Chapman, William Ashby | Day 5

Was one of 80 on the Conservative committee. His draper wife supplied flag materials to Mr Usher to the value of £47 6s 9d. The election was worth about £96 to him altogether. Overwhelmed because the orders were so numerous, he had to pay Mr Solley £5 5s. for special rosettes for the Committee which were made by his draper wife. Costing 1s 9d, these were sold for 2s each making him a small profit. Each committee member was given 6 rosettes.

Witness Type: Other

Party: Conservative

Witness Testimony:

  • 4920.

    You are a DRAPER in Deal ? — That is my wife’s part of the business.

  • 4921.

    Your wife is a DRAPER ? — Yes.

  • 4922.

    This is an account for 47L. 6s. 9d. for DRAPERY supplied by your wife during this election, ROSETTES, cambric, and twill ? — Yes.

  • 4923.

    Who ordered it of you ? — Mr. Usher.

  • 4924.

    Is this “paid” your writing or your wife’s (handing the account to the witness) ? — It is my writing ; the bill is made out in my wife’s name.

  • 4925.

    But you acknowledge the receipt of it ? — Yes.

  • 4926.

    Is this chiefly for ROSETTES and FLAGS ? — ROSETTES and FLAGS, and making the FLAGS.

  • 4927.

    There are 30 dozen ROSETTES, I see ? — Yes.

  • 4928.

    It would be 10s. a dozen, I suppose, 18L. ? — I don’t know what they are put down there.

  • 4929.

    Were they 10s. a dozen ? — 12s., I think, was the average price for them.

  • 4930.

    Then I see, “one flag, extra large, ordered. Last by Griggs, 12s. 6d.“ What is that ? — I think it was for Last, the baker ; that was ordered by Mr. Griggs for Last, the baker.

  • 4931.

    What is Griggs ? — A boatman.

  • 4932.

    Then Mr. Usher did not order that ? — He came from Mr. Usher ; Mr. Usher sent him to me, but I made a note of it, because he ordered it.

  • 4933.

    Then “ one dozen ROSETTES, and 12 dozen ROSETTES, 7s. 4d.” You supplied 43 dozen ROSETTES in this bill of 33L. 5s. 6d. ? — All that is there.

  • 4934.

    “4 1/2 dozen ROSETTES by members of the committee.” Were they ordered ? — That is as they came in and got them, two or three at a time.

  • 4935.

    Mr. Usher did not order them ? — No, I was obliged to get them to get rid of them. I could not afford to lose them.

  • 4936.

    You have been paid ? — Yes.

  • 4937.

    Are your prices at all higher for an election ? — Well, we never made any before. We never had occasion to make them like that before.

  • 4938.

    You never made any ROSETTES before ? — I had never done anything before. I don’t know whether my wife had before we were married. I had never had anything to do with them before.

  • 4939.

    There is another account, a bill of which we have no voucher. “Chapman, 17L 9s. ? — Mr. Hughes has got the bill.

  • 4940.

    This is quite distinct from this other bill ? — Quite so.

  • 4941.

    What was that for ? — FLAGS and ROSETTES, the same thing.

  • 4942.

    Has that been paid ? — 16L. of it. I have not seen Mr. Usher since, or I daresay he would have paid the other.

  • 4943.

    Mr. Usher has got the other ? — Yes.

  • 4944.

    There is another, ” Chapman, ROSETTES, bows for canvassers, 33L. 6s.” ? — I daresay that is right. You will see the number there. I gave the correct bill in.

  • 4945.

    Did you send in that bill to Mr. Usher ? — Mr. Hughes I expect that bill went to ; that was ordered in the room at the “ Royal Hotel.”

  • 4946.

    (Mr. Holl.) Did Mr. Hughes order them himself ? — Yes, he did, in front of the greater part of the committee. They were all saying they could not get any ROSETTES ; other people could get them, and they could not get one ; they could not get any for themselves or for their friends.

  • 4947.

    How many did he order ? — He ordered 500. There was over 80 on the committee.

  • 4948.

    500 ROSETTES ? — Yes; for each committee man to have six each, and you will find that will be 480, and there was a few left then, and he was to give them away himself. When he asked me about making them, I told him it was an impossibility to get the stuff to do them. I said, ” You cannot get the stuff in the town, I have bought up all the stuff I can get at once,” and then he said, “ You must telegraph for it,” and I spent a lot of money in telegraphing for supplies, and I went to both Liberal DRAPERS and other DRAPERS. There are a few of my bills which I found (handing the same to the Commissioners). I never thought they would be wanted, or I might, perhaps, find a few more.

  • 4949.

    Where did you get this stuff from ? — There are the bills.