Watts, William | Day 6

Distributed £54 between 18 voters. Received £5 for a committee room and supplied refreshments totalling £2 7s. 6d. Treating amounted to £8 9s. 0d. and personal expenses of £5 3s. 6d.

Witness Type: Briber, Publican, Beerhouse Keeper, Treater

Party: Liberal

Witness Testimony:

  • 6223.

    (Mr. Holl.) What are you ? — A licensed victualler.

  • 6224.

    What house do you keep ? — The “Railway Inn”, Deal

  • 6225.

    Did you receive any money ? — 50L., and 25L.

  • 6226.

    From whom did you receive the 50L. ? —Mr. Outwin.

  • 6227.

    What did you do with that ? — I divided it amongst the people in this list (handing a paper) ; and there were other expenses.

  • 6228.

    Who did you get the 25L. from ? — Mr. Cornwell.

  • 6229.

    That is 75L altogether ? — Yes.

  • 6230.

    You paid 18 persons, whose names are given here, 3L. apiece ? — Yes.

  • 6231.

    Was that for their votes ? — Yes.

  • 6232.

    To vote for the Liberal candidate ? —Yes.

  • 6233.

    Did you promise them that before they voted ? — I promised them that I would do what I could for them.

  • 6234.

    And after they had voted you paid them ? — Yes.

  • 6235.

    Did you pay them after they had voted ? —Yes, not before they had voted.

  • 6236.

    That is 54L. ; then hire of COMMITTEE ROOM at your house, 5L. ? — Yes.

  • 6237.

    And refreshments supplied, 2L. 7s. 6d, ; who were they supplied to ? — To various people that came in. Several would come in, who were not voters at all, upon a day.

  • 6238.

    Was this upon the election day ? — For several days before the election, perhaps three or four shillings everyday.

  • 6239.

    Did anybody instruct you, or authorise you to supply refreshments to any person that came for them ? — Yes, Mr. Outwin said I might supply them to a small amount ; not to any great extent ; not to run a heavy bill.

  • 6240.

    He said you might supply refreshments to any body who asked, if they were Liberals ? — Yes. You cannot always tell who people are, and perhaps they might change their minds if you gave them a little refreshment.

  • 6241.

    (Mr. Jeune.) The refreshment might have an effect upon them ? — Sometimes it does ; and we were a long march behind as well.

  • 6242.

    You rather hoped the refreshments would ? — The fact is, we had to throw a good bait, and then they would not take the hook, or some of them.

  • 6243.

    I suppose some of them would have a little refreshment on each side ? — Yes.

  • 6244.

    Besides that, you spent on treating during the canvass 8L. 9s. 6d. ? — That is right.

  • 6245.

    Was that in treating people you went round to, or for treating people that you supplied at your house ? — No ; entirely away from my house.

  • 6246.

    Was that drink that you gave to people when you went round canvassing ? — Yes. I was repeatedly out from morning to night, and even late at night some- times.

  • 6247.

    Where did you get the drink from that you supplied to these people whilst canvassing ? — At various houses.

  • 6248.

    You kept on throwing out the bait ? — Yes, kept putting it out.

  • 6249.

    You took them to the nearest house ? — Yes; sometimes we would find an opponent there, and we would have a strong contest to see who could do the most.

  • 6250.

    You met some of the other side there sometimes ? — Yes ; and we could not do less than retaliate.

  • 6251.

    Did you see such a thing, because we have it that there was not much treating upon the other side ; did you see it ? — Yes, many times during the day. I was canvassing, and each would try to get hold of a man, and some would be non-voters.

  • 6252.

    You paid away that sum in treating the different people at different houses during the time you were canvassing ? — Yes.