Goldsmid, Sir Julian | Day 6

Sir Julian Goldsmid was 42 at the time of the by-election. Having lost his seat as the MP for Rochester in the earlier 1880 General Election, he decided to contest the Sandwich seat. When he lost the contest following sustained and systematic bribery, he successfully petitioned to have the result overturned and the Borough was disenfranchised until 1885.

He was named on the Petition as Sir Julian Goldsmid, Baronet of 105 Piccadilly.

Witness Type: Candidate / MP

Party: Liberal

Other Days The Witness Was Called On: Day 18

Witness Testimony:

  • 5526.

    However, you think that during the early part of your interview with him, Mr. Emmerson did mention to you that it might probably be 2,000L. or 3,000L. ? — Yes.

  • 5527.

    To whom did you give the first cheque, Mr. Emmerson or Mr. Edwards ? — I gave no cheque to Mr. Emmerson except on the Friday afternoon or Saturday morning, the cheque for 210L. for the returning officer.

  • 5528.

    Your first cheque was, I think, to Mr. Edwards for 200L. ? — Yes.

  • 5529.

    I think I must ask you to hand in that cheque ? — Certainly. (Handing the same to the Commissioners.) There is the whole lot of them connected with Sandwich.

  • 5530.

    That was on the Tuesday morning ? — Yes.

  • 5531.

    Was that the time you had the conversation to which you alluded, in which Mr. Edwards mentioned it was usual to pay the sum down ? — Yes, on the Tuesday morning, before I went out. I slept in the hotel, and he came to the hotel.

  • 5532.

    Did you on that day say anything to him, or did you, in fact, make any arrangement on that day with regard to having money sent down from Rochester ? —No.

  • 5533.

    That was subsequently, was it ? — Yes, certainly.

  • 5534.

    And I understand, on the Wednesday morning, he again asked you for money ? — Yes.

  • 5535.

    And I think you gave him a cheque on the bank of England for 320L. ; Yes.

  • 5536.

    With an intimation that, for private reasons which are not material, you did not wish that presented, and asked him to advance money of his own until you got some cheques upon your regular bankers ? — Yes.

  • 5537.

    Now, at that time, did you say anything to him about having money sent down ? — No.

  • 5538.

    Not on that day ? — No. This is my Bank of England cheque book, with a blank fly-leaf where I tore the cheque out, which I afterwards destroyed.

  • 5539.

    (Mr. Jeune.) That was the cheque, was it — corresponding with the number on the fly-leaf ? — I do not know about its being that cheque. The numbers don’t always correspond with the cheques. I am rather careless about cheques, I am afraid.

  • 5540.

    All the other cheques have the name upon the counterfoil to whom drawn ? — Yes.

  • 5541.

    And this has nothing ? — Quite so.

  • 5542.

    (Mr. Holl.) I understand you asked Mr. Edwards to hold it over, and advance money for you in the mean- time ? — Yes.

  • 5543.

    He has told us that on that day he did draw 3202. from his private account ? — I did not see that.

  • 5544.

    When was it that you first made any arrangement for the money being sent down from Rochester ? — When I had a conversation with my friend, Mr. Belsey, on Thursday morning ; he was returning to Rochester at a very early hour, and I knew he could immediately see Messrs. Foord, who had kindly paid so many things for me. It occurred to me then.

  • 5545.

    Is Mr. Belsey a resident here ? — He is a resident of Rochester, and one of my oldest friends. I knew him long before I was member there.

  • 5546.

    Had he come down with you ? — No; he came down in consequence of an offer to come and speak for me, being ex-mayor of Rochester, and probably the finest speaker in the county ; he came and spoke for me.

  • 5547.

    When did he come ? — The meeting was held on the Wednesday night, and he came hardly in time for dinner. We made him bolt his food in order to be in time to speak at the meeting.

  • 5548.

    He spoke on the Wednesday night ? — Yes.

  • 5549.

    And he was going back on the Thursday morning ? — Yes, he had business of his own.

  • 5550.

    And then it was you requested him to request Messrs. Foord to send down some money ? — Yes, that was Thursday morning, and they were to send it on Friday or Saturday — that is, they were not to send it to me, but Mr. Edwards.

  • 5551.

    Quite so ; Mr. Edwards at Sandwich ? — Yes, Mr. Edwards at Sandwich. Mr. Emmerson had never asked me for money, or said anything about money, &om the moment I came down up to the time I received the application from him for the returning officer’s deposit.

  • 5552.

    At the time that Mr. Emmerson asked you for the money for the returning officer, did you say anything to him that money would be coming down ? — He did not ask me ; he sent either a messenger, or a note. I do not know which.

  • 5553.

    (Mr. Emmerson.) I wrote you a note, and asked for a cheque, and in the meantime we received the money from Rochester ? (The Witness.) Not in the meantime.

  • 5554.

    (Mr. Emmerson.) I thought I received the cheque that I had written to you for on Thursday, and the Rochester money I was under the impression came on Friday ? (The Witness.) No, on Saturday.

  • 5555.

    (Mr. Emmerson.) I could not say the other day which day it was – not certainly. (The Witness.) It was on the Saturday. Here is the cheque I gave to Mr. Emmerson (producing the same) ; I don’t know that the cheque will prove it.