The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-09 00:00:00

VIE LONDON, 'WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 9, 1961

PARLIAMEA TARP COMMITTEE.

GREAT GRIMSBY ELECTION.

The committee re-assembled yesterday—Mr. E.
Egerton in the chair.
John Johnson, bricklayer, recalled by Sir F. Slade,
said the paper produced was a copy of the letter he
sent to his wife while he was in London. In the
letter, which was dated 2d March, 1862, he said she
was to tell his friends that he had said nothing
about the money. (On Monday he swore that his
wife gave him five sovereigns, but on being ealled
she flatly contradicted him, and said she never re-
ceived any money whatever during the election.)
The writer place, and
hTehadnevearlssocesnaladnyLtholdgonlikweasit,aafinndethat he was
living at a first-rate house. He requested his wife
to address her letters to him at the Bath Hotel,
Arlington-street, Piccadilly.
By Sir F. Slade—When he requested his wife to
tell his friends that he had said nothing about the
money, he alluded to the £5.

By Mr. Phinn—l took the money out of the
writing-desk. It came to my wife through Fanny
King.

By Sir F. Slade—The night before tho election
Thomas Newby said he would give me £5, but not
through his own hands, as it would come in a dif-
ferent direction. When I went home I said to my
wife, " Have you got a£s note ?" She said, " Yes ;
it is in the writing desk." I have never seen my
wife since I came to London. lam still divorced
from her. (Laughter.) My wife did not say to me
in the lobby yesterday, " Sohn, if you go in there
and perjure yourself I will come in and contradict
you." I never saw my wife nor spoke to her. I
was not guarded by six policemen in the lobby, but
I saw some around me. You know I was valuable.
(Laughter,) Fanny King had told me before the
election that she had seen a gentleman who had
promised to give me £5, and I founded my opinion
that my wife had got the money upon that circum-
stance.

Charles Ridlington, son of John Ridlington, who
keeps an eating-house in the Market-place at
Grimsby, said that on the election day he recol-
lected a stranger coming to the house—a stout man,
about 40, dressed in black. He was in the habit
of taking cards, and having figures written on
them, from the stranger to Mr. Gamble, at Chap-
man's committee-rooms. Oyster George and many
other persons came to see the stranger.
Cross-examined—He did not see a bag of gold in
the room where the stranger was. Could not say
whether the figures on the cards represented money.
His father voted blue, the Liberal colour.
Wm. Emerson, a voter, said that on the election
day, as he was going to the polling both, Dr. Hol-
land came up and said, " Come with me and vote
for Chapman." He replied that he had promised
Heneage, and he would keep his promise. Dr. Hol-
land then crossed over the road and spoke to a
stranger—a stout, full-faced man with grey whis-
kers, about 40, wearing a military cape. Did not
recollect ever seeing him before. Several persons
during the election asked who he was, but nobody
could tell. In five minutes the stranger came to
him and said, " Emerson, have you voted ?" He
answered that he he,d not, The stranger said,
" Will £2O be of any use to you ?" Witness said,
"No, nor £3O either. I have promised Heneage,
and I will vote for him." Saw Dr. Holland very
busy assisting getting voters to the poll. He
handed them up to the polling booth.
Cross-examined—Had always voted "blue." Was
an uncertificated bankrupt. Was a nephew of John
Barker, the petitioner. Winteringham opposed
him in the Bankruptcy Court, but he withdrew his
opposition before the election.

John M'Gregor, the landlord of the Wine Pipe,
at Grimsby, said that about a fortnight before the
election Thomas Newby told him that he would
give him £5 if he would vote for Chapman. He
replied that £5 would be of no use to him, nor
would £5O. Newby said that he would give him
£5 for each vote he could get, and all his expenses.
Witness said he would do what he could for him.
Afterwards witness offered £5 each to Peter Daw-
son, J. C. Parker, and Samuel Parker, but they
refused it. Saw Newby at the Fountain on the
polling day. He asked him if it was all right. Wit-
ness said " Yes." He then asked him if he had
polled. Witness said " No." He replied, "If
you vote for Chapman, we are still prepared to
give you £5.
Cross-examined—The Wine Pipe was Dann's
house. Dann was a supporter of Mr. Heneage.
Witness did not sell his vote, but offered to buy
other votes at a head for Chapman, but did not
succeed. Kept stanch to Heneage. No amount
would have bought him over to the other side.
(Laughter.) Only expected to get paid for his
expenses in procuring votes. There were two or
three ways of asking for votes. He might have
first treated the voters, which he did.

