Spears, Henry William | Day 4

Received £108 from Samuel Olds to distribute between 36 men at £3 each plus £6 for canvassing and £5 for a committee room.

Witness Type: Briber, No Indemnity, Publican, Beerhouse Keeper

Party: Conservative

Witness Testimony:

  • 4179.

    (Mr. Holl.) Have you a public-house ? — Yes.

  • 4180.

    What is the name of the house you keep ? — The ” Antwerp.”

  • 4181.

    Is that nearly opposite the pier ? — Yes.

  • 4182.

    You received a sum of money, I think, from Mr. Olds ? — Yes.

  • 4183.

    For the purpose of distribution amongst some of the voters ? — Yes, I did.

  • 4184.

    How much did you receive ? — 108L.

  • 4185.

    Have you made out a list of the people amongst whom you distributed it ? — Yes, that is the list (handing a paper) ; you will see each name in the poll book. They are all needy people.

  • 4186.

    I will ask you to do this ; you have put down the Christian name and surname, but I will get you to put in a third column the addresses of each of these persons, and in a fourth column how much you gave to each ? — I can do it if I have a poll book to take the addresses off.

  • 4187.

    We will go on with this now, and you can let us have the list complete to-morrow. Do you know how much you gave to each ? — 3L. each ; they shared all alike.

  • 4188.

    I see there are 36 of them ? — Yes.

  • 4189.

    You paid 36 different men ? — Yes.

  • 4190.

    And gave them 3L. each ? — Yes.

  • 4191.

    Making altogether 108L. ? — Yes ; and that was the amount of money I received.

  • 4192.

    When did you pay them ? — I paid them after they had given their votes.

  • 4193.

    Had you arranged beforehand with them ? — Not all, just a few I had the day before.

  • 4194.

    You had told them that, if they would vote for you, you would give them so much ? — Yes ; they said, ‘’ Times are hard ; ” and I said, ‘’ We will do what we ” can for you.”

  • 4195.

    I suppose you did that with all of them, you told them you would give them something ? — Yes, all those 36 ; any others I know nothing about

  • 4196.

    You told each of these 36 that you would do what you could for them if they voted for your side ? — Yes.

  • 4197.

    And after they voted you gave them each 3L apiece ? — Yes.

  • 4198.

    Is that all the money you received ? — No; I received 6L. from Mr. Olds as canvasser.

  • 4199.

    You were one of the canvassers ? — Yes.

  • 4200.

    Did you do any canvassing ? — Yes, I went round several days for more than a fortnight, I should think two or three hours daily.

  • 4201.

    Did you keep the 6L for yourself or distribute any of it ? — I kept it for myself, for my expenses.

  • 4202.

    You did not pay any of that to anyone ? — No, I spent that and a little more out of my own pocket.

  • 4203.

    Beyond the 108L. that you got from Mr. Olds, and 6L. that you got for yourself as canvasser, did you receive any other moneys from anyone in connection with the election ? — I received 5L for the room in my house.

  • 4204.

    Your house was taken ? — Yes.

  • 4205.

    Beyond those three sums did you receive any- thing more ? — No, not one halfpenny.

  • 4206.

    Did you pay anything to anyone beyond this 108L ? — No.