The Express.
London, England, 1853-06-23 00:00:00

PLYMOUTH.

When this committee met yesterday morning,
Mr. Alexander a iid he could go on almost to any extent
in bringing forward evidence such as had already been
given, as to obtaining situations in consideration of votes,
bat be thought it unnece,sary to trouble the committee tor-
thee on that head, and lie would now beg their attention to
some evidence as to the general expenditure of the candi-
dates at the election. He then called

Mr. J. Radford, who said he was bookkeeper in the bank
of Messrs. Harris and Cu., Plymouth. Mr. W. A. Hunt, Bo-
licitor, kept an account at the hank. The witness produced
certain huge fuiio volumes, railed the bank books, and, at the
request of counsel, referred to them to prove the entry of
certain sums of money advanced at various times during the
election to different persons. These stuns were marked in
the bank ledgers, " Mr. Mare's election." They termed
part of Mr. Hunt's bank account. The first item was the
entry of • cheque for 1521. 19s. 2d. in favour of Mr. Braith-
waite. Then there was a cheque to Mr Mennil for 6001.,
again 50/. to • Mr. Marshall (August II), and (August 16)
an entry of " paid self—meaning Mr. Ilunt-6601.' There
were also entries of different sums paid to a person named
Eastlake, a clerk in the bank, and the amount altogether of
those entries was, in round numbers, 1,980/. The witness
said Mr. Hunt hed banked at the house for at least 20
years. The London correspondents of the bank were Lub-
bock and Co. Those cheques were charged to Mr. Hunt's
general account, but marked as already stated, " Mr.
Mare's election." The witness then produced a written
statement of the amount of Mr. Hunt's credit for the same
period-10th April, 1832, to 10th April, 1833—paid into
the hank by cheques from Mr. Mare. Those sums
ap-
pcere to be, on May 3, 1832, 141. 2s. Bd. ; July 14, 6001. ;
IJuly 21, 5851. ; this last sum being a cheque drawn by Mr.
W. West.
Mr. A. 11. Clark, a clerk in the bank of Messrs. Spooner,
Attwood, and Co., London, was next called, and produced
some equally ponderous volumes from that establishment.
Ile said Mr. Mare had banked at their house for some time.
There were entries in the books in favour of Mr. Hunt (in
Mr. Mare's account), amounting in the aggregate to
1,8611. Os. Od. There were also entries in Mr. Mare's ac-
count of money paid to Mr. Churchward. The first item
was 21st July, 1842,141. ss. ; November 16, 500/. ; Febru-
ary 14, 1853, 2001.; March 8, 2.501.; April 23, 3001.; and
June 21 (lest Tuesday), 3001.; making an aggregate of
1,6611. os.
Mr. J. Shinn, a clerk to the Commercial Banking Com-
pany, London, said Mr. Churchward had an account at that
beak. He found, on referring to the hooks, an entry of cash
paid to Mr. Church ward's amount 141. os. (the only sum
paid before the election), and various other sums—the result
of the whole being (said Mr. Alexander) that there was paid
1,564/. Os. to Mr. Churchward'a credit by Mr. Mare, and
1,8611.05. 9J. to Mr. Hunt's credit, also paid by Mr. Mare.
Mr. J. G. Churchward was then called, and stated that
he went down to the election at Plymouth last year to asstst
Mr. Mare. The place where the election business was
carried on was the Royal Hotel. Mr. Mennie, Lieutenant
Sumpter, Mr. Edwards (examined on Tuesday), Mr. Jen-
kM Thomas, Mr. Braithwaite, and others, took an active
part on behalf of Mr. Mare. Mr. Triscott was alas fre-
quently a' the committee room. Witness first went down
to Plymouth (to assist in Mr. Mare's eh ction) about the
6th of Apel, 1852. lie used to remain three or fur days
at a time, and then come up to London. Ile is connected
with the Morning Herald, and also with the Plymouth Mail,
which latter he mauages, and it his property. He had
been previously acquainted with Plymouth, and had re-
sided there. The witness was then examined, at
considerable length, with respect to certain persons
whom the previous witnesses had spoken to as
having got appointments in the royal dockyard at
Plymouth, and in Mr. Mare's dockyard at Blackwell,
through hut influence. He said he wrote to the Admiralty
to procure an appointment for a young man named Clement
Hearne, whose father was a voter. Ile wrote on that occa-
sion to Mr. Grant, private secretary to Mr. Stafford, late
Secretary to the Admiralty. He bad known Mr. Grant for
many years, when he was private secretary to Admiral Dun-
das. That letter was on the subject of voters and the friends
of voters, and on election matters generally throughout
England. When he returned to town, he had interviews
every day with Mr. Grant, and had been in the habit of
seeing him every day for the last four or five years. That
was chit fly with regard to his (witness's) duties as to the
naval department of the Morning Henald. He considered
he was bound to use his interest to get situations for men
of good character who had promised to vote for Mr. Mare.
He was a little ambitious to procure a share of the
appointments for Plymouth dockyard, es hitherto they
had been confined to Devonport, end he wished to
break through that exclusion. His endeavours ins this
direction were not all confined to political partisans; for in
one or two casts he thinks he endeavoured to procure ap-
pointments for pencils totally irrespective of their votes.
' He never tr-uhled Mr. Mare at all with those circum-
' stances. Mr. Mare constantly referred applicants, voters,
and friends of vote's, to him, telling them that " Church-
ward knew more of Admiralty marten than he did." Ile
thinks it was pretty generally known there that Its'
had some little influence at Plymouth ; as connected with
the Morning Herald, at least. Ile interested himself for
various parties, and sent their names up to the Admiralty
and their lordships, did him the honour to considw
his applications frequently. During his election.
Mr. Mare repudiated any connexion with the go-
vernment, though at that very time he (witness)
was in communication with the Admiralty. What Its
means is, that Mr. Mare repudiated being called a go-
vernment man. He (witness) was very moderate in his
demands upon the government; it was a fight between him
and Devonport. He entered the names of every person who
applied to him for situations, but he has destroyed that do-
cument. It was after the petition against the return for
I'lymouth was presented that he destroyed it, and several
other papers. He should suppose he had 600 or 700 names
dewn on that list, and should think they were all in Mr.
Mare's in . He remembers a person named Thomas
Ledstone coming to him fora situation. Ledstone had been
recommended to him by Mr. J. Thomas. He gave Led-
stone a recommendation to Blackwell, and he got employ-
ment. Thinks he made 38 or 40 applications for situations
at the dockyard at Plymouth during the election. Does
not think he got more than 23 of those applications com-
plied with, but Commodore Seymour would know better
the exact number. Thinks he never wrote to Mr. Grant

