Hughes, Edwin | Day 19
Witness Type: Briber, Petition witness
Party: Conservative
Other Days The Witness Was Called On: Day 20
Witness Testimony:
- 19478.
Upon what bank did you draw this cheque ? — My own bank: Glyn’s.
- 19479.
Had you had money paid into Glyn’s in order to meet the drawing ? — No, it was not necessary to meet the drawing.
- 19480.
Had you any money of Mr. Crompton Roberts’ in Glyn’s bank at that time ? — No, but there had been £400, part of the £1400, paid to my credit at Glyn’s. I did not draw the £300 upon that, because I at any time can draw to the extent of £300.
- 19481.
This £300 you drew from Glyn’s ? — Yes, my own cheque.
- 19482.
And you had previously paid in £400 ? — No, I did not pay it in.
- 19483.
Who paid it in ? — The party who came from Mr. Hoare, as part of the £1400.
- 19484.
£400 had been paid in to your account ? — Yes. I do not say that it was paid in before the £300 cheque was drawn, because I think it was not. The drawing of the £300 was a separate transaction altogether, and had nothing to do with the £400. As I said before, it was not necessary to pay in before drawing the £300.
- 19485.
I must go back a little in order to make it intelligible. What was the first money you received from Mr. Compton Roberts? You took down yourself £500 in sovereigns, or a sum of money in sovereigns ? — There was some confusion about that £500, as to whether it was Mr. Crompton Roberts’, or whether it was mine. I knew that there was £500 taken down, and I thought it was mine, but it turned out to be the proceeds of a £500 cheque of Hoare’s. The first cheque I had from Mr. Crompton Roberts was upon May 7th.
- 19486.
The impression you had upon a former occasion was that you had taken down £500 of your own money, but that was a mistake ? — Yes.
- 19487.
It was the proceeds of a cheque that you had received of Mr. Hoare ? — No, I never received it.
- 19488.
(Mr. Jeune.) It was the cheque that Mr. Crompton Roberts told us about ? — Yes, a cheque given to Mr. Hoare to get changed.
- 19489.
And in that way it came to Mr. Roberts’ hands ? — He sent it to Hoare, and Hoare took the opportunity of sending it down by my clerk to Roberts, but it was not given to Roberts, because Roberts let Thomas keep it.
- 19490.
That was the first £500 ? — Yes, no doubt. That is the first item in the account.
- 19491.
What was done with the £500 ? — It found its way to Olds ultimately, but I expect it changed hands two or three times in the passage.
- 19492.
What was done with it in the first instance ? — The public-houses were paid out of it. I have always kept the £500, the £600 and the £1400 entirely distinct from my part of it.
- 19493.
What is the next money you received ? — This second money was the £500 upon the 7th. I never considered that the first £500 had anything to do with me, and I kept the £600 separate, as also the £1400 separate.
- 19494.
The £500 forms part of the money reclaimed as election expenses ? — No, part of the money went to Olds.
- 19495.
I thought you said that the public-houses were paid out of it ? — That may be, but the £500 was kept quite distinct. It was brought down at Mr. Roberts’ own instance and not sent to me. The public-houses may have been paid out of it at the time, but it would be replaced directly afterwards.
- 19496.
The £500 was kept by whom ? — My clerk, Thomas. Altogether Mr. Crompton Roberts paid £6500. £4000 I had paid to me, which I account for, and then there are £1400, £500 and £600 not paid to me, and which I have not accounted for, and that money, beyond doubt, went to Olds.
- 19497.
That £500 was not expended in paying the public-houses ? — That £500 may have been entrenched upon in paying the public-houses but it would be replaced immediately.
- 19498.
If any portion of that £500 was spent in the first instance in paying the public-houses it would be replaced ? — Yes, certainly.
- 19499.
So, in point of fact, ultimately no part of that £500 is applicable to the payment of public-houses ? — No.
- 19500.
Or of any of the expenses mentioned in the returned expenses ? — No, the £500 was kept as distinct in the end as the £1400 and the £600.
- 19501.
You say, according to your belief, the £500 went to Olds ? — £2500 went to Olds.
- 19502.
That £500 all went to Olds, you think ? — Yes, certainly.
- 19503.
What was the first sum you received ? — £500 upon the 7th in a cheque.
- 19504.
That is the cheque drawn payable to ‘Cobbs’; that was the first £500 you received ? — Yes.
- 19505.
What did you do with it ?— Paid it into the Deal bank, and opened an account with it.
- 19506.
(Mr. Jeune.) How came that cheque to be drawn upon Cobs ? — I do not know. I heard Mr. Crompton Roberts’ explanation. I thought it was “Cabs” at first.
- 19507.
You did not suggest that it should be so drawn ? — No, certainly not.