Testimonies

Crompton-Roberts, Charles Henry | Day 16

Witness Type: Candidate / MP

Party: Conservative

Other Days The Witness Was Called On: Day 17 | Day 20

Witness Testimony:

• 18207.

  Then there was 1,400L. , I think you say, drawn from Mr. Hoare, your partner ? — Yes.

• 18208.

  Do you know on what date that was advanced ? — Speaking from memory, I think it was the 11th or 12th of May, but I will not be sure.

• 18209.

  Do you know whether that was paid by your partner to Mr. Hughes personally or to Mr. Thomas ? — I do not know anything about it. I only heard about it when we came to settle up partnership profits, six weeks after the election I think it was.

• 18210.

  Was that the first that you heard of the advance of 1,400L. ? — Yes.

• 18211.

  (Mr. Jeune.) Mr. Hughes got that 1,400L ? — Yes, I have heard so.

• 18212.

  You do not know whether it was paid to him personally, or to. whom it was paid ? — Not at all I merely know that I am debited with it by my partner.

• 18213.

  Did you inquire of Mr. Hughes whether he had, upon the strength of your note to your partner, obtained any further money ? — No, I did not know anything about it till it was brought to my mind when settling up the partnership profits.

• 18214.

  Mr. Hughes did not mention to you that be had got further money from your partner at that time ? — No.

• 18215.

  Do I understand you to say, that neither your partner nor Mr. Hughes ever mentioned that this 1,400L. had been advanced by your partner to Mr. Hughes until the time you mention, when you came to settle up accounts ? — Just so.

• 18216.

  That was the first you heard of it ? — Yes.

• 18217.

  Do you know how that was given to Mr. Hughes, whether in notes or gold ? — I have no idea.

• 18218.

  Did it occur to you that it was giving Mr. Hughes rather unlimited authority to get money from your partner to write him that note ? — Mr. Spofforth told me that Mr. Hughes was the most celebrated electioneering agent of the day, and I was to give him my unlimited confidence, and I did so.

• 18219.

  You see that that note that you wrote gave him the power, I will not say of drawing an unlimited amount of money, but, comparatively speaking, an unlimited amount from your partner ? — I should not have given it to him if I had not had confidence in the introduction.

• 18220.

  You did not ask him at all whether he had made use of it, or to what extent ? — No, not at all ; and I was perfectly unaware of it until the time I have mentioned.

• 18221.

  Did you at all abstain from making any inquiry ? — About what ?

• 18222.

  About whether he had made use of it, or to what extent. Had you any reason for abstaining from inquiring ? — No reason, except that I was so busily occupied that I do not know that I thought more about it. I was certainly astonished, when the election was over, that 600L. had not been enough at that time. 600L. was all that I thought I had at the bank at the time, and when afterwards I heard that that cheque had been drawn upon the authority that I had given to Mr. Hughes, I was certainly astonished.

• 18223.

  (Mr. Holl.) Besides the 600L., you gave him upon the 15th, 500L., and upon the 18th again 1,000L. ? — Quite right ; but I say at that time, the 12th or 13th of May, I was astonished when I heard that 1,400L. had been drawn, that the 600L. at that particular time had not been enough.

• 18224.

  You were astonished to find that 1,400L. had been drawn in excess of what already had been paid ? — Yes.

• 18225-1.

  I understand you to say you had no knowledge whatever of this 1,400L. having been used in any way ? — Not till so many weeks after the election.

• 18226.

  That cheque was drawn upon the 11th or 12th you say ? — I think so, speaking from memory.

• 18227.

  I suppose you have now no idea how it was spent, unless it was that money that was sent down to Mr. Olds ? — I have never heard how it was used yet. From the newspapers I have gathered it.

• 18228.

  We, as far as we can gather, see that a sum of 1,700L. went down to Mr. Olds, and was distributed ? — I had no idea of that whatever.

• 18229.

  I may take it that it is probable that this 1,400L, together with some other part of the 6,000L., was sent down and distributed in the way you have seen described in the newspapers ? — I do not know. Mr. Hughes will know all about that ; I have no idea myself.

• 18230.

  Then I see upon the 29th there is another cheque to Mr. Hughes for 500L., and a further cheque, dated, 3rd June 500L., to Mr. Hughes ? — In regard to that cheque, I had better mention that Mr. Hughes did not ask for that sum. I said that I hated drawing cheques like this, and I would like to settle the matter up, and I would give him 500L., and let him return any balance that there was ; I would sooner give him too much than have anything standing against me.

• 18231.

  Is that all the money that you paid to Mr Hughes ? — Yes, every penny.

• 18232.

  That is altogether £5100, independently of the £1400, making £6500 ? — Yes.

• 18233.

  So that you were aware that the amount which you paid to Mr Hughes, independently of the £1400, was £5100 ? — Yes.

• 18234.

  Independently even of the last £500, it was £4600, and did not that seem a large sum to you ? — I had no idea of the cost of an election; I had never had anything to do with it, nor had I any personal friend who was elected.

• 18235.

  Did you make any inquiry of Mr Hughes as to how this large sum had been expended ? — I was told by Mr Spofforth to treat Mr Hughes as if it were himself so I was like a child in his hands.

• 18236.

  Was it your impression that this had been expended in what you may call legitimate expenses in the election ? — I had no idea, until I read the papers, what the cost of getting into Parliament was.