The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-05 00:00:00

ELECTION EXPOSURES.

DERBY.
The select committee in the cue of Derby met yesterday
for the first time in committee•room No. 9—oonsining of
Mr. Ingham (chairman), the Hon. A. Kinnaird, Mr. .
Stirling. Mr. W. 31. E. Milner, and Mr. B. Stanhope.
In this eau there was a cross-petition—on the one side,
against the return of Mr. Hornell, and, on the other, against
that of Mr. Base.
The counsel for the petitioners against Mr. Honfall were
Mr. E. James, Q.C., and two others ; for Mr. Honfall,
Mr. Serjeant Wrangham, Mr. Montagu Smith, and Ur.
Forsyth.
Mr. E. James said he had the honour of appearing an
counsel in support of the petition to inquire into the lest
election for the borough of Derby, so tar es the return of
Mr. Hornell, one of the sitting members, was involved.
The petition charged an organised system of bribery and
tresting on the part of Mr. Hornell by persona fur whose
conduct he was responsible. It charged also a rather
unusual charge in there petitions—the introduction of
strangers, hitherto unknown in Derby, and who he was
charged with so introducing for the purpose of earning on
that organised system of bribery and treating. 'The :est
election for the borough of Derby and the proceedings con-
nected with it hate obtained a very considerable degree of
notoriety as hon. members must he aware, having them-
, selves heard of the inquiry which subsequently took place;
I and he (Mr. James) would endeavour now to coctioe him-
self to matters strictly relevant to this question. At the
last election for the borough of Derby, there were three
eindidatee, Mr. Bus and Mr. L. Ileyworta (who had
been connected with the borough, as its repr. sentative,
for several years), a,.d Mr. T. B. Horsfall, who was on
that occasion for the first time a candidate, and who
was introduced net entirely as a stranger, but as having
some connexion with the borough through family con-
nexions, several parties of whom would be prominently
brought before the committee—he meant a tuinily of the
name of Cox. On the 18th of June a circular was issued
by a person named Josiah Lewis, calling FE meeting of the
conservative electors for the 19th, to consider the propriety
of i.upperting Mr. Horsfall, and who at that meeting w.ui
for the first time announced as a candidate to the conser-
vative electors. At that meeting Mr. Lewis wan in the
chair. Mr. William Thomas Cox was in the room ; also
Mr. George Henry Richardson Con and Mr. henry C.ix,
taking • very active part indeed, and promoting the eh-
eet of Mr. lionfall's appearance as a candidate in
the borough. A committee was formed to pro-
mote his success, and he was formally acuounted
as a candidate. Mr. John Heins, whose name weekd
be frequently mentioned in the course of this inqu.iy,
was the principal legal agent of Mr. Ilonfatl, and Mr.
Foraball, an attorney of Liverpool, was brought also as an
agent for Mr. llonfall, and took up his residence at the
King's Head Inn, at Derby. tp to within a few days of
the nomination nothing more than the usual stir before au
election was ri‘ible at Derby; but it transpired that, on
the Monday before the electiuu, Mr. George llenry
Richardson Cox had an interview with Major Beresford at
the Carlton Club, and upon that occasion the major wrote,
in the presence of Mr. Cos, a letter, which had siuen
obtained a world-wide celebrity—the famous " W. B."
letter. That letter was now in his (Mr. James's hands ;
it was addressed to a person of the name of Frail, at
Shrewsbury, a person whose name was intimately connected
with this transaction. The learned counsel then read the
letter, as follows :—" A good and safe man' with
judgment and quickness, is wanted immediately at Derby.
1 suppose you cannot leave your own place; if nut,
send some one whom you can trust in your place, let
him go to Derby on receiving this, and find the County
Tavern, in the centre of the town, and send his card to Cox
Brothers, lead merchants, as cooling from Chester. That
will be enough. Yours, W. B." That:letter was written by
Major lieresfurd at the Carlton Club, and was given to Mr.
G. H. R. Cox to be transmitted to Mr. Frail, end it wad
transmitted almost immediately, and that letter brought a
person named Morgan Irina Shrewsbury to Derby. The
learned counsel then went on to detail the remainder of the
proceedings connected with the election, which will be found
detailed in the following evidence.

