Testimonies

Testimonies

• 45.

  Can you give me the returns of expenses for the election of 1868 ? – No, I have not got them; they were not returned, I believe. It was suggested to me yesterday that the law, perhaps, did not compel them to be returned at that time. I do not know how that is, but I have no returns for 1868.

• 46.

  Can you give me the returns for the expenses of the election for 1874 ? – I have them at my office. I did not know that they would be wanted to-day. I brought the expenses of the general election and the election of May, but I can send the others to you, if necessary.

• 47.

  Be so good as to make a note to let us have the returned expenses for the election of 1874. What were the returned expenses at the unopposed election in 1880 ? – There are two returns, one for Deal and Walmer, and one for Sandwich. The Deal and Walmer summary is 199L 17s. 2d.

• 48.

  Can you give us the items of that ? – The abstract will be sufficient, I suppose. Printing and posting, 28l 10s. 8d.; hotel accounts (personal), 27L 10s; carriage hire, 9L. 14s. ; preparing canvass books, circulars, addresses, advertisements, and delivering and postages, 34L. 2s. 6d.; agency, lOOL.; making a total of 199L. 17s. 2d.; that is for Deal and Walmer. The vouchers are here also. Then the Sandwich abstract gives a total of 364L, 2s. 5d., and the items are Griffin and Shaw and Sons, printing, 11L. 3s. 9d,; Railway news, publishing addresses, 2L. 2s.; Woodruff, canvass books and services, Sandwich, 9L. 5s.; Ewell, polling streets, &c., 3L. 3s.; Rose, canvass books and services, Walmer, 11L. 0s, 6d,; Woodcock, polling streets, &c., 9L. 9s.; Nazer, bill posting, 2L.; Hunter and Pearson, COMMITTEE ROOMS, 6L. 15s. 5d,; Woodruff clerks, messengers, &c., 13L. 5s,; Filmer, “Bell” hotel, 34L. 12s. 1d,; Minter and Daniels, carriage hire, 4L. 16s. 6d.; Baker, stamps and petty disbursements, 6L. 11s. 2d.; returning officer’s expenses, 49L. 19s.; agency, Messrs. Emmerson and Co., Hugessen, 100L.; the like, Brassey, 100L.; making altogether, 364L. 3s. 5d.

• 49.

  What are the principal trades or industries of Sandwich ? – Of course the usual retail trade of a country town with a large market. Besides that, there is a large timber yard, a tannery, a large corn stores, and two breweries. The principal and substantial trade is upon the river; there are considerable imports of timber, coals, and com in the course of a year. It supplies a large part of the district with coal.

• 50.

  Have those imports been upon the increase or decrease of late years ? – I think they have been pretty stationary for some time. Sometimes a little more and sometimes a little less.

• 51.

  Have you the vouchers for the expenditure ? – Yes (handing a bundle of papers); they were all sent in to the returning officer.

• 52.

  Are there any manufactories at Sandwich ? – No, nothing that you can call a manufactory; there is an iron foundry and things of that kind upon a moderate scale.

• 53.

  Is there a manufactory in the sense I mean ? – No, perhaps it could hardly be called that ; it makes things for the neighbourhood.

• 54.

  Can you tell me what are the principal industries of Deal ? – No, I know nothing about that ; with regard to that I would prefer referring you to the town clerk of Deal I know nothing about it, except as a casual observer. Of course we all know that Deal is connected with the shipping in the Downs from all nations.

• 55.

  You know nothing in detail at all ? – No. I know it is increasing from what one sees going on in buildings.

• 56.

  Are there many manufactories in Deal ? – I really do not know.

• 57.

  And I suppose you would give the same answer in regard to Walmer ? – Yes, all I know is that I have seen Walmer growing from a seaside village to a rapidly increasing watering place, and at the present moment it is likely to increase very much.

• 58.

  What are the principal classes of voters at Sandwich ? – There are the old freemen, who have dwindled down very much to a low figure.

• 59.

  I believe you say there are now 143 ? – Yes. In 1832 there were 1,000. The Reform Act knocked off so many, and put on so many householders in Deal and Walmer.

• 60.

  How many of the freemen reside in Sandwich ? – All within seven miles ; there are a few at Ramsgate, a few at Walmer, and 13 at Deal.

• 61.

  Do the majority reside at Sandwich ? – Yes, the large majority. Many of them are very respectable householders, but there is a residuum of course of poor men.

• 62.

  What proportion would you term respectable householders, and what proportion poor men ? – Really I am afraid to give an estimate.

• 63.

  Can you give any idea at all ? – No ; no one knows less about it than myself perhaps.

• 64.

  How many freemen are householders ? – I could not say without going through the list.

• 65.

  Should you say more than 15 or 20 ? – Yes, I should think the large majority are householders.

• 66.

  There are not, I believe, upon the list as householders more than 15 or 20 ? – Yes, I should think so. You may take it generally ; I think that the larger part of the freemen are householders, but I am not prepared to give the exact figures without going through the list, If you consider it of importance I could do it afterwards.

• 67.

  All those that are householders would appear upon the list as occupiers ? – Yes.

• 68.

  So that we could ascertain it by examining the list ? – Yes, just so ; though a person who does not know the names might be puzzled, because there are many families of the same name.

• 69.

  To what trade or occupation do the voters as a class principally belong; are they tradesmen and publicans ? – Of course there are a great many tradesmen and publicans, some independent gentlemen, and a great many of the working classes.

• 70.

  Would the larger portion be amongst the tradesmen of the place ? – I should think the tradesmen, and the upper class of artizans and working men. With regard to the publicans you will have a return of them by-and-bye I suppose.

• 71.

  With regard to the freemen how are they admitted, by payment is it ? – The fee is nominal, I believe about 6d for birth. The Mayor holds a court every year to admit those who claim, if they prove their claim they are admitted, but there are only two or three a year.

• 72.

  Are the freedoms taken up politically at all ? – No, not at all ; they were in former years. Looking back to the report I observe that before the Reform Act some 40 or 50 were admitted after the issue of the writ, and before the day of the election three or four successive courts were held, day after day, to admit freemen, but that is all gone by, the Reform Act having stopped it all. I could give you, if you wish it, the last poll, before the Reform Act, of freemen alone.

• 73.

  I do not think that is very important. How many polling districts are there in Sandwich ? – Two.

• 74.

  In Deal three ? – Yes ; and Walmer one.