Simmons, Daniel George Frederick | Day 17

Questioned at very great length about his expenses. He was somewhat ‘forgetful’ and ‘careless’ in his record keeping. Although he had previously lived in the area and knew many of the people involved in the election, he was rather vague about who he had dealings with!

Witness Type: Briber, Freeman, Treater

Party: Conservative

Witness Testimony:

  • 19010.

    And you found most of them had been engaged ? — To some extent. A great many we had some difficulty with. We were some time at some of the public-houses, as they would not let us know whether they would let a room or not.

  • 19011.

    You went round with your receipts ready, and the £5, and paid them each £5 ? — Yes.

  • 19012.

    That was on the 5th ? — Yes.

  • 19013.

    There was no bargaining about it, as we gather you paid them £5 apiece all round ? — All a regular price. Mr Olds paid them the money. I did not hand them the money on that occasion at all.

  • 19014.

    Was that money paid on the 5th and 6th to the whole of the public-houses ? — I think so.

  • 19015.

    It was all paid within two days, was it not ? — Yes.

  • 19016.

    And the whole of the 71 houses had their £5 apiece ? — Yes. I think there were a few not disposed of within the two days; a few doubtful public-houses.

  • 19017.

    And a few additional ones afterwards ? — Yes.

  • 19018.

    Did you receive any money at all, besides the money which is mentioned in this account, including the £20 balance which you received ? — No.

  • 19019.

    Are you quite sure of that ? — Positive.

  • 19020.

    Nothing at all ? — Not a penny.

  • 19021.

    You received, then, £72, plus the difference between £7 3s 6d, and £20 ? — Yes, that is every penny I had.

  • 19022.

    Then you received, altogether, £85 ? — Yes, that would be about it.

  • 19023.

    And that is all you had ? — Yes.

  • 19024.

    Did you expend any money at all beyond the £72 mentioned in this account ? — No.

  • 19025.

    Neither directly or indirectly ? — No.

  • 19026.

    Are you quite sure of that ? — Positive.

  • 19027.

    Not anything ? — Nothing.

  • 19028.

    (Mr Jeune) You knew that Mr Hughes was the election expenses agent ? — Yes.

  • 19029.

    Did you tell him that you had spent this money in connection with the election ? — No, I had nothing to do with Mr Hughes at all.

  • 19030.

    But you knew he was the election expenses agent, and you are a lawyer, and you know the expenses connected with the election ought to be returned by the election expenses agent ? — Yes, I suppose so.

  • 19031.

    Then why did not you return this to him ? — It did not occur to me at the time. Things of course are not carried on very strictly at these times, and I am afraid I was not as prudent as I ought to have been.

  • 19032.

    You say you expended this £17 out of your own pocket ? — Yes.

  • 19033.

    Did anyone tell you you might expend some money in that kind of way ? — I was not directly authorised, but I knew I should be reimbursed. In fact it was impossible to go about there without doing so.

  • 19034.

    Did you have a talk with Mr Crompton Roberts before you started on this journey round the houses ? — No.

  • 19035.

    Who did you have a talk to about it? Who told you it would be a good sort of thing for you to do, to go round to these public-houses and spend money ? — Nobody.

  • 19036.

    No one ? — No.

  • 19037.

    Do you mean that you spent this money entirely out of your own head, without any suggestion from anybody ? — Certainly. I had no one to ask.

  • 19038.

    Before that time you had seen Mr Crompton Roberts, had you not ? — Do you mean immediately before?

  • 19039.

    Yes ? — I went down with him.