Mr. Naylor, of tne Crown-office, having proved the writ
and return fur the election,
Mr. John Flewker was sworn and said—l am a solicitor at
Derby, and have practised there for 30 years. I went prior
to the election to the King's Head, the chief hotel. Mr.
Horsfall had appeared there iv a candidate. I met there
several of his supporters, Mr. Whatmore, Mr. H. Radford,
butcher, Mr. Newbold, Mr. Ashworth, and mine others.
I heard a good deal about the election on the Friday night
before the election. I heard a good deal slid about •• We
mean to win—we have lots of money." I know Mr. J.
Lewis very well, and have worked with him at many elec-
tions. He is a large silk manufacturer, ono of our railway
directors, and chairman of the conservative club. [The
witness here read the circular calling the meeting at the
Ring's Head, and a letter from Lewis to witness telling
him they were getting fairly to work, and asking witness to
call upon him at Penrose's, the committee-room ; ales a
letter expressing regret at witness not joining them, as he
had refused doing so, and then continued thus—l did not
accede to the proposal, and wrote to him to that effect,
and stating that I thought another defeat awaited the
good cause," from the same reasons as before—namely,
inactivity and carelessness. Mr. Forshall afterwards wino
to me, asking me to be an agent at one of the booths, which
I declined. Mr. Cox afterwards came to my house to soll.it
me to act for Mr. Horsfall. I saw the other Messrs. Cox
canvassing ; also Mr. Alderman Mouseley. I know Henry
Radford, a butcher, has been a very active partisan at ,d 1
the elections at Derby for some years, on the conservative
side. I saw Radford on the night before the nomination,
at the King's Head. Radford called me on one side, and
said, " I told you the other night we meant to win—we
have plenty of money, and mean to win."
Mr. Montagu Smith objected to conversations of this sort
being received as evidence.
Mr. James contended they were here now on the questim
of bribery or no bribery, and how could that be proved ex-
cept by oonversitiou ? If A called on B, and said, I'll give
you IM. for your vote," how could you prove it except, by
the eon TTTTT tion being proved ?
The committee decided on hearing the evidence, and

Mr. Flewker continued—This conversation was late in
the evening, towards 10 or 11 o'clock. It's understood the
lower working-classes at Derby are subject to bribery. I
know Mr. Huish ; he has conducted home of the elections
at Derby. [The letter from Huish, alluded to in Mr.
James's opening statement, was read, and identified by
witness to be in the handwriting of Rajah.] I have seen
Mr. Frail many times. I have seen him at Derby, in com-
pany with Mr. Huish. The first time, I think, was in 1818,
when the petition was going on against Mr. Strutt. He
came with a letter of introduction to me from Major Beres-
ford. I saw hint also at the election after that, in 1818.
Frail sent for me to a hotel near the station. He was
afterwards at the Royal Oak. Huish was with him.
Frail remained two er three days in Derby then.
I never saw Frail at Derby since then. He wrote
to me to meet him subsequently, but I was too ill to
go. I had not seen Morgan, nor ever heard of him, before
the loot election. Heard of his being in ;Derby the night
before the nomination. Radford said to me that night, at
the King's Head, " I told you we meant to win ; we have
got a chap come to do the trick ; he's at the County Tavern.
I wish, you'd see him. This is his card that he sent to Cox's."
[The card was produced, and on it was written, " T. Mor-
gan,:Chestarl Radford said he was unwell, and he wished
me to see Morgan. He described the room in which I
should find him, and said I would not see Morgan un-
less I used his (Radford's) name and produced the card.
Radford said a man named Rice was to bring with
hint some lists that he (Rice) had made at Cox's. That
was the same Rice mentioned in a letter I received from
Frail in 1818. I went to the County Tavern and asked for
a:person in the first room on the left-hand side, and the
landlord asked who sent me. I showed him the card, and
he asked who sent me, and I said Mr. Henry Radford. The
landlord then showed me into the room, and I saw Morgan.
