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Mr. W. ST. J. H. HANCOCK, Land Surveyor in the Public Works Depart-
ment is examined,-
Q.-Hon. A. LISTER.--How long have you been in the Colonial service, Mr.
HANCOCK.
A.-I came at the end of July last.
Q.-Then I dare say you don't know anything personally as to how a letter of Mr. PRICE'S got communicated to a newspaper, do you?
A.-I don't know of any letter.
Q.-You have heard about it I suppose?
A.-There was a letter referring to the Hongkong Telegraph.
Q.-Exactly, you have heard about it?
A. Yes, at the trial.
Q.-Well, being in the department, and I suppose intimate with every one there, have you picked up anything as to how that letter got out?
A.--Nothing whatever.
Q.-Have you formed any opinion of your own?
A.-Not in the least. I have not the slightest knowledge, neither have I heard anything.
Q. Do you know anything about the correspondence of the department, how it is conducted?
A.-No; I have very little to do with it. I have my own correspondence, which is very little, relating to land, which is copied into the department letter book.
Q.-That is the same book as the other letters are in?
A. Yes.
Q.-How could one of your letters, for instance, have got into a newspaper?
A.-I cannot conceive any way at all, only that I myself could communicate it, or
a clerk in the office who has access to the letter book could communicate it. There is
no one else who could do so.
Q-Who copies these letters?
A.-A clerk in the office.
Q.-Which of them The Chinese clerk, I suppose?
A.-I don't know. I send the letter into the office and tell them to copy it. CHAN FUK, I believe, generally does that.
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