Testimonies

Testimonies

• 405.

  I will not ask you what you heard was paid to Mr. Edwards, but what did you receive yourself ? – I received 700L. odd ; 760L. I think. I received sums of 210L, 200L. and 350L.

• 406.

  Have you the dates on which those payments were made ? – I have not the dates. I thought you would not examine me in detail this afternoon.

• 407.

  With a view of not troubling you a second time I thought when you came here in an official capacity we would go into the other matters ? – I have not the dates when I received the amounts.

• 408.

  You say he came down with you on the 10th May ? – Yes.

• 409.

  When did you receive the first cheque after that ? – On the Thursday I received 200L.

• 410.

  On the Thursday after ? – Yes.

• 411.

  That was the 13th ? – Yes. On the following day I had 210L. more. Then Messrs. Lewis and Lewis remitted me afterwards, to pay the expenses, 350L. ; that is since the election and since the petition.

• 412.

  Then what you had before the petition was 410L. ; 200L. on the 13th and 210L. on the 14th. Was that all you had before the petition ? – Yes.

• 413.

  Since the petition what have you received ? – I received 350L. the other day from Messrs. Lewis and Lewis.

• 414.

  Had you at the time when Sir Julian Goldsmid came down any organisation in Sandwich on the Liberal side ? – I had organised as far as I possibly could, the time being very limited, by dividing the list of electors amongst our friends who would take them. We divided them among ourselves to go and canvass. There was that organisation and nothing else.

• 415.

  I mean was there any standing organisation at that time when Sir Julian Goldsmid came down ? – No, none whatever.

• 416.

  No Liberal Association ? – No.

• 417.

  No Liberal Committee ? – No, and we are not in the habit of meeting except at times like this. Always on the registration I call a meeting of a few friends who take an active part on behalf of the Liberal party ; they meet me and we go through the list, and the names of people who are not entitled to be in the list are taken out. Except at those periods we have no meeting at all, and we have no organisation.

• 418.

  (Mr. Jeune.) You are only speaking of Sandwich ? – Only of Sandwich.

• 419.

  (Mr. Holl.) Are you speaking of Walmer ? – No.

• 420.

  Have you had anything to do with any association at Walmer ? – No, nor here. I do not belong here.

• 421.

  All your evidence which you are now giving with regard to the election is with regard to Sandwich ? – Yes.

• 422.

  You say you had no organisation ; what arrangement did you make ? – I would take a certain number of names myself. I would take one of the parishes for me to call upon the voters.

• 423.

  Did you divide Sandwich as a parliamentary borough into districts ? – It would only be amongst three or four individuals – nothing more than that.

• 424.

  Each took a district ? – No, it is not a district. We took the names simply because in going through the names I should be more acquainted with one name than another, and perhaps one voter lived a few doors from my house ; therefore the parties I was acquainted with would be put in my list. We should divide the list in that way in order that they might be canvassed.

• 425.

  You did not have districts, but you had a list of the persons and particular individuals you were best acquainted with ? – Yes.

• 426.

  Can you give me the names of persons who each took a list ? – Yes ; Mr. Coleman.

• 427.

  I suppose you took one ? – I took one ; Mr. Coleman would take another ; Mr. Woodruff would take one ; Mr. Harrison, whose name has been mentioned before, would take one – both Harrisons, and Mr. Cottew. I think I have mentioned them all now.

• 428.

  There were six different parties, each of whom took a list ? – Yes ; that was at the period I am speaking about, and not as regards Sir Julian Goldsmid.

• 429.

  Would you six take between you the whole of the constituency ? – No, we did not do that. These are only parties perhaps that Sir Julian Goldsmid would not have time to call upon and could not see. The constituency do not like to be canvassed by individuals. We are all known to each other here, and it has always been customary for a candidate to canvass every elector himself ; in fact we are frequently told, when we go to a man for his vote, “No, I have not seen Sir Julian. I shall not speak to you.” That has been the mode generally adopted in this borough ; but here there was only a week; there was no time, and I immediately went to work as you may suppose, and said, “Sir Julian cannot canvass the whole of Sandwich ; we will divide and go and get the votes as well as we can.”

• 430.

  The six gentlemen whom you have mentioned were what I may call volunteer canvassers ? – Yes.

• 431.

  Had you any paid canvassers ? – I do not know ; but there might be one or two. We have never been in the habit of doing that at Sandwich – appointing paid canvassers. I think Mr. Woodruff did receive something for canvassing, but only for the day, I think, he was paid, or something of that kind.

• 432.

  What is he ? – He has been mentioned to you. He is a tailor by trade in Sandwich, and he was the committee clerk, for which he was paid lOL., which will appear on the accounts when you go through them.

• 433.

  It would be more convenient to take that altogether when we come to the accounts, but he was the only person you know of who was paid as a canvasser ? – Yes.

• 434.

  I suppose I may take it there was no general committee ? – No, no committee was appointed at all. We used to have a committee, but that we have left off for some time.