Coleman, Benjamin Longden | Day 2
Farmer & Market Gardener Employing 22 Men 13 Boys (240 Acres)
Applied to Mr Emmerson to manage election. Received two sums of £40 and £50. The first was to engage Public Houses.
Party: Liberal
Witness Testimony:
- 1560.
(Mr. Turner.) We have had him before I think ? — No ; I think it was Hurst of Paradise Lane I gave you before; and I have missed Henry Hurst, the father. Moat Sole. Henry John Kingsford. Moat Sole ; James Langtree, Cattle Market ; Frederick Lee and Joseph Lee, Strand Street and Delf Street; Edward Olliver, Friars ; James Shelvery, Cattle Market.
- 1561.
Was the same arrangement made with each of these ? — Yes.
- 1562.
If there be any specific arrangement you will mention it ? — Yes, I will do so. Henry Wells, New Street and Castle Street That is all.
- 1563.
Are those all the persons that you can remember now ? — Yes, those are all I can remember ; I may have missed one or two.
- 1564.
Are those the parties you alluded to, to whom you made promises amounting to 150L. ? — Yes ; there may be more.
- 1565.
You have mentioned 49, besides those that you actually paid ? — There must be more than that I think I have missed some ; you cannot fix upon every person, running through like this.
- 1566.
These are all you can remember ? — Yes.
- 1567.
Did you pay, or promise to pay, any other person than those you have mentioned, unless it be some few you have missed in going through the register ? — No, none.
- 1568.
Were there any other payments at all that you made, excepting those mentioned in these two lists ? — No other payments. There may be a shilling or two that escaped my notice.
- 1569.
Nothing that you can remember ? — No.
- 1570.
There were no other promises to any persons or classes of persons, other than those mentioned, unless you have accidentally missed a few in going through the list ? — No.
- 1571.
And no other moneys came into your hands, except what you have mentioned ? — No, none whatever.
- 1572.
Do you know of any other corrupt or improper promise or promises beyond what you have told us of ? — No,
- 1573.
None whatever ? — No, none whatever.
- 1574.
We have heard of 16 watchers ; were they nominated or chosen by you ? — Yes, I think they were.
- 1575.
We understand that those persons were paid 1L a-piece to watch some of the voters the night before the election ; who were the persons that they were to watch over ? — Our list being made up upon the supposition that they were safe, I thought we ought to keep our own ground, and to prevent the other side tampering with our men and, providing anyone was tampered with, I wished to know who it was ; I wished to know if any of them were visited during the night by any of the other side.
- 1576.
Had you any specific reason for supposing that any of your men would be visited by the other side in the night ? — Only that I know it is a thing that is done at times.
- 1577.
It would not be much more easy to visit them in the night than in the day ? — The night before an election is very valuable at times.
- 1578.
You do not know of any specific persons that you put these people to watch over ; it was a general watching ? — Yes, simply to protect our own.
- 1579.
Was it your suggestion, or whose suggestion was it ? — I think it was mooted amongst us, and I adopted it I thought it necessary.
- 1580.
Of the 16 people appointed watchers, what class of people were they ; it seems a good deal to pay, and just look at the list and tell me generally what class of persons they are ? — Abraham Foord is a bricklayer, William Quested is a postman, Bowes Grey a baker’s assistant, Richard Gambrill a bricklayer, John Easter bricklayer, Henry Revel farm-labourer, John Stokes baker’s journeyman, William Spicer brewer’s foreman, G. Cook is a tanner, George Bailey a publican, Charles White assistant grocer, and Thomas Booth jobbing gardener, Solomon Wood a farm-labourer, Henry Mantle my foreman, Allen, I do not know what he is, but about the same position as the others, a labourer of some description, and Benjamin jobbing gardener.
- 1581.
One cannot help seeing that 1L, to each of these men for watching that night is pretty nearly as much as most of them would get in a week ? — They found no fault with the money.
- 1582.
It is a good deal more than they would usually gain in a day ? — Yes.
- 1583.
And as much as they would earn in a week ? — Some of them would earn 30s. ; it would be robbing them of their night’s rest.
- 1584.
(Mr. Jeune.) 12 out of the 16 were voters ? — Yes.
- 1585.
(Mr. Holl.) You appointed them ? — Yes.
- 1586.
Did the fact of their being voters at all enter into your estimate of their value ? — I think they had already promised in the canvass book.
- 1587.
Perhaps you thought it as well to watch over them ; was not that so ? — No, they were all safe men or I would not have trusted them with the job.
- 1588.
Do you know anything about corrupt practices or illegal acts upon the other side that you can tell us of ? — No, only what was patent to every one, the public-houses affair.
- 1589.
They had a great many public-houses ? — Yes.