Testimonies
- 75.
Can you give the area, in acreage, of the borough of Sandwich ? – No, I have not the area here, but I can give it to the secretary if you desire it.
- 76.
And can you give Deal and Walmer respectively as well ? -I daresay I could obtain it in some way.
- 77.
Be so good as to send to the secretary the area for each. What is the distance from Sandwich to Deal ? – About six miles ; seven miles we call it.
- 78.
And from Deal to Walmer ? – About two miles ; but of course it depends upon the part of the parish you go to, because some part of the parish of Walmer adjoins Deal. Walmer is within seven miles of the borough of Sandwich, or else the freemen could not vote.
- 79.
How is the municipality of Sandwich constituted ? – A mayor, aldermen, and burgesses.
- 80.
How many aldermen ? – Four.
- 81.
And how many town councillors ? – Twelve.
- 82.
Are the municipal elections political ? – No, not at all.
- 83.
Do you know how they are now divided at Sandwich ? – Do you mean the council as regards politics ?
- 84.
Yes ? – I do not know at all ; but I may say this, we know nothing of politics in the council. You may take as an off-hand statement that the majority is Liberal at this moment.
- 85.
You say that the contests for the municipal offices are not in any way political ? – No, they are not.
- 86.
Do you know, with regard to Deal, how that is ? – No, I know nothing about it. We have had no municipal contests in Sandwich since 1875.
- 87.
(Mr Turner.) They have been re-elected without contests ? – Yes.
- 88.
(Mr. Holl.) With regard to Deal, of what does the Corporation consist ? – The town clerk will give you all that information.
- 89.
Can you tell me what the number of PUBLIC-HOUSES is in Sandwich, licensed and unlicensed ? – Mr. Emmerson, the clerk, is here and will give you the exact particulars.
- 90.
Can you tell me who are the active leading Conservatives in Sandwich; first of all, is there a Conservative Association ? – I really do not know, I believe there is something in a very small way, but I do not have anything to do with politics myself, and any opinion that I gave you would be merely that of an outsider altogether.
- 91.
Do you know whether there is a Conservative Association ? – No, but I know there is some kind of committee where a few gentlemen meet together.
- 92.
No place of meeting ? – I am not aware of it; they do meet sometimes and talk over their affairs, but what they call themselves I do not know at all.
- 93.
Can you say who are the leading active Conservatives; who do you look upon as the leading Conservative in the place ? – I should be rather puzzled to say just now, because some of the old gentlemen have gone, and who their successors are I do not know, I think I might give one as Mr. Frank Baker, he is a comparatively young man and has recently come into the Conservative ranks.
- 94.
Of whom else can you think ? – I happened to see the other day about the election, Mr. W. J. Hughes, a grocer in Sandwich.
- 95.
Can you tell me any other who by repute you know as an active man among the Conservatives ? – No, it does not occur to me at this moment ; in fact I have been obliged to fetch this up. At this moment no other name occurs to me.
- 96.
Who would you look upon as the leading Liberals ; first of all, is there a Liberal Association ? – No, I think not in Sandwich, they meet in the same way as the others do, but there is not an association, it is a sort of committee I think.
- 97.
Who are the leading Liberals ? – I do not know that there is any man who takes any particularly strong part in it ; I think I might name a Mr. Harrison for one.
- 98.
What Harrison is that, what is his Christian name ? – Mr. Robert Harrison.
- 99.
Do you know what he is ? – He is in the corn trade.
- 100.
Does he live in Delph Street ? – Yes, that is the one.
- 101.
Who else can you mention ? – I think a nephew of his has come forward lately, Mr. Richard Collard, but I really keep myself so entirely aloof from these parties that I know nothing about it.
- 102.
You do not mix yourself up with them, but I thought it probable that you might know the leading men by repute ? – If I thought it over I might know more about it.
- 103.
Does anybody else occur to you at this moment ? – No, not at this moment.
- 104.
Do you know anything about the political organisation at all, do you know whether there are ward committees ? – There are no ward committees because there are no wards. I think you may take it that there is & sort of open committee on each side,