Testimonies

Minter, William Robert | Day 6

Witness Type: Briber, Publican, Beerhouse Keeper

Party: Liberal

Witness Testimony:

• 5828.

  (Mr. Holl.) Where do you live ? — The “Drum Inn,” Upper Walmer.

• 5829.

  Was your house taken for the election ? — No.

• 5830.

  Did you receive any money in connection with the election ? — Yes.

• 5831.

  From whom ? — From Mr. E. T. Rose, Lower Walmer.

• 5832.

  How much did you receive ? — Altogether ?

• 5833.

  Yes ; tell us what items there were ? — Here you are, sir (handing account). I have penned them down for your information so that you might follow them on.

• 5834.

  You had the paying of canvassers, watchmen, messengers, and boys ? — Yes, the whole. No money was paid in Upper Walmer, only through me.

• 5835.

  Did you receive this all in one sum or different sums ? — I received that all in one sum, and at the bottom you will find the date that I received it.

• 5836.

  That is, as far as you know ? — As far as I know.

• 5837.

  You received altogether 131L. 12s. 6d. ? — No, that is what I paid away. You will see the sum close to it—it was 129L.

• 5838.

  You received 129L. on May 28th, 10 days after the election ? — That is right.

• 5839.

  And out of that you paid 21L. to 21 boys — 2s. 6d. for eight days ? — No ; I will explain that to you. I could not have the same boys the whole time. They were sons of voters. There were 21 boards going each day ; so I put it down 21 boys at 21L. ; but they did not receive 1L. each.

• 5840.

  Each day you had 21 boys, and not always the same boys ? — Yes.

• 5841.

  You paid them 2s. 6d. a day each ? — Yes.

• 5842.

  So that each day you paid 21 2s. 6d.’s. ? — Quite right.

• 5843.

  And in the eight days you paid 11L. ? — Yes.

• 5844.

  They were, as you said just now; the sons of voters ? — The majority of them. There might have been one or two who were not. I was not always in the way when they started.

• 5845.

  They were not always sons of voters, but generally so ? — Most of them. If I was present to start them they were sons of voters, but there might have been one or two came in otherwise.

• 5846.

  You always gave the preference to sons of voters if you were present ? — That is so.

• 5847.

  But there might have been one or two who got in when you were not there ? — Yes, and they were paid.

• 5848.

  There were five assistant canvassers, and you paid them 4L. a piece ? — Yes.

• 5849.

  Were they all voters ? — No, not all voters ; one was my own brother, a single man. He is not a voter. I think I put it to his name.

• 5850.

  The other four were voters : Joseph Henry Flower, George Woodcock, Edward Curling, George Clover, and John Minter — they got 4L. a piece ? — Yes.

• 5851.

  What did they do ? Did they do much ? — They assisted me. Clover is a gardener at the castle; there are several voters there, and I got him to canvass for me. I could not always catch them. Many times I went to one man’s house three or four times, and I found I could not command the whole village myself, so I got these to assist me.

• 5852.

  You say Clover is a gardener at the castle ? — Yes, he is a kitchen gardener.

• 5853.

  There were two or three voters there ? — Yes.

• 5854.

  What he did was to get those two or three voters ? — Yes, and assist me in other ways.

• 5855.

  Did he do anything more than canvass these three or four voters at the castle ? — Yes, he came to me every evening after his work to see if he could do anything.

• 5856.

  Did he do anything ? — Yes, he did.

• 5857.

  What was it ? — He called upon several voters for me, and gave me information.