Testimonies

Wise, James | Day 22

Witness Type: Briber, No Indemnity

Party: Conservative

Other Days The Witness Was Called On: Day 7

Witness Testimony:

• 21632.

  Recalled and further examined.

  (Mr. Jeune.) How much money did you receive altogether for the purpose of spending it ? — That is my list (handing a paper).

• 21634.

  That makes £99 ? — Yes.

• 21635.

  From whom did you have that £99 ? — From Mr. Olds.

• 21636.

  And you expended £3 upon each of these 33 persons ? — Yes, every man had his money.

• 21637.

  You see the last time you were here you stated that there was £45 that you had received from Mr. Olds ? —Yes.

• 21638.

  It has grown since then up to £99. How was it when you were here before you did not give us the whole list ? — I could not recollect the whole of them at that time. I have now gone through the account as well as I can, and I see it comes to £99.

• 21639.

  When you were here before you only told us of £45 ? — I acted under Mr. Hughes’ instructions in paying that money away.

• 21640.

  Mr. Edwin Hughes ? — Yes.

• 21641.

  You saw Mr. Edwin Hughes about it ? — He ticked off my list, and handed it to me to carry to Mr. Olds for the money.

• 21642.

  Upon that list at that time there were the whole of the 33 names ? — Yes, on the list that I handed to Mr. Hughes.

• 21643.

  He ticked off the names, and you went to Mr. Olds and got the money ? — Yes.

• 21644.

  You say Mr. Edwin Hughes gave you instructions. Did he tell you anything as to what you were to say about it in case questions were asked ? — I cannot recollect that particularly, but he said I was to pay each man £3, which I did.

• 21645.

  You see when you here before you had not got 33 names upon your list, but only 15. Did anybody suggest to you that it would be just as well not to give the full number of names ? — Yes.

• 21646.

  Who was it ? — To keep it down as low as we could on account of Mr. Hughes’ expenses, and Mr. Olds’ expenses.

• 21647.

  Who suggested that to you ? — Mr. Olds.

• 21648.

  Mr. Olds suggested to you that in giving your account of the transaction you should keep it down as low as you could ? — Yes.

• 21649.

  And that was the reason why, when you were here before, you did keep it down ? — That was the reason, and the only reason.

• 21650.

  Did you have any conversation with Mr. Edwin Hughes to the same sort of effect ? — I do not think I did.

• 21651.

  Do you not think you did ? — No.

• 21652.

  You see Mr. Hughes had just as much interest in the matter as Mr. Olds. Do you not think when Mr. Edwin Hughes gave you what you call your instructions about it, he said anything about keeping the list down as low as you could ? — No.

• 21653.

  Are you quite sure ? — Yes. He gave me instructions to pay each man £3, and, as I have said before, each man had his £3.

• 21654.

  When did you have this talk with Mr. Olds about keeping the list down as low as you could ? — Before you came here.

• 21655.

  Since the judges were here ? — Yes.

• 21656.

  Between the time the judges were here and the time when we came here ? — Yes.

• 21657.

  Did you see Mr. Edwin Hughes about the same time ? — I did not know I was a paid canvasser until he mentioned my name before the judges.

• 21658.

  Mr. Edwin Hughes was down here seeing about the petition, and things of that kind, after the election was over ? — Yes, he was down here.

• 21659.

  Did you not have any talk with him then ? — Nothing about this that I know of. We talked about a great many things, but I cannot recollect now what it was about.

• 21660.

  I suppose this is the real list giving 33 names ? — Yes, that is a correct list, so far as I know.

• 21661.

  There are not any more ? — No.

• 21662.

  You are quite sure now ? — Yes.