Testimonies

Crompton-Roberts, Charles Henry | Day 17

Witness Type: Candidate / MP

Party: Conservative

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

Witness Testimony:

• 18598.

  What had his being poor got to do with your canvassing book or your canvass ? — You must, I think, a little bear in mind that I had never canvassed before for any electioneering purposes, and that I simply put down there the result of my visit, and Mr Cloke, I think it was, who told me that my remarks were singularly correct; that is all that I know about it. And if I had said that the man had a bad leg it would have been the same thing.

• 18599.

  I do not wish to press you at all more than necessary, but you see yourself, of course, the full effect of these questions, and I should like to have your final explanation as to what you meant by writing down against a man who you put down as a Conservative, “Very favourable and poor.” ? — I can tell you nothing more. I have no recollection of the man’s face, but, writing it down at the time, no doubt I had come to the conclusion that he was a very poor man.

• 18600.

  (Mr Turner) Was not it in reference to notice being taken of his poverty ? — I had no arrière pensée.

• 18601.

  (Mr Jeune) What had his poverty to do with his being a Liberal or Conservative, or with his voting or not voting for you ? — I meant any remark that I put down there to be a true state of the case, and it had no reference to relieving the poor man.

• 18602.

  Did not it strike you, this book, going into the hands of Mr Cloke or anybody else, it would be a hint to them that he was a man who wanted money and ought to have it ? — So little did I anticipate a petition, that I should have put down “Give him something” if I had thought it necessary.

• 18603.

  Then I see “Edward Bettison, very warm.” That means that he was a strong Conservative ? — Yes.

• 18604.

  Then I see here “Thomas Jones.” What is the note against his name ? — “Promised; wants a little drop.”

• 18605.

  What did you mean by that ? — After the man had given me his promise he ran down the street after me and said, “Well, guv’nor, I suppose you are going to stand us a little drop?” and I said, “You know very well you cannot ask a candidate that.” Upon which he turned the corner of the street, and I wrote that down.

• 18606.

  What object had you in writing it down ? — I supposed he was a liquory fellow.

• 18607.

  What object had you in writing opposite a voter’s name in your book that he wanted a little drop ? — I did not look upon my canvass book and the remark in it in the serious way which I now see you gentlemen take it, and I put in the actual results of my visits.

• 18608.

  I see many other notes strictly relevant to the inquiry, such as: “Would not promise;” “See again;” “Out. Saw wife;” “Never promises anybody;” “Lives with his sister; out;” and so on. All of which are remarks strictly relevant to the objects of the canvass, but then comes this note: “Wants a little drop.” Do you wish to give any explanation as to how it was you came to write that in your canvass book ? — That is exactly how it happened.

• 18609.

  What is the note opposite Mr George Lock’s name ? — “George Lock, gent, railway agent; very favourable now.” I think I had some little difficulty in finding this man, and somebody in the street said, “It is George Lock, gent, you want,” and I said, “What do you mean?” and they said, “He considers himself a gentleman.” Subsequently he met me in the street and said that he was coming it over me, or something of that kind, and he said, “You know I was a very strong Liberal, but I am a Conservative now.”

• 18610.

  What are the words in pencil ? — “Railway agent; very favourable now.” I had previously marked him off as a Liberal, and you see I have rubbed through the word “Liberal” there.

• 18611.

  What is the note opposite James Town’s name ? — “Wants liquoring.”

• 18612.

  What does that mean ? — That he was one of the lushy gentlemen that came to me in the same sort of way as the other fellow had done.

• 18613.

  It meant that he wanted it ? — Yes.

• 18614.

  Did it mean that he was to get it ? — No, I could not treat. I had no idea that a glass of liquor had been ever given to anybody.

• 18615.

  You say “wants liquoring” ? — Yes. I marked him as a Conservative, and he followed me and said, “You are going to stand us something, guv’nor, I suppose,” and I said, “You know that is out of the question,” and I made that memorandum.

• 18616.

  Did it not mean that somebody should see that he got that which he wanted ? — No. I am quite positive about that, because I had no idea that they would or that they did give anything for liquor at all. In fact, I do not know that you have had any liquor proved as being given away.

• 18617.

  What is the note opposite William Rogers’ name ? — “William Rogers, maltster, wants to be seen,” and then there is something which I cannot read: “each” it looks like.

• 18618.

  Is not the word “cash?” Certainly it looks more like cash than anything else ? — Until you mention it now I should not have taken that view of it at all.

• 18619.

  Cannot you say what other word it is ? — No, I cannot. Now you suggest it, it does look like it, but I did not see it till you pointed it out. No doubt it might be that.

• 18620.

  If that was the word can you suggest what it meant, “Wants to be seen, cash,” that he wanted cash ? — Yes, but my impression is that only one person in the whole place asked me for anything. He did not ask me for cash but he simply walked me to the back of the house and opened a door and said, “Do you see that,” and I said “What,” and he said, “My coal cellar is empty.”

• 18621.

  Then I see here “George Carlton.” What is opposite his name ? — “Wants much assistance. Mr Cottew’s house, had much illness in the house, half a year’s rent,” then come some words struck out.

• 18622.

  One of the words struck out, I think you will agree with me, is the amount of the rent ? — Yes, it looks like that.

• 18623.

  What was the meaning of that entry ? — A woman told me something about having got a distress in the house.

• 18624.

  Is not this the entry, “Wants much assistance. Mr Cottew’s house, had much illness in the house, half a year’s rent at 3s, £3 18s 6d ? — Yes, I think that is it.

• 18625.

  What did you mean by writing that opposite the name of a voter ? — That was the amount of distress or something of that sort that was in the house. When I saw that woman she wanted that assistance, and when I came out the man who went round with me said, “It is useless your making a memorandum of that kind, because you cannot, while you are canvassing, listen to a thing of that kind,” and then my impression is there arose the scratching out that you see, the pencil was run through it in that way.

• 18626.

  Your attention was called by somebody with you at the time that it was no use your making notes of that kind, because they could not be attended to at the time, for reasons connected with the election ? — Yes.

• 18627.

  Five names lower down this occurs: “Stiles, Thomas H; mother wants to liquor up” ? — Yes, that is it; she was three-parts drunk then and she got hold of me and wanted to know whether I would not liquor her up.