Evans, Charles | Day 5

£81 for treating and £6 for canvassing. Betts, £15. Nicholas £30. Adams, £15. Philpott £21. Plus a small amount for a clerk and a sweeper.

Witness Type: Briber

Party: Conservative

Witness Testimony:

  • 5220.

    Does he live in Farrier Street ? — Yes.

  • 5221.

    Philpott; what is his Christian name ? — George.

  • 5222.

    How much did Philpott have ? — 21L

  • 5223.

    That makes 81L. ? — Yes.

  • 5224.

    And that is it, is it ? — Yes ; I was to have had more than that.

  • 5225.

    Was Mr. Olds to have given you more ? — Yes ; I canvassed a large district. — No. 2 district. I had the entire charge of it, and it numbered some 300 or 400. In going round, I found the usual cry was “ Is anything to be had ?” eventually I found out there was something to be had, and amongst them I made it, I think it was, 34 voters that I should give, or cause to be given, 3L each to. I saw Mr. Olds, and I said, “ I want 102L. ;” he said, ” Halloa! that is a stiff’un,” or something like that; “ Yes,” I said, *”I think it is very well though, considering.” He counted the money out, and said, *”Let’s have a look at the list.” He looked at the list (it was not this list), and said, *”Oh ! these names are on someone else’s list ; we must strike them off.” Seven it was that he picked out, making my money come, that I had to give away, to 81L. That is how that is, and the names of the parties, as near as I can recollect, that I gave this money to, but I should not like to swear that it is their names, if you would like to look at it (handing the same). Where it says N., it is what I think in my own mind was Nicholas, and where it is E., the name Erridge did that.

  • 5226.

    You give them that money to distribute among those voters for their votes ? — 3L. each.

  • 5227.

    You said just now you heard that money was going. Do you remember when you first heard that money was to be had ? — I did not know that money was to be had until the day before the election ; there was a rumour that it would be, and people said it had always been so, and some said that they had had it. If you went canvassing, trying to work them up, they said, “ We can get our money from the Blues,” and tell you all kinds of tales ; but I was not positive at all of this money until I had it, because I had heard so much about it, and about the disappointment which there had been by electors, before I went there late at night and got it.

  • 5228.

    Who told you Mr. Olds was the man to go to to get the money ? — We talked about together. Mr. Olds was like head man ; he used to be running about to the PUBLIC-HOUSES, and we drew our own conclusion ; I drew my own conclusion ; that he had it, and he had got it in fact.

  • 5229.

    Was that all the money that you received in connection with the election ? — No.

  • 5230.

    What else did you receive ? — I had a house that I used for a committee house, and I had to engage a clerk there, and a man occasionally to sweep up and do what was wanted. I sent in a bill for six days ; I think the bill was, as near as I can recollect, 1L. 2s. or 1L. 2s. 6d.. That included a charge of 1s. for some paste which had been found. The man grumbled that we did not give him some more money. I think that bill would be in the accounts. I do not know whether it was 1L. 2s. 6d, or 1L. 4s. 6d, I know it was not much.

  • 5231.

    And that was paid to you ? — That was paid on the Saturday before the election I know.

  • 5232.

    Did you receive anything else ? — Only what I have mentioned, the 61L

  • 5233.

    What you have mentioned already. Besides the 6L. the 81L. and the 1L. 2s. 6d, or whatever that sum was, did you receive anything else ? — No.

  • 5234.

    Did you pay away any sums in connexion with the election, except that 81L., and whatever you may have paid away to the clerk ? — I have paid money away besides that.

  • 5235.

    What other monies have you paid ? — Washing down BILLS of the place, the breaking of a window, and several little sums that I paid away, but that was paid out of my own pocket, for I found I could not get it.

  • 5236.

    That was in connexion with washing the BILLS off your own house ? — Off this place.

  • 5237.

    You have not been repaid that ? — No.

  • 5238.

    Except what I have mentioned, the 81L., the 6L., and the 1L. 2s. 6d., and the sums which you have mentioned for washing down BILLS, breakage of window, and anything of that sort, is there any other sum which you paid away ? — No.

  • 5239.

    Nothing else ? — Nothing else.