I said to him, " Is this your card, sir ?" and he said " Yes,
but I don't come from Chester, I come from Bhrewhoury."
I asked him if he knew Frail, and be said, " Yes, do you
know Frail ?" and I said, " Yes, I do ; Frail sent me here."
I said, " If Frail sent yau, perhaps you have a letter ?"
He said " I have," and pulled a letter out of his pocket
endgame it to me. [The witness here identified the famous
" W. 8." letter.] As soon as I saw the letter I said, "Why
this is Major Berehord's writing." Morgan said "Yes, it
is; do you know Majer Beresford ?" I said I did, and
asked him if he knew Major Beresferd, aad he replied ho
did very well. At the same tint* I noticed the seal ; it was
the same seal I frequently had from Major Beresford on his
letters—it was the Carlton Club seal. I gave the letter
back to Morgan, and asked him what his plan was. He
said he was to have a room at the back of the house, with
an entrance front the back of the yard. The was to make
it as dark as he could, and voters were to be brought there
to him, and that he would have a sentinel at the door.
He said he had selected a room that would suit
his purpose extremely well. He said he had seen
Radford—that he was a very nice fellow, and had
promised to give him (Morgan) 100 guineas. I then left
and wept to find Rice. I also saw Radford afterwards, and
told him that Morgan told me Frail had sent hint. Radford
said yes, he seemed a smart fellow, add he had promised to
give him 100 guineas and his expenses. Radford wished me
to go to Nottingham to see Hibbert to ask him to come to
Derby. I afterwards found Rice and Simpson. I told Rice
Mr. Radford wished to see him at the King's Head. I told
him Radford wished him to bring some lists of voters with
him that were made out at Cox's. Rice said he had not got
them, that Ackerman, a clerk in Mr. liorsfall's committee-
room, had them. I went to Nottingham neat morning and
found Hibbert in Mr. Walter's commistee.room, and told
him Radford wished him to bring some men • o Derby. It i h-
but said he had promised Simpson (Cox's brother-in•law)
the day or two before, that he would do so, and Simpson said
he (Hibbert) would receive a cheque or post-office order, and
he had received a letter from Huish without any money and
he would not go. I asked to see the letter, telling hint I
would probably expose it. He gave it to me. Hibbert atter-
. wards did Pend some men to Derby. Some of them were
Mr. Walter's messengers at Nottingham. Among them was
a man named Kailoe. I then returned to Derby. 1 hese
men .:id not act as pull clerks, nor in shy of the legitimate
purposes of the election. On the evening of the nomination
day I went to Cox's office, where the wine faults are, to see
Radford. After waiting a good while I saw a man named
Lund, a ea: tle-dealer, come out with Radford. Ho Wes
dressed in a drab suit. I told Radford the men were come
from Nottingham, and were at the King's Head, and that
he bad better order them some refreshments. I saw Lund
go straight from the mark,t-place to the County Ta-
vern. 1 saw which direction he was going, and tv....;..d
quick, and, through a side-door. I got into the room ith
Morgan before Lited arrived. When Lund came auto the
room wo three Put looking at each other for Berne time. with-
out speaking. 1 said to Morgan, " rerhaps you have some:

privet* business with this geuVinian; shall I retire d" X • or- I
Kan en I, " lei, if you p 1 se." I did so, and in about a
minute afar Lund OMR out. I went in mein then to MOI,
van, and asked his who was that gentlemen d Morgan sale,
"He is a friend of Mr. Henry Radford's. I duvet know
.
but he has brought me the neeutul." He then showed
me a big, L'..e n farmer's bag, in which there was money. I
had tallied to II organ about ehang:ng to ante; •r house, for
ante security ; bat he said no, be would do very well when
he was. White I was speaking to his, Rice came, and
brought two small lists of voters. Morgan and I looked over
the lists. One conteinid the names of 2.4 or 26 voters ; the
other whops about 21). Morgan looked at them, and said
they were :wt w wining lists. Before Rice case, Morgan
tool me D. rby was • very eLeap pine., to win. At Shrews-
hury they g ere 311. foe a vote, awl at Derby they only gave
21. or 31.; and Derby was a b -*gaily phase. Rice asked
Morgan fur money for Ruing on with—for going among the
voters. Morgan naked him how much would do, and be
said a sovereigu. and Merano give him a sovereigu. I told
Halved the *on., night Morgan wished for two new reg;s.
