Testimonies

Testimonies

• 105.

  Had they district committees at the last election ? – No, I think not, it is so small a place that I should think not.

• 106.

  Have you heard of any illegal or corrupt practices occurring in the Borough of Sandwich in this last election ? – None whatever to my knowledge. Of course I have heard gossip in the streets.

• 107.

  Had you heard anything of the kind spoken of before the election petition was tried ? – No, nothing at all substantially.

• 108.

  You had heard some rumours ? – I heard gossip in the streets occasionally, and I heard some wonderful stories occasionally, quite incredible on the face of it, I heard nothing in any tangible shape or form at all.

• 109.

  What was it you did hear, anything about excessive payments to persons ? – All sorts of things. I really do not know anything about it.

• 110.

  I understand you to say you know nothing at all about it, but what were the rumours or gossip that you heard ? – There was a rumour that there was a great deal of money spent, and I believe that was true, and that is all I know, in fact it was evident to the eye in the shape of FLAGS, PUBLIC-HOUSES, and so on, and people running about the streets, who were all paid more or less.

• 111.

  Was the excitement as regards FLAGS, PUBLIC-HOUSES, carried to a greater extent than at previous elections ? – Yes, I think it was.

• 112.

  In what other way was it patent to the eye that a good deal of money was being spent ? – There were a good number of FLAGS flying especially over here, very handsome FLAGS indeed, which must have cost a good deal of money, in point of fact people came over to see them. There were a great many flying in our place.

• 113.

  Were there more at Deal ? – Yes, more at Deal and Walmer, there was quite a show of FLAGS over here, and very handsome ones.

• 114.

  I understand you to say that was done to a considerably greater extent than you had ever known it before in your knowledge ? – If I went back a good many years I would not say so, because we used to have wonderful shows years ago, before the Act putting down FLAGS and banners came into operation ; before that time we had most wonderful shows, worth seeing, FLAGS, banners, and ROSETTES, to an enormous extent.

• 115.

  I understand you to say that you have seen nothing like this since the Act passed ? – No, nothing like it; but before that the show was worth coming to see.

• 116.

  Was there any other respect in which you noticed a good deal of money being spent ? Did you notice anything in regard to the number of persons employed in canvassing ? – No, I know nothing about that. I saw a good many people running about the streets in Deal one day, but I know nothing about those that were employed. I should not think, as far as I know about it, that there was any excessive employment in Sandwich, I did not see the streets crowded with those people more than usual ; they always have a lot of hangers-on in the shape of agents, touters, canvassers, and so on.

• 117.

  Were there any great number of boys with boards ? – I happened to be in Deal one day and saw a procession of boys with boards ; they attracted my notice on account of the curiosity of the thing.

• 118.

  Was there much of that kind of thing in Sandwich ? – No, I did not see any.

• 119.

  Do you know whether a large number of conveyances were employed at the time of the election ? – I should think not at Sandwich, because there are not many conveyances there, I think all were employed that could be obtained, but I should think there would be many more at Deal and Walmer.

• 120.

  It is not a very long distance to walk from one end of Sandwich to the other, is it ? How long would it take you ? – Perhaps seven or eight minutes ; you may say 10 minutes.

• 121.

  And across it ? – About the same I should say.

• 122.

  I think you say it has not been, in your knowledge, usual at previous elections for the last 15 or 20 years to have so many FLAGS or PUBLIC-HOUSES ? -I do not know much about the public -houses, but I may say that I have not seen so many FLAGS for a number of years. The practice has been growing up the last two or three elections, and when once anything of that kind grows it grows fast. For some time after the passing of the Act we saw nothing of colours except a few put up at people’s private expense.

• 123.

  Do you think the constituency look for a thing like a large number of PUBLIC-HOUSES being engaged and a large number of FLAGS ? – I do not think that the constituency care much about the PUBLIC-HOUSES, though no doubt the publicans do; but I do think think a constituency of this kind is very much pleased with a lot of FLAGS flying ; at all events, the agents think so, because they go into that line pretty strongly. When it is done upon one side they must do it upon the other or they do not stand a fair chance.

• 124.

  Had Mr. C. Roberts many ? — Yes, of course.

• 125.

  And you think that the constituency like to have that kind of employment given to them ? – One class do.

• 126.

  What class would that be ? — I think with regard to all these questions you would obtain much safer answers from those who are concerned in working the elections, because I know nothing but what I see in going along the street. Undoubtedly a large number of people do look for employment at the time of the election.

• 127.

  The FLAGS are not carried about the streets I think, but are erected upon POLES ? – Yes, they are erected upon POLES principally, I do not think any were carried about the streets in Sandwich, though there may have been some over here.

• 128.

  Do you think there is a certain class of the constituency who look to be employed and who look to having POLES and FLAGS, and so on, with a view to getting employment upon that kind of work ? — Yes, there is a great many people hanging about, and they look for employment of any kind ; that is the case anywhere, I believe, so that I can make the observation generally.

• 129.

  There were in Deal, were there not, a very large number of FLAGS and POLES ? – Yes, I may say so at once, because I happened to see them. I heard of it and came over to see the sight one morning. I came over to make arrangements for the polling and I was surprised and to some extent pleased by seeing such a display of FLAGS and banners of an ornamental nature, because it was rather amusing to go along the street and count them. All along the beach at the end towards Deal and Walmer there was a vast amount of bunting put up and some of it at very considerable expense.

• 130.

  Had you known Mr. Roberts in Sandwich the year before the election ? – No.

• 131.

  I may take it that he was a stranger to the place ? – Yes; when he called upon me and left his card I happened to be engaged and gave him an unceremonious answer, and afterwards I ascertained it “was the candidate.

• 132.

  When did he call upon you ? – I forget the date now, but it was the first day be appeared in Sandwich.

• 133.

  Can you give me about the date ? – No, not at this moment. I see that the writ was issued upon the 11th of May, and he was down a week or ten days before that – a week perhaps.

• 134.

  He would probably call upon you as far as you can judge about a week before that ? – Yes, about a week before that. I do not know how long he had been at Deal, but I do not think it could have been above a day or two.