Crompton-Roberts, Charles Henry | Day 17

In 1880, he stood as the Conservative candidate in the by-election against the Liberal candidate, Sir Julian Goldsmid, and won the election by 1145 votes to 705.

He and his household stayed in Stanley House, Beach Street during the election. His horses were stabled at the Royal Hotel.

https://www.findmypast.co.uk/image-share/a7c7c33a-7d94-4103-98dc-b39d1b68c804

Witness Type: Candidate / MP

Party: Conservative

Other Days The Witness Was Called On: Day 16 | Day 20

Witness Testimony:

  • 18568.

    And you had five poulterers in the same way, supplying your house at once ? — Yes.

  • 18569.

    I see there are other items of fowls and fish appearing in Mrs Steadman’s account ? — Yes.

  • 18570.

    You told us that you canvassed yourself the voters ? — Yes.

  • 18571.

    That would happen both in Sandwich, Deal, and Walmer ? — Yes.

  • 18572.

    This, is it not, is your canvass book for Sandwich (handing a book) ? — Yes.

  • 18573.

    You went round with that book and saw the people and made the notes opposite to their names ? — Yes.

  • 18574.

    You did not, I suppose, ever go alone ? — No, but the man accompanying me might have been a few houses off.

  • 18575.

    You kept this book yourself and wrote down in pencil those notes that are opposite the names of the voters ? — Yes, I ticked them off as I went along.

  • 18576.

    And made those notes ? — Yes.

  • 18577.

    I suppose the people who were with you would see what you were writing down from time to time as you went along ? — They might have done.

  • 18578.

    I will take the first page upon which there occurs to me to be anything worth inquiring about: William Holmans, and I see opposite that this note, “Paralysed. Wants help to get change of air, or rides out.” That is a note in your handwriting, is it not ? — Yes.

  • 18579.

    You found out I suppose from inquiry from William Holmans that he was paralysed and wanted help to get change of air and rides out ? — Any memorandum I thought necessary to make I put down at the time.

  • 18580.

    With what object did you make that note ? — I could not put him down under the Conservative or Liberal headings, or doubtful, on that account. It was no use going to that man in consequence.

  • 18581.

    I do not quite follow you. Because a man is paralysed it does not follow that he is neither a Conservative or a Liberal ? — That man, when I went to see him, brought forward that statement and wished me to draw my own inferences.

  • 18582.

    He gave you clearly to understand that he would not promise either Conservative or Liberal, because he wanted assistance ? — Yes, that was his statement.

  • 18583.

    The impression left upon your mind was that he wished to convey to you that he was a person who could not be reckoned upon to vote either way without a bribe ? — Without he was accommodated in that way.

  • 18584.

    And you made a note of that in your book ? — Yes.

  • 18585.

    And this book was afterwards put into the hands of persons acting for you ? — I gave that book, just as it was, back to the man who went with me, and he took it to whoever had sent him with me.

  • 18586.

    And from that you knew they made out their own canvass book, making it up partly from your notes ? — No, I was not aware of that. I was not aware that they did anything further.

  • 18587.

    Do you know that your note “Paralysed. Wants help to get change of air or rides out” appeared in Mr Cloke‘s book, “Wants pay for change of air or rides out” ? — I was not aware that it had been copied at all.

  • 18588.

    You say you put that down because you understood that he would not promise either side unless he got something for it ? — I cannot go quite so far as that. The man seemed to think he had a claim upon one. I did not know that he would not vote without it.

  • 18589.

    You do not put him down either as Conservative or Liberal ? — No.

  • 18590.

    Why would not you put him down as one or the other ? — Because he did not go into politics; that was his line.

  • 18591.

    You understood him as a person who could not be classed as being a person who would vote either way without something ? — I cannot go so far as that. He looked upon his ailments as more important than his vote.

  • 18592.

    In other words, you understood that he wanted money for his vote ? — I understood it was waste of time to go to him.

  • 18593.

    For what reason ? — That as no candidate can under these circumstances give a person anything without its being supposed to influence his vote, that therefore it would be of no use going to that man any longer. He would not promise one way or the other, and considered his bodily ailments such as to demand his wants being attended to. I thought that therefore it was no use going to him any longer.

  • 18594.

    It comes to this: that you knew he was a man who would not vote without payment of some kind for his bodily ailments, and in consideration of his bodily ailments. “Change of air and rides out” is another way of putting it. Then I see, a little further on, “Jacob George Matthews,” and opposite, written in your own handwriting, “Wants a better pension. Was a warder at the jail at Sandwich.” And I see he is not entered as a Conservative or Liberal. Why was that ? — He asked me whether I would use any influence, if I were elected, to procure him a better pension, and my reply was, “You know very well you have no business to ask a candidate such a question as that; the candidate cannot make any promises of that kind.”

  • 18595.

    And you made that note ? — Yes.

  • 18596.

    Then the next one is, “D Birch; very favourable and poor.” What did you mean by that ? — I have no doubt that that is the absolute state of the case.

  • 18597.

    What had “poor” to do with it ? — I might have been surprised at the state of misery the man was in.