Hoile, Stephen - Walmer | Day 6

Wrongly listed as both Briber and Bribee in the Report.


Witness Type: Bribee

Party: Liberal


Witness Testimony:

  • 5785.

    (Mr. Jeune.) Where do you live ? — York Street, Walmer Road.

  • 5786.

    What are you ? — A Channel pilot.

  • 5787.

    How much money have you had in connection with this election ? — I received 6L. from Mr. Rose after the election.

  • 5788.

    When ? — About six days after the election as near as I can recollect.

  • 5789.

    What did he give you that for ? — For being ten or twelve days detained on shore, and my personal expenses during the election.

  • 5790.

    Was it all for yourself ? — No, I divided that betwixt me and my son.

  • 5791.

    Is he a voter ? — Yes, that is his only expenses ; I am a true Liberal ; I am never up for sale.

  • 5792.

    Did you have a talk with Mr. Rose before the election ? — That I should have the expense I would be put to for stopping on shore ; you see it may put me to a great expense being 10 or 12 days, and I may lose a great deal.

  • 5793.

    He told you before the election that you would have your expenses paid ? — I never am up for sale ; I was born a true Blue, a Liberal, and my father too.

  • 5794.

    Never mind about how you were born, because you would not know much about that yourself ? — But I am a true Blue.

  • 5795.

    Before the election you had a talk with Mr. Rose ? — Yes, that my expenses he would pay.

  • 5796.

    Did he mention what sum you were to have ? — No.

  • 5797.

    No particular sum ? — No.

  • 5798.

    After the election was over, he came to you and paid you 3L., did he ? — He gave me 6L., that would be 3L. for each, to pay our expenses ; we are both of one mind.

  • 5799.

    What is your son’s Christian name ? — William.

  • 5800.

    Where does he live ? — I believe he lives in Griffin Street, Deal ; the number I could not tell you.

  • 5801.

    Just tell your son William that we should like to see him if he will come up tomorrow ? — I believe he is in Dover at the present time.

  • 5802.

    I should like to know this ; you only wanted to be here on the day of the election ; would you have been away in the ordinary course of business ? — Certainly I should ; I should have stopped and voted by my expenses being paid, because I may lose a great deal when I am stopping on shore.

  • 5803.

    And you say your expenses would be paid ; what would you lose ? — I cannot say ; I might lose 20L. or 30L.; perhaps so I have done.

  • 5804.

    By going out you lost the chance of getting a ship ? — Yes, my living lies 300 miles from here ; my cruising backwards and forwards. I am from one end of the Channel up to the other from 1847 up to the present day.

  • 5805.

    How soon did you go out after the election ? — We went to sea the next day, or the day after, I could not exactly say.

  • 5806.

    What is your son ? — My son is similar to myself ; he is in the Channel the same.

  • 5807.

    Is he a pilot, too ? — Yes, you may call him a pilot.

  • 5808.

    Does he go out by himself as a pilot ? — You cannot go out by yourself ; you have to go with a crew.

  • 5809.

    Does he go in command of the crew as you do ? — We do not exactly each one command a crew, do you see ; we are all pilots, and take part in this affair.

  • 5810.

    You are a regular pilot ? — Yes, I am a Channel pilot from 1847 up to the present day.

  • 5811.

    Is your son the same ? — He has been to sea all the time ; he is not so old as me, hardly.

  • 5812.

    Does he go out and pilot for himself ? — Yes, he does ; he goes and takes charge of the crew the same as I do.

  • 5813.

    Separately from you ? — Yes, separately from me ; not in the same crew as me.

  • 5814.

    Does he go out by himself and take charge of a ship, or does he always, when he goes out, go with you ? — He does not go with me, sir ; he goes in another pilot boat ; we do not both go in one pilot boat.