You, a Heneage man, endeavoured to get votes
for Chapman.

Witness—Yes.
Did you wish to catch the " reds" oat ?
Witness—l won't tell you.
The Chairman—You must answer the question.
The witness hesitated.
Sir F. Slade—Make a clean breast of it.
Witness—l don't know that I can.

Mr. Longfield—Did you wish to detect the bri-
bery which was suspected to be going on on the
other side ?

Witness—To tell you the truth, I did.
Mr. Liddell—Then you acted the part of a spy ?
Witness—l don't know. (Laughter.)

By the Committee—Distributed beer at his house
to Chapman's voters. The bill amounted to £6
odd. He asked Mr. Daubcny for the money, but
he refused to pay it. Afterwards he went to Win-
teringham and told him about the bribery.
J. C. Parker said M'Gregor offered him £5 to
vote for Chapman, and said he would give his
brother the same. Bromley also offered him £5.
He was proof against both offers.
William Sleight, fisherman, of Cleethorpes, who
had promised his vote to Heneage, said that Thos.
Sawnby on the polling-day said he would give him
£5 for a bag of cockles if he would vote for Chap-
man. He replied that he would vote for Chapman,
and he did so. A bag of cockles was worth 3s. or
4s. Never got the £5, and had never been paid
for his cockles. (Laughter.)
William Robinson said he was employed to bring
a witness, named Dockaday, from Grimsby to
London. On arriving at King's-cross station Josee,
N6viby, and Ackrill, who were waiting there, took
Dockaday from him,put him into a cab and drove off.
(Laughter.) He had never set eyes on him since.
By the Committee—Dockaday did not scream or
struggle. (Laughter.)

Cross examined—He had Dockaday in custody,
and he watched him closely all the way to London.
He slipped away at the first opportunity. He would
not have got away but for the assistance of the
others who put him in the cab, (Laughter.)

Cornelius Jenny, a gasfitter, said that George
Skelton asked him to vote for Chapman. He replied
that ho had promised to vote for Heneage. Skelton
said " Scripture teaches us that a bad promise is
better broken than kept." (Laughter.) Skelton
also said "If you wont vote for Chapman will you
be out of the way ?" Witness replied "No ;it will
be such a disgrace." Skelton said "We will hand-
somely reward you if you will go out of town."
Witness asked how. Skelton said "£4 or £5." I
will not give it you myself, but I'll get it for you."
Witness said " I could not think of doing anything
of the sort."

Jane Jenny, the wife of the last witness, corro-
borated a portion of her husband's evidence.
John Jenny, the father, said he had been for many
years a night porter at the Grimsby station of the
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire line. He
was not a voter himself, but his son was. Mr.
Skelton and Mr. Reed tried to induce him to get
his son to vote for Chapman. He said he could not
interfere with his son, who stood on his own bottom.
) Afterwards three hours extra duty
wareL (Laughter.) ug ht c r.
imposed upon him, and rather than submit to
it he left tilt) company's service.
This concluded the evidence for the petitioners.
The committee then adjourned. Sir F. Slade will
address the committee to-day on behalf of Mr.
Chapman, the sitting member.

THE INDIAN TARIFF.

. Last evening a public meeting was held at the
Corn Exchange, Manchester, the IV ayor in the chair,
to reecive tha report of the deputation to Lord Pal-
merston and Sir Charles Wood, appointed at a for-
mer meeting, and to originate petitions from every
cotton mill in the country. Mr. S. Giles, the hon.
secretary, read the report detailing the proceedings
of the deputation which waited upon Lord Palmer-
ston and Sir C. Wood, ample reports of which have
already been published.
The following was then proposed as the draught
of a petition to be circulated through the various
cotton mills for signature:—
" To THE HON. VIE COMMONS OF GREAT BRITAIN
AND IRELAND IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED.

