Edwards, James Barber | Day 4

Received three sums amounting to £1820 – of £200 & £320, from Sir Julian Goldsmid and £1300 from Mr Foord. Was called to give evidence at the Petition Trial and asked to produce all bills delivered to him. Found guilty and sentenced to 6 months in prison.

Witness Type: Briber, No Indemnity, Petition witness, Treater

Party: Liberal

Other Days The Witness Was Called On: Day 3 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 14 | Petition Day 1

Witness Testimony:

  • 3527.

    Or from Mr. George Lewis ? — No, I never had any communication with Mr. George Lewis. Mr. George Lewis was not upon the carpet at all until after the election.

  • 3528.

    He might have told you after the election ? — No, he told me about Mr. Foord ; he enquired whether I knew who the gentleman was, and I said I did not know.

  • 3529.

    You had a conversation with Mr. George Lewis about Mr. Foord ? — No, not about Foord ; he asked me whether I knew who it was who brought the money, and I said “No.” He said, “Have you not heard his name,” and I said ”No,” and he said “Foord.”

  • 3530.

    Did he say who Foord was ? — No, but since then I have heard from Mr. Emmerson that he is from Rochester, or that way.

  • 3531.

    When was it that you had that conversation with Mr. George Lewis, was it at the time of the election petition ? — No, since, I think ; I have seen Mr. Lewis twice, and it was after he had filed the petition.

  • 3532.

    How came you to be talking with Mr. George Lewis upon the subject ; how did the subject come up ? — I was there about my accounts.

  • 3533.

    Mr. George Lewis perfectly well knew then, of course, that you had received the 1,300L. ? — Quite so.

  • 3534.

    And then he said to you, ”Do you know who it was brought the money ? — Yes.

  • 3535.

    And then he told you it was Foord ? — Yes. I suppose it was Sir Julian’s way of doing it. I am sure I had nothing to do with it.

  • 3536.

    And you said, “I do not know,” and he said that it was Foord ? — I think he said, “Are you quite sure you do not know,” and I said really I did not know, and I had never made any inquiry.

  • 3537.

    When you went to talk to Mr. George Lewis about these accounts, did he seem to know that this 1,500L. had come down ? — Yes, certainly.

  • 3538.

    You did not inform him of the fact, or anything of the kind ? — No, certainly not.

  • 3539.

    He knew all about it ? — I do not know that he may know anything, except the 1,300L. which I had. I do not know that he said anything about the other 200L., but if he knew about one he must have known about the other.

  • 3540.

    He knew perfectly well before you spoke to him upon the subject that you had had that 1,300L. ? — Yes, quite so.

  • 3541.

    Now you conducted this election. Do you think that politics had anything to do substantially with the result of this election. Do you think that political matters had any influence at all on the result, or was it entirely a matter of spending money, and so on ? — I don’t think it was one or the other. I don’t think politics had anything to do with it, and I hardly think money carried the election. They wanted a change. People had been Liberal so long they thought they would like a change, just as in the general election, people turned from Conservative to Liberal.

  • 3542.

    You think that had a great deal to do with it. do you ? — Yes, they wanted a change, and Mr. Roberts seemed a very popular man with plenty of money. Mr. Hugessen was very popular, but he had not plenty of money.

  • 3543.

    Then you do not think political causes really operated in the matter at all ? — I think very little ; that is my own opinion, nor can I understand how else there could be such a change over.

  • 3544.

    (Mr. Holl.) Do you know of any other reason for Mr. Roberts being so popular, except that he had plenty of money and spent it ? — Well, he seemed to be a very genial man, and he was about with everybody, and drove his carriages, and made a great deal of flash here, and, of course, it took people.

  • 3545.

    (Mr. Turner.) He was spending a good deal of money here ? — I don’t know what he spent ; I daresay he did.

  • 3546.

    (Mr. Jeune.) We do now. Now one other question, which you can answer from your experience. What do you think the effect of the ballot has been ; do you think it has operated to tend to diminish expense, or conduce to the purity of elections ? — On the contrary, for I think people have it on both sides now, and vote as they like.