except to make an application for some one. He fre-
quently wrote to Mr. Grant far four or five in a batch,
and he " tried to keep him up to it." Thinks he got about
six people into Mr. Mars's employment during the elec-
tion. Thinks he got about 20 altogether, before and since
the election, into Mr. Mare's employment. He does not
know of any corrupt practices on either side having taken
place during the Plymouth election. He had made payments
of money on Mr. Mare's part during the election, but that
had nothing whatever to do with the election. Before the
election he received from Mr. Mare 141.,which be disbursed
in chaxity. There was • large bill run up at the Royal
Hotel, which Mr. Mare paid. Mr. Mare may have given
him a cheque at one time to pay part of this bill. He
(witness) checked the hotel bill. It was Mr. Hunt, Mr.
Mare's legal agent, that managed all Mr. Mare's money
matters during the election. Mr. Mare has not stated to
him the amount of his expenses at Plymouth. He does not
know the amount of those expenses within 1,0001. or 2,0001.
He has seen Mr. Hunt's bill against Mr. Mare, which he
thinks was about 1,800/.
By the Marquis of Chaados.—lt has always been the
practice of government to distribute places in the yard at
election times. In the majority of cases he believes the
appointments to the dockyards are made from political
motives.
Mr. Draine was nest called, and said he was one of the
candidatet at the last election, and he never obtained situ
ations for guy one before or since the election, nor pro-
mised to do se ; nor did any of his agents promise to d's so
Is quite certain he made no promise of the sort to a per-
son named Henkey, nor promised to obtain any place for
him. A great number of voters applied to him during his
canvass for situations for themselves or their friends, but
he invariably told three persons he would not entertain
any such application.
The committee then adjourned to this morning.