" The humble petition of operatives working at
mill, and of others interested in the Indian
tariff on cotton goods and yarns, showetb,—
" That your petitioners are mainly or wholly de-
pendent for their support on the prosperity of the
great staple industry of this country—viz., the cot-
ton trade, which has been so greatly benefited and
largely increased by the revisions of our tariff, and
by those free trade measures which the British
Parliament in its wisdom has passed.
" That the beneficial operation of these measures
has, however, been greatly frustrated in consequence
of many of the dependencies of the British Crown
having, during the last few years, largely increased
their tariff on cotton goods and yarns, thereby fet-
tering our industry, limiting our exports, and pre-
venting that increased consumption of cotton goods
and yarns which the large increase of the wealth
and population of these dependencies might reason-
ably have led your petitioners to expect. None of
these colonial tariffs has, however, so excited the
surprise and indignation of your petitioners ; nor is
there one that has proved so injurious to the opera-
tives and others interested in the cotton trade as the
Indian tariff, which, while it violates the principles
of free trade by protecting and fostering the manu-
factures of India, has, during the short period it has
existed—viz., since April, 1859, increased the num-
ber of looms and spindles actually working or pro-
jected in India tenfold, thus diminishing the demand
for your petitioners' labour, and keeping back a
large quantity of cotton from coming to this coun-
try, the scarcity of which is causing such wide-
spread ruin.

" That your petitimiers ars of opinion that the
climate, soil, and inhabitants of India are much
better adapted for agriculture than for manufac-
tures; and that if the Government would encourage
the cultivation of the soil by promoting irrigation
and the construction of canals, bridges, roads, &c.,
they would exhibit a much more enlightened policy
than by unwisely and unnaturally stimulating the
erection of cotton mills in India,
,to the serious in-
jury of the master manufacturers and the operatives
of this country.

" That your petitioners now regard these very
inj arious duties as wholly unnecessary for the pur-
pose of revenue in India, as it is clear from official
returns that the state of the Indian finances has
greatly improved ; and this improvement may be
much increased by the Government vigorously car-
rying out the policy happily begun, by honestly
cutting down sinecures and the expenses of the
civil service, and by an immediate and large reduc-
tion of the number of native and British troops in
India.

" That your petitioners consider it highly incon-
sistent that the present Government, which is pro-
fessedly a Liberal and free trade one, should have
allowed the late Mr. James Wilson to impose, and
the Government of India so long to have continued,
this unjust tax. They were, however, glad to learn
from Sir Charles Wood's reply to the late deputa-
tion that he had been a Freetrader all his life, and
could assure them that it was put on for revenue
only, and not for protection ;' but, at the same
time, your petitioners cannot refrain from express-
ing their surprise that, if levied for revenue only,
a similar tax was not laid on the productions of
the Indian cotton mills; and however unintention-
ally, the Indian Government have instituted a most
injurious protection in favour of Indian manufac-
turers and spinners.
" That your petitioners understand that in the
Indian mill the natives and other workpeople are
compelled to work on Sundays—that is, seven days
a-week ; and most of the agreements with skilled
artisans who are engaged in this country to go to
India have a clause inserted in them that they
shall, if required, work on Sundays and weekdays ;
thus a tyranny and slavery of the very worst kind
exists, and the workpeople are thus deprived of the
means of living on the other six days of the
week, if they will not violate the holy day of rest,
so indispensably necessary for man and beast ; and
your petitioners respectfully submit that in vain
will Christian philanthropists and religious Boole-
ties send out missionaries to advocate the religious
observance of the Sabbath day when it is openly
violated in consequence of the false steps taken by
the Indian Government.

" That your petitioners lastly would impress on
your honourable house that no mere modification of
these unjust and injurious duties will satisfy them,
inasmuch as they will regard any such modification
as simply a modified injustice. Wherefore your
petitioners humbly entz eat your honourable House
to adopt measures for the entire and immediate re-
peal of the duties of ten per cent. on cotton goods,
and of five per cent. on cotton yarns, now levied
under the Indian tariff, and your petitioners, as in
duty bound, will ever pray," &c.
The petition was under consideration when our
report left, the meeting not being concluded.

