Jones, Robert William | Day 4

Received £50 in three amounts – £6 for canvassing, £5 for a committee room and £39 to distribute amongst 13 voters. In the event he only paid 11 and returned the remaining £6

Witness Type: Briber, Publican, Beerhouse Keeper

Party: Conservative

Witness Testimony:

  • 4207.

    (Mr. Turner.) What are you ? — A licensed victualler.

  • 4208.

    What is your house ? — The “Sir Sidney Smith.”

  • 4209.

    Did you receive any money from Mr. Olds ? — Yes.

  • 4210.

    How much ? — 5L. for the use of my room, 6L. as a paid canvasser, and 39L. for distribution amongst the voters.

  • 4211.

    When did you receive 39L. ? — It might be about two days before the election ; it would be the 16th or 17th, but I cannot say exactly.

  • 4212.

    Did you distribute it ? — Yes.

  • 4213.

    Have you got any paper showing how you distributed it, and when ? — Yes (producing a paper), here is a list of the names, addresses, and occupations.

  • 4214.

    You have not given the sums here ? — They had 3L. a piece.

  • 4215.

    There are only 11 here, which would make 33L. ? — I returned 6/., and here is a receipt for it (handing a paper),

  • 4216.

    This is a receipt from Mr. Olds ? — Yes.

  • 4217.

    You gave each of these 11 persons 3L. for their vote ? — Yes.

  • 4218.

    At the election ? — Yes.

  • 4219.

    Was that on a promise by them to vote for Mr. C. Roberts ? — Yes.

  • 4220.

    Are these sums of 5L., 6L, and 33L. all that you had ? — Yes, every penny.

  • 4221.

    From anybody in connection with the election ? —Yes.

  • 4222.

    That is all that you paid out of the 39L. ? — Yes ; I returned 6L., which makes it up.

  • 4223.

    Did you return the 6L. to Mr. Olds upon the 20th May, the day of this receipt ? — Yes.

  • 4224.

    What did you do as a canvasser ? — I canvassed the different people round my neighbourhood wherever I knew them.

  • 4225.

    How many days about ? — Right along from the first part of the election to the end of it.

  • 4226.

    You kept the 6L. paid to you as canvasser ? — Yes, for personal expenses.

  • 4227.

    You put that into your own pocket ? — Yes.

  • 4228.

    (Mr. Holl.) Have you any canvass book or list ? — No further list than that I have produced.

  • 4229.

    When did you make out this list ? — Two days ago.

  • 4230.

    At the time you canvassed did you keep any list of the people you canvassed ? — No ; I am well known about the neighbourhood, and there was no necessity for that

  • 4231.

    Did you make out this list from any memorandum or from your memory ? — From my memory.

  • 4232.

    (Mr. Turner.) Had you any directions as to the particular men you were to go to and pay this money ? — No, I had no particular directions as to how to distribute the money.

  • 4233.

    I suppose you told Mr. Olds how many men you had about ? — Yes.