Porter, George Edward | Day 22

Together with Edward Rea he was given £81 to distribute amongst 27 voters. Although Rea testified Porter would supply the names, he did not provide a list, saying no canvass books were kept. Offered to call the names out but the judge declined his offer. Also gave £3 to Stephen Hoile of 14, Jew’s Harp Alley but Hoile was not called as a witness. Complained that the £6 he was given for canvassing did not cover the time or money spent canvassing.

Witness Type: Briber, No Indemnity

Party: Conservative

Other Days The Witness Was Called On: Day 6 | Day 14

Witness Testimony:

  • 22034.

    (Mr. Holl.) You keep The Fountain ? — No.

  • 22035.

    What house do you keep ? — I do not keep any.

  • 22036.

    Is it Mr. Rea that keeps The Fountain ? — Yes, that is it ; I used to keep The Fountain.

  • 22037.

    I think you sent different people to The Fountain to receive some money ? — Yes, I did.

  • 22038.

    Who was the stout man who gave the money at The Fountain ? — A gentleman who has been down here for several years, and used to come and hire our boats when I was in partnership with Mr. King. I used sometimes to call him Obadiah, and at other times O’Leary. He was a gentleman I could put great confidence in, and he had the money, and paid each man £3. I was at the bottom of the stairs, or outside the door, when they received the money.

  • 22039.

    Was it some gentleman that was in the habit of coming to your house for some years ? — No, of going off in our boats. There are lots of people come down in the summer time who names I do not know.

  • 22040.

    You know his name ? — No.

  • 22041.

    He used to hire your boat ? — Yes.

  • 22042.

    And has been in the habit of coming to you for some years ? — Three or four years, since I have been in partnership with Mr. King.

  • 22043.

    Where did he live ? — Somewhere in Prospect Place.

  • 22044.

    What number ? — I cannot say.

  • 22045.

    Was he living there at the time of the election ? — I do not know where he was living then, because he only came down for a short stay till the election was over.

  • 22046.

    Did you ask him to distribute the money for you ? — No. In fact, Mr. Rea gave him the money.

  • 22047.

    You must have asked him to do something ? — Only to take and pay the men the money, and get their signatures.

  • 22048.

    You asked him to pay these people ? — Yes.

  • 22049.

    You must have known him pretty intimately ? —He was in the habit of going off in our boats for the last three or four years, and he was a gentleman I could put trust in. I would have trusted him with £200 or £500.

  • 22050.

    He must have had some confidence in you, or else he would not have undertaken the job of paying this money for you ? — I do not know about that.

  • 22051.

    Unless it was somebody you knew very well, and he knew you very well, he would not have undertaken to distribute this money for you in that way ? — He did so whether he knew me or not.

  • 22052.

    You do not mean to tell us you do not know his name ? — I do not.

  • 22053.

    Do you mean to swear that you do not know his name ? — I do. I have called him O’Leary and Obadiah. I have said, “Well, my Obadiah, are you going off this morning?” And he has said, “Yes, I think I will go off and have a spin,” and he would go off in one of my boats.

  • 22054.

    Was O’Leary his name ? — No.

  • 22055.

    Then why did you call him O’Leary ? — Just the same as I have called across the street to others anything that comes across my mind.

  • 22056.

    Why should you fix upon O’Leary if that was not his name ? — I have often called others O’Leary.

  • 22057.

    (Mr. Jeune.) How do you know it was not his name if you do not know his name ? — I cannot say.

  • 22058.

    I can understand nicknames, such as Dick and Harry, but why should you call a man O’Leary if you did not think it was his name, or know anything about his name ? — You would very frequently hear me call a man named Larkings, Captain O’Leary.

  • 22059.

    Have you seen this man since ? — No.

  • 22060.

    Where do you say he stayed when he was here ? — I do not know whether it was Prospect Place or Victoria Town, but somewhere up there. He used to come down to the boats, and I never went down to his house; he was a gentleman.

  • 22061.

    Had he a family here, or was he alone ? — He was alone.

  • 22062.

    (Mr. Holl.) It certainly strikes me as very singular, because in a matter of this kind you would not have been likely to intrude yourself or ask anybody to do such a thing unless you were very intimate with him, nor would he have been likely to do it for you unless he was very intimate with you; it certainly seems very extraordinary and very difficult to believe that you do not know his name ? — I do not. When I was at The Fountain I had people come down there year after year, they have slept in my long room, and I did not know their names.

  • 22063.

    People sleeping in your long room is nothing to the point, except that it proves to me that you were on friendly and intimate terms with this gentleman, and it makes it the more singular that you should not know his name ? — I never asked the question.