ten. Hellen:l sent for them to the committee-room, and
could nut yet thous. He said he would send them by Col-
linson, O. H. Richerdsoc Con's managing clerk. Collinson
took them to the County Tavern, and I toll him which
rosin hr %wild Ond the party in. On the morning of
the Tolling day. I saw Me-gen, about ail o'clock in the
morning, in his bed, room. Morgan told me he
wished p orticularly to have two men sent to him—one
for a sentinel, and one to go as a messenger between him
and the tommittec•room and Mr. Radford. He said
there was to be a signal to the sentinel by the party corn.
tog to ace him (Merger ). The signal was to be by the
party putting; his fors finger to his nose, and saying, " It's
all right, Radford seat me." Morgan also told me to say
to Radford he wanted " woe hursenails." He sold Rad-
ford would know what he meant. I sent the message is
writing up to Radford, who was ill in bed, by his servant
giri, and Le stet word down by her that the " horsenails"
would be sent immedieto ly. An soon as I got sufficient in-
formation to establish the 'iroef of bribery, I took steps to
make it known. I went to find Mr. Strutt's agent. I did
not see him, but I saw Mr. Fes, a meatistrate of Derby. I
then went to the hustings to see Mr. btrutt, but he was so
engaged at the election, I could not see him. I told Mr,
Cox (*different man from any of the Coxes previously
mentioned, and living at Nottingham). I believe he in-
formed Mr. Moss. I ieft it entirely in Cox's bands, telling
Min every circumstance as I nave detailed it to day. After
Morgan was apprehended, Kilos wee found as sentinel at
the door of the room in which Morgan was.
Creas•examined by &deem \Trenchant—My motive for
disclosing the bribery was because I thought it wrong to
carry on stab a wholesale system of eorruptioa on either
side. I have also statist before 1 had been wraged by the
conservative parts ; but it was not the revengeful feeling,
but the virtuous one, th.t operated on my mind in making
those diszlosures. if I could have got sutlieient proof in
1948 of this system, I would have disclosed it. It was net
the feeling of revenge fur my wrong, that was not the
potent motive, it was not the motive ; it was not because of
my anger that I did so. Nothing was held out to me,' no
promise, no undertaking, for making those disclosures. I
polled a plumper fur Horsfaii, because I liked my party. I
did not on the day preceding the election bold myself out to
may of Mr. Horgall's friends that 1 was friendly to his
party, nor did I caution soy of theta as to tricks as the
other aide. (A letter was em into the wiener's band by Mr.
Serjeant Wnusghans, which he said was is his writing. He
could not tell to whom he wrote it, whether to Mr. Forsball
or Mr. Lewis. The letter stated that "peat mischief had
been done the night heist* by the sputa of the opposite
party," and recommending time partieesbeeld be watched,
as they waled be bribing.) I wrote that letter to put Mr.
Fantail on his guard, as the coarenation at the King's
Road the night before was is great part about Horefell's
party baying " lots of money." Montan took me for one
of the Cones. I did not try to undeceive his. I knew
Lund very well, and the reason why I asked Morgan if he
knew Lund was through " natural cariosity," and be-
cause I respected he was engaged in the pet of sorruption.
1 mat a paper to Redford requesting him to =eke a settle-
ment alley deists. I cannot say it that was on the mon-
ism of the polling day-1 think it was the day before. I
aim said anything to Radforso to destroy certain papers,
as his house would be searshe d. But Radford said to me
be believed his house and mine would be searched. I will
not swear I did not say so. 1 did not tell Radford it would
be eardieat for him to destroy my note about the "hone•
nails. '
Ike croeieexaminatiou of this witness, who had been be-
fore the committee all day, bad not concluded when it was
announced, at four o'clock, that the Speaker was at prayers,
and the committee adjourned to this morning.