Hughes, Edwin | Day 19
Witness Type: Briber, Petition witness
Party: Conservative
Other Days The Witness Was Called On: Day 20
Witness Testimony:
- 19628.
I think you said your object was to have it for a purpose that it would not be desirable to disclose ? — I had no object whatever in having it in any particular name.
- 19629.
You said that you applied for this money to have it in hand, in order that it might be distributed amongst the voters, if necessary ? — Especially the £1400.
- 19630.
(Mr. Turner.) You put the two together just now ? — Yes, it is right. £2000.
- 19631.
(Mr. Holl.) When you asked for the money, and got £600 only, why did not you ask for a larger amount ? — I cannot say.
- 19632.
You got the cheque at Mr. Crompton Roberts’ house ? — Yes.
- 19633.
And you knew the amount of it then ? — Yes, I knew that the £600 was going to the Bank of England.
- 19634.
Why did not you ask him then, if you thought more money would be required, to draw a cheque for a larger amount ? — Something may have happened between his giving me the £600, and the time I met him which induced me to ask for a further sum.
- 19635.
Can you give me any reason why you did not ask him for a further sum at the time you got the £600 ? — I may have seen some of these five who were going up to invest the money, because they were in the same train.
- 19636.
Why was this money invested in the name of the five ? — As a guarantee fund that all accounts would be called up at the end of the election, because previous Conservatives had gone away and left a lot of bills unpaid. There were four names representing Deal, and one name representing Mr. Crompton Roberts.
- 19637.
You paid in £300 of your own at the same time ? — Yes, I paid in £900 altogether.
- 19638.
What was done with the £900 ? — It has been drawn out since the petition.
- 19639.
Did that amount remain in the Bank of England undrawn up to that time ? — Yes, it represented the difference between the £3100 that I expended and the £4000 that I received.
- 19640.
The £600 that was paid into the Bank of England did not come out of the £4000 that you received at all ? — No.
- 19641.
That £600 paid into the Bank of England never came out of the £4000 at all ? — No.
- 19642.
Then that £900 does not represent the difference between the £3100 and £4000 ? — Yes, it does; the £600 which was paid into the Bank of England was subsequently used to add to Mr. Olds’ money, although I did not draw it out of the Bank of England for that purpose. I spent £3100 upon the election, and owed £900 to Mr. Roberts.
- 19643.
(Mr. Turner.) I thought £300 was your own money ? — Yes, of course it was; it was my own money as between me and Mr. Roberts.
- 19644.
(Mr. Holl.) If it was your own money I do not understand how you had to account for it to Mr. Roberts ? — If it was my own money it would be available to pay the balance due to Mr. Roberts.
- 19645.
To whom has the £900 been paid at all ? — To the five gentlemen, and they paid it to me.
- 19646.
They have drawn it out of the Bank of England, and you have received it ? — Yes, since the petition.
- 19647.
So that £900 is, in point of fact, now in your hands ? — Yes, less any payments I have made since.
- 19648.
To dispose of that, I may say that you got the £300 back that you paid in, and you have in hand £600 belonging to Mr. Crompton Roberts, subject to any payments you have made ? — Yes, that clears that amount.
- 19649.
What was done with the £1000 that you sent over to Calais ? — That reached Olds upon the Monday, I believe, before the polling day, with the £400.
- 19650.
Do you know how it came back from Calais to Olds ? — I have heard.
- 19651.
What have you heard ? — That Olds went and fetched it.
- 19652.
Who told you that ? — Horne.
- 19653.
Horne told you that Olds went over to Calais and fetched it ? — Yes,
- 19654.
Do you know anything about that of your own knowledge ? — No, and I have been telling you a lot of things that I do not know of my own knowledge.
- 19655.
Do you know whether Olds was absent from Deal upon the Saturday or Sunday ? — No; if he was absent at all he would be absent upon the Friday, and I believe Friday was the day it was fetched.
- 19656.
Horne has told you that Olds went over and fetched it ? — This is the history of it, and some of this information has only been supplied to me within the last few days: the money went to this bank at Calais to be drawn out by Olds, and Olds went over upon the Friday before the election and drew it, partly in notes, and, in fact, nearly all in notes. Horne met Olds at Dover, and took those notes to London, in order to turn them into gold, and upon the Monday Horne came down with the £1000 and added to it the £400, so as to make the £1400 complete, and gave that upon the Monday to Olds.
- 19657.
That is the £400 that you had repaid to Horne by a cheque to Thomas, drawn upon the 15th, upon the Deal account ? — Yes.