Testimonies

Edwards, James Barber | Day 9

Witness Type: Briber, No Indemnity, Petition witness, Treater

Party: Liberal

Other Days The Witness Was Called On: Petition Day 1 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 10 | Day 14

Witness Testimony:

• 9942.

  And you increased that amount to 14L., although Mr. Brown only wished to have 4L. ? — Yes, because it included other work that would have to be paid for.

• 9943.

  Let me clearly understand how that is, and what you mean to represent now; do you mean that this was altered because it was to include more work than Mr. Brown was charging for ? — Yes, certainly.

• 9944.

  Why was it you did not make a separate charge ; why did you alter the bill that professes to be one thing in order to include something that ought to have been in another bill ? — Because that bill covered what was done.

• 9945.

  Stop a minute ; here is “Sir Julian Goldsmid’s committee, debtor to Mr. P. Brown;” did you mean that the 10L. should go to Mr. Brown, or that it should not ? — That it should not go to Mr. Brown.

• 9946.

  Then the bill as altered was misleading upon the face of it ; it was not 14L. that Sir Julian Goldsmid owed to Mr. Brown, but 4L. he owed to Mr. Brown, and 10L. to somebody else ? — Yes.

• 9947.

  Do you mean to represent that you deliberately sent this bill in containing upon the face of it a misleading statement ? — I do not take it in that way ; that bill covered the charges that would be made for my clerks, and for work done in that way.

• 9948.

  That is what I am asking you ; this 14L. upon the face of this bill is represented as being due to Walter Brown, and upon your showing now, it was not intended to be paid to William Brown, but 4L. only was intended to be paid to him, and 10L. to somebody else ? — Certainly.

• 9949.

  Then it is the case that you sent in a bill for 14L. due to Walter Brown whereas 10L. of it you never intended should go to Mr. Brown at all ? — Certainly.

• 9950.

  (Mr. Holl) That suggests to me one other question, which is this ; how do you reconcile what you are saying now with your suggestion that you informed Brown that you had altered his account ; why should you inform him of it if you did not intend him to have any more than the 4L. ? — Because I would naturally suppose if 14L. was returned as his bill he would say, “What is the meaning of this ? “

• 9951.

  I do not see what earthly reason you had for informing him of it, if you did not intend him to have anything beyond the 4L. ?— I really cannot explain it any further; it included other business besides what was charged for by Mr. Brown.