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Q.-But do you think there is an unexpressed understanding?
Hon. A. LISTER.-There is in the Colonial Office rules.
WITNESS.-But the Chairman was referring to departmental rules.
Hon. A. LISTER.-But still these are supposed to apply.
The CHAIRMAN.—I was referring not so much to what is supposed to apply, but to what is actually the case, whether the Clerks in your office understand that.
A. Yes, I think I may safely say they do.
Q.-The CHAIRMAN.If it was understood the man who did it was doing what he knew was wrong, he must have been induced to do what he knew was wrong, whereas
if he did not know he was doing what was wrong, he might have been asked to commu- nicate, and seeing no particular harm in it have done it without much persuasion.
A.-I think any man whatever in that Office must know that to reveal the contents of a letter he was never intended to see would be doing what was wrong.
Q. Hon. F. B. JOHNSON.-GOULBOURN copied this letter, and on being asked what explanation he could give as to how it got into the possession of Mr. FRASER- SMITH, he said he believed it was in this way, that the ante-room being thronged with Overseers, when he has been out of the room some Overseer has casually read the letter. Now would that Colonial Secretary's Office, No. 84, which SMITH quotes, have been
written on when that draft came out?
A.-No, that would be written afterwards.
Q. And it is not likely that an Overseer, having his attention casually drawn to the letter, could have taken a copy; the man who has taken it must have done so deli- berately and not by a passing glance?
A. Yes, and your mentioning the Colonial Secretary's Office satisfies me it was given from up there and not from my office. I have my suspicions, and I think I could myself name the person who supplied that letter.
Q.-The CHAIRMAN.-And you merely keep the draft of a letter to the Colonial Secretary's Office?
A. Yes.
Q.-Hon. F. B. JOHNSON.-But the draft is marked too?
A. That is marked afterwards when it is filed.
Q.-Mr. GOULBOURN's explanation was that it might have been done when it was being copied. Now that disproves it?
A.-It does.