Laurence Dundas, housekeeper of the Excise Office, called in and sworn.

Witness—There was a practice, previous to the time when the Excise Office was broke into, of locking the door betwixt eight and nine o’clock at night, and lodging the key in my house, and of putting a watch upon it at ten o’clock. I remember that upon Wednesday, the 5th of March last, the door was locked at the usual hour, and the key left by John Duncan at my house. A little before ten o’clock that night, William Mackay, the porter employed to watch the office, came to my house and gave information that the office had been broke open. I immediately went to the office, and found the outer door, the passage door, and the door of the cashier’s room, all open. This last-mentioned door seemed to have been forced with some instrument. Within the room I found the coulter of a plough and two iron wedges, all of which I now observe upon the table. Every drawer in the room, except the money drawers, seemed to have been forced open. I immediately sent for Mr. Thomson, the accountant, and Mr. Pearson, the secretary, and both of them immediately came to the office. Mr. Thomson told me that he had about £17 in his desk, which he supposed was all gone, but he hoped that the money drawers were safe. The key of the money drawers was found amongst others lying in the desk.

Cross-examined by Mr. John Clerk, for George Smith—Mr. Dundas, was the Excise Office, when in Chessel’s Buildings, kept in one house or in two houses?

Witness—Principally in one house, but there was likewise another small house in which Mr. Broughton’s office, Mr. Dick’s office, and the Register of Seizures were kept; both houses were inclosed with an iron rail.