well say it privately.
A.-I know nothing. I have heard in conversation plenty of things, but I should be very sorry to repeat anything because I could not prove it.
Q.-But that is the position in which every one is, and we should like you to tell us those things you have heard. That is why we are inquiring confidentially, because it is so hard on people to whom one of two things happen: either a man says I won't open my mouth at all in public, or else he mentions a lot of rumour and chit-chat, and all this is printed.
A. Yes, but no one would mention any rumour or chit-chat unless he could prove it.
Q.-But you see a number of these little things put together may point to some- thing, and that is the only way we can find anything. There is one circumstance I would call your attention to, and that is this. Within the last few years there have been a number of persons who have left the department and gone into private practice. Now I think I may say all these people, without exception, when they are fairly out of the department, talk. They say this or that. No one had a stronger opinion about the Survey Department or expressed it more strongly than Mr. ALFORD, who has gone home, unfortunately for our purpose, because I should have liked to call to his recollec- tion some things he said to me. He had a very strong opinion about the corruption which prevailed among the Overseers and the lower class of Clerks of Works. He expressed that opinion very strongly, but directly we ask any one in the department and who we may suppose is forming the same opinion these gentlemen who have left express, they say "I know nothing about it."
A.-Well, I am in no better position than yourself. All I know is by the most casual conversation, but as for knowing anything myself, I have not been in a position to learn anything.