Testimonies

Testimonies

• 165.

  And these are the vouchers that accompanied that return ? – Yes, all the vouchers that accompanied that return.

• 166.

  There was a separate summary for Sandwich and for Deal and Walmer ? – Yes. This is the abstract for Deal and Walmer, “Borough of Sandwich, Deal, and Walmer, Parliamentary election. May 1880.

  Sir Julian Goldsmid, Baronet Expenses paid on behalf of the above candidate.

  For COMMITTEE ROOMS, Deal 30L.
  Messengers, personating agents, COMMITTEE ROOMS’ clerks and assistants, Deal, 220L. 4s. 6d.
  Ditto, Walmer, 69L, 18s. 10d.
  Postage stamps, &c., 6L. 5s. 6d.
  Total, 445L. 7s. 2d.”

  That is signed by the election expenses agent. Then this is the abstract of expenses for Sandwich, “Sandwich. COMMITTEE ROOMS “Bell” hotel, 17L. Ditto per Mr. Coleman, as per list, 28L. Ditto per Mr. Hunter, 10L. Conveyances and carriage hire, 10L. 18s. B. Grey, bill posting, 4L. Dennis, ditto, 2L. Out-voters railway fares, 8L. Coleman, for WATCHERS, 16L. Printing and registers of electors, 20L. lOs. 11d. Committee and assistant committee clerks, 15L. W. W. Woodruff for messengers, polling and personating clerks, 35L. 6s. Coleman, for canvassers, disbursements, and petty expenses, 40L. Personal expenses “Bell” hotel, 48L. 17s. 3d. Special train to Deal, postages, telegrams, &c., 17L. 11s. Returning officer’s expenses, 70L. 8s. 3d. Agent’s fee, 100L. Total, 443L 5s. 11d.” That is signed by the agent, Edmund Brown.

• 167.

  Perhaps to-morrow you will be able to let us have the returns of the expenses in 1874 ? – Certainly. I will send them to the secretary in the course of to-morrow.

• 168.

  (Mr. Jeune.) As far as you could see was there any treating at Sandwich at the last election ? – I do not know at all, but I should say not. I never heard of any.

• 169.

  Were any of the PUBLIC-HOUSES open ? – Not what we used to call being open in the old fashioned way. I saw very little going on in the PUBLIC-HOUSES except BILLS being kept in the window.

• 170.

  Were there crowds round any of the PUBLIC-HOUSES during the election ? – I saw none at Sandwich.

• 171.

  You live at Deal, do you ? – I live at Sandwich, I was only at Deal occasionally.

• 172.

  Were you at Deal on the day of the election ? – I came to the polling booth to see all was going on right.

• 173.

  Was there any drunkenness that you saw at Sandwich or Deal ? – I saw no tippling at all. It seemed a very quiet election as for as regards noise and drink.

• 174.

  You thought as regards noise and crowds and so on it was a quiet election rather than otherwise ? – Decidedly so. Much quieter than the elections some years ago, which were wonderfully noisy.

• 175.

  As regards the FLAGS, before the Act there always used to be, both at Sandwich and Deal, a great display of that kind of thing ? – A great display, especially ROSETTES ; everyone had a colourful rosette or cockade.

• 176.

  The Act was in 1854, was it not ? – Somewhere about that, I think.

• 177.

  The effect of the Act was to put down that kind of thing for a time, was it ? – I think so.

• 178.

  Of late years you think it has been rather growing up again ? – Well, candidates were rather glad to save the expense, and I presume made that an excuse for not doing so ; but at last one was given, and another, and so the thing has grown up.

• 179.

  And of late years you think it has been growing again ? – Very sightly since the last election. There were always FLAGS more or less. Private individuals always supplied FLAGS of their own, There were always some FLAGS, but not in the large lavish way you are now speaking of.

• 180.

  I think you told us that the municipal contests in Sandwich are not political ? – Certainly not.

• 181.

  Indeed you have had no municipal contest there since 1875 at all ? – No; for five years we have had none.

• 182.

  Was there a contest in 1875 ? – Yes, there was one in November 1875.

• 183.

  Was that a single contest, one against one, do you happen to remember ? – No ; it was the annual election. There were four vacancies, and there were eight candidates, and it is very singular, but I see the four successful candidates were two Liberal and two Conservatives ; that is, taking them by repute, of course.

• 184.

  And last November there was no contest at all ? – No contest at all.

• 185.

  Someone else will tell us about Deal. You do not know ? – No.

• 186.

  You were going to give us the voting areas of Sandwich, Deal, and Walmer ? – I will give you Sandwich, and try and get the others. No doubt Mr, Mercer the town clerk, will be able to give you that at once.

• 187.

  As far as regards Sandwich, there was no necessity to employ conveyances for voters at all I suppose ? – Anybody not very infirm could get there. The polling booth was about the centre of the town. There were a few infirmities.

• 188.

  But all the conveyances that could be got were taken ? – I really do not know ; but I believe that was the fact. The Liberal COMMITTEE ROOM was opposite the polling booth, and I saw two cabs standing there a good part of the day, doing nothing apparently.

• 189.

  At the election before, were the conveyances employed more than they were at this election ? I mean the contested election in 1868. Were there more conveyances for voters then than this election ? – I think not.

• 190.

  About the same ? – I did not see very much conveyance of voters at Sandwich. Some people are always glad to ride at election times. I saw them about the streets, but nothing to observe upon in that way. In these towns they have not many conveyances, and unless they go outside and hire them, they cannot get a great number.

• 191.

  (Mr. Holl.) You say that after the Act passed, candidates were glad to get rid of the expense of FLAGS and colour ? – I only suppose so. They are very happy to make an excuse of that kind when asked for these things, and I can easily imagine they made that excuse.

• 192.

  How do you account for its growing up again ? – There are always some people – zealous people – who will have their own ROSETTES, cockades, and so, and one little thing leads to another ; but whether of late years, before the last election, any were provided by the candidates, I really do not know. There was nothing to notice until this election with regard to colours. There were FLAGS flying. People put up their own FLAGS.

• 193.

  (Mr. Jeune.) You are, I believe Mr. Crompton Roberts’ private solicitor ? – I am.

• 194.

  And I think you have been so for a good number of years ? – 20 years.