Horticultural Society and Garden. 



243 



Q. But has it been of frequent occurrence 

 that the conversation between two indifferent 

 persons going to see the garden has been re- 

 ported by the attendant, and that report has 

 been made to Mr. Sabine ? 



A. Yes. 



(i. Are you aware whether those reports 

 were submitted to any Garden Committee ? 



A. No, I do not think they were. 



Q. The attendant had directions to report, I 

 presume ? 



A. I believe there is an order for the purpose 

 in the order book. 



Q. Now do I distinctly understand you to 

 say that the attendant upon visitors actually 

 received an order to report what they said? 



A. Yes. 



Q. Did that order give them instructions as 

 to what, they were to report ? 



A. Yes. 



Q. It did? 



A. Yes. 



Q. Now state what the order was, as well as 

 you can recollect ? 



A. The order was, " That visitors were to be 

 attended by Mr. Munro, or, in his absence, by 

 me or the under gardener, and that we were 

 to report to the Secretary the particular re- 

 marks that they made upon the garden, the 

 management of it, or whatever things occurred 

 in the course of their visit to the garden." 



Q. Now, in point of fact, has an instance ever 

 occurred where the attendant reported private 

 conversations between the visitors, which were 

 not addressed to the attendant ; observations 

 made between them ? 



A. Yes. 



Q; Were any remarks made upon that report 

 by Mr. Sabine ? 



A. He always, when he came to the garden, 

 sent for the person who attended upon these 

 particular visitors, and then enquired more 

 particularly into what they might have said. 



Q. Has Mr. Sabine ever given any officer of 

 the garden, that you are aware of, any orders 

 to report conversations that ensued between 

 two indifferent persons ; has he ever given any 

 orders to report conversations which the at- 

 tendant upon visitors might hear them make 

 relative to the management of the garden ? 



A. They were to report generally every thing 

 connected with the garden which they might 

 hear the visitors say, in order that the Secre- 

 tary might be informed, and know what to do 

 when he saw the party afterwards. 



Q. He gave that reason for it, did he ? 



A. Yes, that he might be informed of what 

 they said, that he might know what to say to 

 the party afterwards when he met them. 



Q. Did it ever occur to you, in those reports 

 which you have made of the conversation and 

 observations of visitors, that you have ever 

 inserted in such report, " That Mr. So and 

 So has visited the garden, and has expressed 

 himself in strong terms of disapprobation 

 against the conduct of such and such an offi- 

 cer ? " 



A. Yes, it has. 



Q. In case you had made such an entry in 

 the registers, what steps would have followed 

 from it ? 



A. Mr. Sabine would have taken the papers, 

 and have enquired for the parties. 



O.. Supposing any visitors had made an ob- 

 servation reflecting upon any officer of this 

 Society, but totally unconnected with the 

 objects of the Society, would that have been 

 reported ? 



A. If there was any thing that applied to the 

 garden, that would have been reported. 



Q. But supposing there was nothing that 

 applied to the garden, but to the people of the 

 garden ? 



A. If it had applied to the officers of the So- 

 ciety, it would have been reported. 



Q. But supposing that observation, though 

 it applied to one of the officers of the Society, 

 was totally unconnected with the objects of the 

 Society in general, would it have been re- 

 ported ? 



A. Yes, it would. 



Q. If it referred to an officer ? 



A. Yes, if it referred to an officer of the So- 

 ciety. 



Q. If any observation had been made de- 

 tracting from the character or the conduct of 

 one of the officers of the Society upon a subject 

 totally unconnected with the garden, would 

 such an observation have been noted? 



A. Those are not transactions we should 

 take so much notice of; if it was very violent 

 against Mr. Sabine or Mr. Lindley, it would 

 not be put in the exact words, but it would be 

 put in this way, " Mr. So and So was very abus- 

 ive of a certain person." 



CI Then it would be sent to Mr. Sabine, or 

 any body else, and they would send for the at- 

 tendant, and so obtain the particulars ? 



A. Yes. 



Q. Did you ever know Mr. Sabine cross-ex- 

 amine a labourer for the particulars of any 

 conversation which was represented in the re- 

 gister ? 



A. Yes. 



Q. Did you ever know Mr. Lindley do the 

 same ? 



A. No. 



Espionnage. - 



Extracts from the evidence of Mr. Munro, the Head Gar- 

 dener. 



Q. Did it ever fall to your province to trans, 

 mit any conversation that took place in the 

 gardens between the visitors and the persons 

 who attended them ? Do you know whether it 

 was any part of your office to do so? 



A. Yes, it was. 



Q. To repeat to whom ? 



A. To repeat it at the Council Room to the 

 clerk, what took place with the visitors when 

 they were going round the garden. 



Q. At the Council Room? 



A. Yes. 



Q. Well, was there ever any conversation 

 that took place between the parties visiting the 

 garden ? 



A. I was only required to state what was 

 said to me personally concerning the garden. 



Q. If any observations were made? 



A. Yes, if any observations were made upon 

 the garden. 



Q. If any visitors, speaking to you, made 

 any observations relating to the garden, were 



you directed to go and report those observations 

 at the Council Room? 



A. Yes ; to be put upon a sheet of paper, and 

 laid before Mr. Sabine. 



Q. Were those observations relating merely 

 to horticulture ? 



A. Merely to horticulture and different other 

 things. 



Q. What do you mean by other things ? 



A. With regard to the management of the 

 garden and offices, and the people connected 

 with it. 



Q, Supposing some of the visitors made re- 

 marks either upon Mr. Sabine, or upon the 

 office of the Society, was that expected to be 

 reported ? 



A. i( \ chose to do it, it would have been 

 put upon paper. 



Q. But would you have put down any con- 

 versation that visitors carried on between 

 themselves, which was not addressed to you ? 

 A. No, certainly not; and it was seldom I 



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