ATIEMP TBD ESCAPE FROM READIN.(:;

JAIL.

A little excitement has been created in Leading
by the report of a daring, but unsuccessful attempt
to escape from the county gaol. About a fortnight
ago, a stylishly dressed fellow was apprehended on
the charge of having passed two counterfeit Bank
of England notes to tradesmen of the town, to
whom he had given orders for new clothing and
boots. In neither case had the tradesmen parted
with the possession of the goods, for although ho
had paid them with the counterfeit notes, ho
directed the parcels to be sent to the Great
Western Hotel, where he alleged he had taken
up his quarters. It was soon discovered that
ho had cheated the tradesmen, and when in-
formation was given to the police, he was sought
after, and in the evening found near a public house.
Seeing a policeman approaching, he ran off in the
direction of the railway station, but was eagerly
pursued by the police-officer. The cry of " Stop
thief" caused others to join in the pursuit, and when
getting near the South-Eastern Railway station,
the noise attracted the attention of a porter named
Horwood. The continued cries led him to look
out, and seeing a man running, he stepped out from
the doorway of the station, and made an attempt to
stop the fellow, whose name is Jackson. The latter,
seeing the probability of a capture, became despe-
rate, and with a life-preserver which he carried in
his hand, he struck Horwood a fearful blow on the
side of the head, and felled him to the ground. The
noise was so great that other railway officers were
quickly at the spot, and seeing Jackson they at once
stopped to ascertain the cause for which he was
wanted. The porter Horwood was found ,to be
seriously injured, and for several days his life was
despaired of. Jackson'was afterwards removed to
the station, and after an examination, two days
from that time, he was committed to the county
gaol for trial at the summer assizes. His attempted
escape from the gaol was characterized by great
dexterity and ingenuity. It appears that to the
hammocks upon which the prisoners sleep are at-
tached hooks, to place into pins in the walls of the
cells. He had ripped one of those off and bent it
into a semi-circular shape, in order that by throw-
ing it on to the top of the wall it might fasten there.
The sheets with which he was supplied he tore into
strips, and at the end he fastened the hook. In order
to have accomplished this task he must have been
engaged nearly the whole of a night, but he carried
on his work so quietly that he was not heard by
the warder on watch, although he several times
passed the cell. After attending chapel in the
morning he was taken out for an airing into the
yard with the other prisoners, having twisted the
long rope which he made with the sheets around his
body. At the usual time the bell rang for the priso-
ners to be taken into the gaol from the airing yards,
and by some extraordinary means he managed to get
over the iron rails of the airing yard, of the height of
seven feet, and he ran to the boundary wall of the
gaol. As quick as lightning he threw up his rope
to the top of the wall, and the hook having made a
secure fastening, he ran up like a cat,and had nearly
reached the top, when he was espied by a warder
at a distant part of the prison grounds. He ran at
once and gave an alarm to the governor and deputy-
governor, who were quickly on the spot, and pre-
vented the fellow effectually escaping. Jackson fell
down exhausted, and was removed to his cell. If
he had not been observed just at that moment,there
is little doubt he would have scaled the wall, and,
as he would have alighted on the side of the Abbey
ruins, it is probable he would have been unobserved,
and got clear off. On examining the rope, it was
discovered that he had fastened in a wooden spoon
to form a kind of step upon which to rest his foot,
but this appears to have given way, and thus he
lost the support upon which he reckoned. He was
closely searched on being taken back to the gaol,
and there was discovered upon him an iron hook,
which he had taken out of the cell in the Borough
Bridewell, where he was confined on being first
captured ; and this he had used to enable him to
carry out his escape. He has since professed to be
deeply penitent at what he has done, and with the
utmost sang froid has told some of the officers that
if the gaol gates were thrown open to him he would
not run away, for he would prefer undergoing the
punishment due to the crime with which he stands
charged. Jackson is about 32 or 33 years of age,
and is suspected to belong to a gang of London
sharpers.