Ralph, George | Day 7

Discrepancy over amt. Recorded as £96 but says only £90

Witness Type: Briber, Publican, Beerhouse Keeper, Treater

Party: Liberal

Witness Testimony:

  • 6903.

    Then there is personal expenses in canvassing, and so forth, 10L. ?— Yes. 

  • 6904.

    Canvassing and treating it is ? — Yes. I went about for a fortnight every day. 

  • 6905.

    Do you mean that you were canvassing for a fortnight every day ?  — Yes. I was out for a fortnight every day, doing all I could. I was requested to do so by Mr. Edwards. 

  • 6906.

    Then there is “Paid William Adams, for getting his father and brother to vote, 3L.” ? — Yes. I had not got much influence over them , and he told me he thought he could get his father and brother and I told him if he could be should have the same as them. 

  • 6907.

    And you paid him 3L. for that ? — Yes ; and gave him 3L. for his father. 

  • 6908.

    That is, in addition to the other men you paid 3L. to ? — Yes. 

  • 6909.

    Is William Adams a voter ? — No, a non-voter. 

  • 6910.

    And you paid him 3L. for getting his father and brother to come and vote on your side ?  — Yes. 

  • 6911.

    Then 2L. for putting up flag-staff, and putting up and taking down FLAGS night and morning ?  — There was four old men, very old chaps, about there, and I told them I would give them something. I gave them 2L. to share between them for the eight or nine days they were there taking them up and down night and morning. We did not want them cut to pieces as we expected they would have been if we had nobody to look after them. 

  • 6912.

    They did not watch at night, I suppose ? — No ; they watched in the daytime and took them down at night. 

  • 6913.

    This was, I suppose, really to give them a job ? — Well, they were poor old people, and very badly off; I knew that very welL 

  • 6914.

    Then there is the hire of your house. 7L. ?  — Yes, I have been promised that, but I have never been paid at all. 

  • 6915.

    This makes 100L. 10s. altogether ? — Yes. 

  • 6916.

    Of which you have had 90L. ? — Yes. 

  • 6917.

    And you have paid away out of the 90L, with the watchmen, altogether 78L. 10s ? — Yes. 

  • 6918.

    And the other 11L. 10s. you have kept for your trouble of canvassing ? — 10L. is what I paid myself ; my own personal expenses. 

  • 6919.

    Have you received any other money besides the 90L. ? — Not at all. 

  • 6920.

    Have you paid away any other moneys besides what are mentioned here ?  — Yes. When I say paid away, I have got a bill due to me for ROPES. They could not get ROPES enough in the town, and I had a lot by me, and they had those for the flagPOLES all along the town, and I have got a bill of 18L. or 19L I have never had anything of that. 

  • 6921.

    Yours is one of the claims in Mr. Edward’s list ? —Yes ; I have never had anything of it.