Emmerson, Richard Joynes | Day 1

James Barber Edwards testified that he received £1300 from Charles Ross Foord of Rochester who had brought £1500 in gold sovereigns to Sandwich by train. Emmerson met him with James Barber Edwards and they split the money between them. £1300 went to Mr Edwards and £200 to Mr Emmerson. Mr Emerson received two further amounts of £210 and £350. The latter was paid by Messrs Lewis and Lewis.

Witness Type: Briber, Freeman, Treater

Party: Liberal

Other Days The Witness Was Called On: Day 2 | Day 14

Witness Testimony:

  • 417.

    No Liberal Committee ? – No, and we are not in the habit of meeting except at times like this. Always on the registration I call a meeting of a few friends who take an active part on behalf of the Liberal party ; they meet me and we go through the list, and the names of people who are not entitled to be in the list are taken out. Except at those periods we have no meeting at all, and we have no organisation.

  • 418.

    (Mr. Jeune.) You are only speaking of Sandwich ? – Only of Sandwich.

  • 419.

    (Mr. Holl.) Are you speaking of Walmer ? – No.

  • 420.

    Have you had anything to do with any association at Walmer ? – No, nor here. I do not belong here.

  • 421.

    All your evidence which you are now giving with regard to the election is with regard to Sandwich ? – Yes.

  • 422.

    You say you had no organisation ; what arrangement did you make ? – I would take a certain number of names myself. I would take one of the parishes for me to call upon the voters.

  • 423.

    Did you divide Sandwich as a parliamentary borough into districts ? – It would only be amongst three or four individuals – nothing more than that.

  • 424.

    Each took a district ? – No, it is not a district. We took the names simply because in going through the names I should be more acquainted with one name than another, and perhaps one voter lived a few doors from my house ; therefore the parties I was acquainted with would be put in my list. We should divide the list in that way in order that they might be canvassed.

  • 425.

    You did not have districts, but you had a list of the persons and particular individuals you were best acquainted with ? – Yes.

  • 426.

    Can you give me the names of persons who each took a list ? – Yes ; Mr. Coleman.

  • 427.

    I suppose you took one ? – I took one ; Mr. Coleman would take another ; Mr. Woodruff would take one ; Mr. Harrison, whose name has been mentioned before, would take one – both Harrisons, and Mr. Cottew. I think I have mentioned them all now.

  • 428.

    There were six different parties, each of whom took a list ? – Yes ; that was at the period I am speaking about, and not as regards Sir Julian Goldsmid.

  • 429.

    Would you six take between you the whole of the constituency ? – No, we did not do that. These are only parties perhaps that Sir Julian Goldsmid would not have time to call upon and could not see. The constituency do not like to be canvassed by individuals. We are all known to each other here, and it has always been customary for a candidate to canvass every elector himself ; in fact we are frequently told, when we go to a man for his vote, “No, I have not seen Sir Julian. I shall not speak to you.” That has been the mode generally adopted in this borough ; but here there was only a week; there was no time, and I immediately went to work as you may suppose, and said, “Sir Julian cannot canvass the whole of Sandwich ; we will divide and go and get the votes as well as we can.”

  • 430.

    The six gentlemen whom you have mentioned were what I may call volunteer canvassers ? – Yes.

  • 431.

    Had you any paid canvassers ? – I do not know ; but there might be one or two. We have never been in the habit of doing that at Sandwich – appointing paid canvassers. I think Mr. Woodruff did receive something for canvassing, but only for the day, I think, he was paid, or something of that kind.

  • 432.

    What is he ? – He has been mentioned to you. He is a tailor by trade in Sandwich, and he was the committee clerk, for which he was paid lOL., which will appear on the accounts when you go through them.

  • 433.

    It would be more convenient to take that altogether when we come to the accounts, but he was the only person you know of who was paid as a canvasser ? – Yes.

  • 434.

    I suppose I may take it there was no general committee ? – No, no committee was appointed at all. We used to have a committee, but that we have left off for some time.

  • 435.

    Had you any canvass books ? – Yes, we had canvass books.

  • 436.

    Do you know where they are ? – Yes, I can put my hand upon them I think – the canvass books which denote the promises which we have ascertained.

  • 437.

    Had you reports from time to time ? – Simply in this way. When Sir Julian Goldsmid came in from a canvass of an hour or two, or something of that kind, I asked him, “Where have you been to ?” so as to endeavour to keep the best account I could in my own book to see how he was proceeding. That was my system. Then in the same way we also took down decided promises from those who were canvassers for this voluntary committee as it were.

  • 438.

    In that way I suppose you kept made up from your different books or reports a list ? – Yes, it was a very difficult thing to do, but we kept the best account we could.

  • 439.

    You kept the best account you could of the persons you thought you could rely upon ? – Yes.

  • 440.

    Were any clerks employed upon the work ? – In marking the books, it always depended upon me and the committee clerk, Mr. Woodruff. We used to keep the two books and nobody else. One was a canvassing book, which was kept by myself, or what we call a committee book, and a book was also handed to the candidate.

  • 441.

    The candidate had his canvassing book and you had your canvassing book in which you marked the names of your persons and his too ? – Yes.

  • 442.

    How many clerks had you employed as committee clerks ? – Only two. Mr. Woodruff and the assistant clerk, I forgot his name.

  • 443.

    Then these gentlemen whom you have mentioned are the only persons I may take it at Sandwich who took any particularly active part in the election ? – Yes, I think those are the only ones who took any particularly active part. There is Mr. Dorlman, but he did not take an active part and did not canvass. He simply took an active part by calling in at the committee room to enquire how we were preceding. He did not take an active part, and I think you are desirous of ascertaining those who were actively engaged.

  • 444.

    Did you employ any messengers ? – Yes, there were several messengers.

  • 445.

    How many ? – I am not prepared to state although I have been all through them. I do not know how many.

  • 446.

    Were there any men or boys employed to carry boards ? – No, we did not make use of anything of that kind. There was a certain number of messengers and a certain number of boys who attended on the day of the election. Some of the messengers were engaged during the active part of the election, but there were certain messengers employed who were appointed at the instance of a voter. A man comes and offers his services and he is employed. Our messengers were not overdone on this occasion. I think I have nothing to say with regard to the messengers.