Brett, Robert | Day 9

Paid his expenses for Travel from London to vote after receiving a letter requesting him to come.

Witness Type: Bribee

Party: Liberal

Witness Testimony:

  • 11527.

    (Mr. Jeune.) Where do you live ? — York Road, 1, Wellington Place, Lower Walmer.

  • 11528.

    What is your occupation ? — A servant.

  • 11529.

    What did you get at the election ? — 3L. for my expenses coming from London and returning.

  • 11530.

    From whom did you get it ? — Mr. Pearson.

  • 11531.

    Did you get anything more ? — No.

  • 11532.

    Was that for your vote ? — No, for my expenses coming from London and returning. I was sent for.

  • 11533.

    You were sent for from London ? — Yes.

  • 11534.

    Who sent for you ? — The Liberal committee.

  • 11535.

    Did they tell you what they would give you if you came ? — No, nothing was mentioned whatever.

  • 11536.

    Nothing was said about it at all ? — No.

  • 11537.

    Did you get the 3L. before you voted or after ? — After ; the next day, before I returned to London.

  • 11538.

    Did you get a letter from them ? — Yes.

  • 11539.

    What did the letter say ? — Merely that if I liked to come down my expenses would be paid. I applied for that.

  • 11540.

    Nothing more at all ? — No.

  • 11541.

    You came down and voted, and the next day you applied for your expenses ? — Yes.

  • 11542.

    What were your actual expenses ; there was your return ticket ? — My return ticket, second class, would be 15s. and then 10s. each day I charged.

  • 11543.

    What would that be for ? — That was for my extra expenses.

  • 11544.

    That makes 1L. 15s., and you got 3L ? — 3L. was what the committee allowed me for my expenses.

  • 11545.

    You got more than your expenses, did you not ? — A little more ; that was for loss of time.

  • 11546.

    Did anybody say anything to you when you came down ; did anybody canvass you for your vote when you came down ? — No. I went straight to the committee, and went and voted.

  • 11547.

    Who did you see at the COMMITTEE ROOM ? — Only Mr. Rose.

  • 11548.

    Did you talk to him about your vote ? — No ; nothing more than I went and voted.

  • 11549.

    You saw Mr. Rose before you voted ? — Yes.

  • 11550.

    Did you not have a talk with him ? — No; nothing more than he said, “You can go and vote.”

  • 11551.

    Did he say anything to you about your expenses being paid ? — He told me by letter that my expenses would be paid if I came down.

  • 11552.

    When you saw him did he say anything to you about your expenses ? — No, nothing at alL

  • 11553.

    You got more than your expenses ? — A very little more.

  • 11554.

    Getting on for twice as much. Before you voted, had you any sort or kind of promise made to you ? —No.

  • 11555.

    Nothing at all ? — No.

  • 11556.

    If you had got your bare expenses, that would be all you expected ? — I should expect a little more for coming down to oblige them.