Brown, Edmund | Day 14
Claimed not to know his legal responsibilities. Stated he acted only as an auditor and did not verify the expenses claim were accurate or indeed even incurred.
Witness Type: Councillor / Alderman, Other, Petition witness
Party: Liberal
Witness Testimony:
- 16568.
It does not profess to be your signature; it is only a copy. Is that the account the original of which you sent in ? — Yes, I should think so, if it agrees with the published accounts.
- 16569.
You may take it that it does. There are a good many items, you see, and I want to know how far did you satisfy yourself that those items had been incurred at all; did you see any vouchers ? — I think they were all vouchers.
- 16570.
Did you examine the vouchers ? — They appeared to me to be all vouched as paid.
- 16571.
For instance, here is an item: “Claim for canvassing, disbursements, and petty expenses, £40.” I only take that as an example; did you go into it, and find out how many canvassers there were, and what the disbursements and petty expenses were ? — No, I did not test the items in that way; I relied upon Mr Emmerson. I did not really in that way test the items.
- 16572.
(Mr. Holl.) I suppose at all the elections at which you have acted you have done the same thing ? — Yes. I acted in just the same way at former elections. I was not expected by Mr Emmerson to go into the details, and I relied upon him and his clerks.
- 16573.
Did you do the uncontested election expenses in the same way ? — Yes.
- 16574.
Mr Emmerson submitted to you the accounts ? — Yes.
- 16575.
At the uncontested election were there any accounts which Mr Emmerson submitted to you which you did not think ought to appear ? — No. I think there were more in that case, and it being an uncontested election it would not be so.
- 16576.
So far as your memory goes, you think there were no accounts with regard to that election which you rejected ? — No. I am persuaded that that was the case.