Brown, John Marsh | Day 6

Invoiced £4 for preparing canvass books etc. A letter shown to the court showed that the bill was subsequently changed by Mr Edwards to £14 on account of the amount of work involved in preparing the books. His son, Walter Penfield Brown who prepared the invoice was called to testify as to the amount on the bill.

Witness Type: Other

Party: Liberal

Other Days The Witness Was Called On: Day 9 | Day 10

Witness Testimony:

  • 6364.

    (Mr. Jeune.) Did you prepare some canvass books for the Liberal Association ? — Yes, six.

  • 6365.

    Who gave you the order ? — Mr. Cottew asked me to do them, and I also prepared a large book for the committee. It was a copy of the register, with corrections of the list of voters and freemen.

  • 6366.

    Did you do anything else ? — No.

  • 6367.

    Did you prepare any other books at all ? — I prepared and finished six canvassing books, and a large book for the use of the committee.

  • 6368.

    That is all ? — Yes.

  • 6369.

    Did you send in a bill for that ? — Yes, 4L.

  • 6370.

    4L. for the whole ? — That was for all I did.

  • 6371.

    Is that the only bill you sent in ? — Yes, the only bill I sent in.

  • 6372.

    Was what you did besides preparing the canvass books to make out the strike lists ? — I do not know what you call the strike lists. I made six canvassing books. The town of Deal is divided into two wards, and I prepared three for the North ward and three for the South ward, for the use of the canvassers who might be engaged to solicit votes for Sir Julian.

  • 6373.

    And you sent in a bill, for that, for 4L. ? — Yes.

  • 6374.

    There is another charge for making strike lists for the committee ; did you do that ? — No.

  • 6375.

    The bill you sent in was 4L. ? — Yes ; and I am charged in the newspapers with having sent in a bill for 14L.

  • 6376.

    If a claim has been made in the list of claims sent in against Sir Julian Goldsmid for 14L., you know nothing about it ? — No.

  • 6377.

    You did not claim more than 4L, ? — No. I used to have 2L. for making the canvassing books till the franchise was extended.

  • 6378.

    It is not the fact that 14L was the usual charge ? — No. 2L. I used to have for making the books till the franchise was extended, and there being so many more in the list of voters 4L. is not too much. It took me and an assistant a week to do it; there were a great many corrections to make, and not only that, I had to put the different voters as they lived, so that the canvassers could go from one to the other and not run all over the place.

  • 6379.

    Do you live at 52, High Street, Deal ? — Yes.

  • 6380.

    Tell me if that is your account (handing a paper) ? No.

  • 6381.

    (Mr. Turner.) Whose writing is that, do you know ? — I cannot say.

  • 6382.

    (Mr. Jeune). It is not your initial ; but 52, High Street, is your address ? — That is from my son, Walter Penfield Brown.

  • 6383.

    He sent that in ? — It is the first time I have seen it ; my account was 4L., and I went down and told Mr. Hammond so.

  • 6384.

    Is this in your son’s handwriting ? — It seems to me so.

  • 6385.

    To arranging names of voters from Parliamentary register, making out six canvass books, fair copy of register of voters ; that is what you did do ? — Yes, that is what was done.

  • 6386.

    And the charge is 14L. ? — I know nothing about that.

  • 6387.

    Is your son your partner ? — No, he is a schoolmaster.

  • 6388.

    Did he help you to do this work ? — Yes.

  • 6389.

    Did you send in a separate bill ? — Yes, I sent in a bill for 4L.

  • 6390.

    To whom did you send it ? — To Mr. Edwards’s office.

  • 6391.

    At what time did you send in the bill ? — Shortly after the election ; I do not know the date.

  • 6392.

    You have no copy of it ? — No.

  • 6393.

    Did your son do anything separate ; would he have to send in a bill ? — No, I think not ; that was all that was done at my house. The large book was for the use of the committee.