Testimonies

Testimonies

• 1155.

  You lent your services ? — I lent my services to the Liberals.

• 1156.

  What arrangement was made between you and Mr. Emmerson about your acting ; you must have come to some arrangement between yourselves as to what you were to do ? — I entered as canvasser. I suppose I knew the inhabitants of Sandwich about as well as anyone, and that is how I fell into the affairs. I really cannot say that there was any proper arrangement made.

• 1157.

  You began it by canvassing ? — Yes, for Sir Julian.

• 1158.

  You went round with him ? — I went round with him every time.

• 1159.

  Had you anything to do with any previous election ? — Very little. I cannot say that I did not have anything to do, but I had very little to do with other elections.

• 1160.

  Did you appear at all upon the 1874 election ? — I do not remember that I did except just amongst our own men. I just canvassed them, that is all.

• 1161.

  From whom did you first receive any money ? — Mr. Emmerson.

• 1162.

  When was that ? — A day or two previous to the polling, I believe.

• 1163.

  Previously to that you must have had some conversation with Mr. Emmerson which led to his giving you money ; just tell us the whole of what took place between yourselves ; what was the origin of your interfering and taking an active part in this election ? — I saw that the Conservatives were very busy, and I thought it would be necessary to have money to meet the case.

• 1164.

  ell us the conversation you had with Mr. Emerson when it was first arranged between you and him that you should act in any way in this election ? — I cannot remember.

• 1165.

  (Mr. Turner.) Did you go to him, or he come to you ? — I went to him.

• 1166.

  (Mr. Holl.) Tell us what took place as near as you can remember, the substance of it ? — I do not remember, only he asked me if I would canvass as time was short, and he did not know who to get, and I said, “Yes, I will go with pleasure.”

• 1167.

  At that time was any money given you ? — No not until I applied for it.

• 1168.

  Was anything said at that time about paying anybody ? — Nothing.

• 1169.

  At that time you say no money had passed ? — Nothing.

• 1170.

  Was any instruction given to you by Mr. Emmerson beyond the fact of directing you to canvass ? — I had no instructions.

• 1171.

  Were there any other instructions whatever ? — I do not remember any.

• 1172.

  In the first instance you received no instructions but that you were to canvass ? — That is all.

• 1173.

  How long was that before the time you applied to him for money. How long were you canvassing ? — Not very long. It only lasted a few days.

• 1174.

  Tell us, as near as you can, what date did you first see Mr. Emmerson, and it was arranged with him that you should canvass ? — I first saw Mr. Emmerson, I should think, when we heard that Sir Julian Goldsmid was coming down. I called and ascertained that he would come down. That was the first of it.

• 1175.

  Can you tell us what day of the week that was ? — I cannot remember.

• 1176.

  Was that on Monday the 10th ? — I cannot remember at all.

• 1177.

  Was that before Sir Julian Goldsmid came down ? — I saw Mr. Emmerson in the morning or afternoon, or it might be the day before he came down.

• 1178.

  Then you say he asked you to canvass ? — Yes. I met Mr. Emmerson, I believe, on the platform! There was nothing much done before then. He simply left me to canvass with Sir Julian, and I met him by appointment every time he came to Sandwich afterwards ; nothing more than that.

• 1179.

  You canvassed with him ? — Yes.

• 1180.

  When did you first apply to Mr. Emmerson for any money ? — I should think two or three days, it might have been Thursday, previous to the polling day.

• 1181.

  How many days was that after you first met Mr. Emmerson ? — Only a day or two.

• 1182.

  You applied to him for money ? — Yes. I told him it was necessary that we should have money.

• 1183.

  Tell us what you said to him ? — I said, “They are very busy in Sandwich, the electors seem very dissatisfied as there is money flying about and they can have what they want, and if we do not mind what we are about we shall lose our position. To secure friends something must be done.”

• 1184.

  When you say “something must be done,” what do you mean by that, that money must be spent ? — Yes.