Testimonies

Testimonies

• 645.

  Was there any promise made to him as to what he should have ? – No, none whatever.

• 646.

  You are sure of that ? – Yes, I can speak positively that there was no stipulation made with either of those men.

• 647.

  Not even that their expenses should be paid ? – No.

• 648.

  With regard to the other men, you say they never have been paid ? – No, they have never been paid.

• 649.

  Did they come to vote ? – ^Yes, they came and voted.

• 650.

  And none of them have been paid ? – No.

• 651.

  Was anything promised to either of them ? – No, there have been no promises made to them at all.

• 652.

  There are three Devisons who get 6L, and they come from Ramsgate ; why was 6L. put down if no promise was made ? Are you sure that nothing had been said to them ? – I can explain why the 6L was put down.

• 653.

  It would not come to more than 5s. each to come from Ramsgate ? – I think the men had flies and brought their families with them, wishing to give them a little treat. It was an estimate, and not intended to be paid exactly, and it has not been paid.

• 654.

  There were no instructions as to how it was to be dealt with ? – No, none whatever.

• 655.

  Do you say that no promise had been made to them ? – No.

• 656.

  Then there is an item of 5L ? – That applies to a number of voters from Ramsgate.

• 657.

  Was any promise made to them ? – No, I think not.

• 658.

  You did not know who they were ? – I knew them, but I had not seen them myself.

• 659.

  Why did you put down 5L. If they had got a fly over here and back it would not come to more than IL. ? – There may have been 7 or 8 of them, or 10. I cannot say how many there were, but they have not been paid, and there was no promise made to them that I am aware of.

• 660.

  Are you quite sure that no promise was held out to them that they should have these sums of 5L., 6L., and so on ? – Yes.

• 661.

  Then we have Denne, bill poster, 2L., where did he come from ? – He is at Ramsgate, and when we had any bills they were sent over to Denne with instructions to post them, and to wait upon each freeman and leave a copy.

• 662.

  That is not his travelling expenses to come over and vote ? – No, he is a kind of agent, and it is payment for his services.

• 663.

  Then watchmen 16L. ? – That is a sum which Mr. Coleman had for paying 16 men, for watching the night before the election, I think it was, which was considered necessary at the time. Some of them are voters and some not.

• 664.

  How many of them were voters ? – I am not prepared to state that, but Mr. Coleman can tell you.

• 665.

  Did Coleman pay them ? – Yes, he had the money from me, and it has gone into the agent for election expenses.

• 666.

  What were they employed to watch ? I do not quite understand it ? – We will say that a certain number of poor voters had promised to vote for us, and the other party were endeavouring to get them from us, and these men were appointed to watch certain houses and to take care that they were not extracted from us during the night. Some of these WATCHERS were voters and the others were not, and they each had 1L.

• 667.

  Most of them were voters I suppose ? – No doubt the majority of them were voters, but I think they were employed without reference to that at all ; they were selected as the best and most appropriate men for the purpose.

• 668.

  Do you mean that they watched all night ? – Yes, all night.

• 669.

  Has Coleman got their names ? – Yes ; I think you have a list of them in his voucher.

• 670.

  Then printing, 15L. : register of electors, committee clerk, and assistant, 10L. and 5L. Who is the committee clerk ? – Mr. Woodruff.

• 671.

  He could not have been engaged more than five or six days. Sir Julian Goldsmid does not come down till the 10th and the election is upon the 18th, and there is Sunday to come out ? – The whole week before that he was engaged running about, and even if he had only been engaged three or four days he would have had his 10L. He has always had his 10L. whether he has been engaged three or four days, or three weeks.

• 672.

  Is he a voter ? – Yes.

• 673.

  Who is the assistant ? – A young man living with Mr. Woolnough.

• 674.

  Is he a voter ? – No.