The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-07 00:00:00

TATTERSALL S'-( THIS EVENING.)

CESAREWITCH.
12 to 1 agst Prioress (taken)
12 to 1 agst Roman Candle (taken)
14 to 1 agst Malacca (taken)
20 to 1 agst Underhand (taken)
20 to 1 agst Happy Land (taken)
25 to 1 agst English Rose (taken)
30 to 1 agst Julia (taken)
500 even on Julia agst English Rose (taken)
CAMBRIDGESHIRE.
50 to 1 agst Julia (taken)
1000 to 10 agst Beadsman (taken)
Ethiopian is struck out of the Cesarewitch and Cam-
bridgeshire.
The French Cesarewitch was won on Sunday by Zouave,
beating fourteen others.

THE DEFALCATIONS AT WEEDON.

INQUIRY THIS DAY.

The Royal Commissioners—Mr. Selfe, Mr. Aspinwall
Turner, and Colonel French—resumed their -inquiry, in
No. 11 committee-room of the House of Commons, this day.

The first witness examined this morning was

Mr. H. G. Hayter. He said—l am a partner hi the
house of Hayter and Howell, Mark-lane, army contractors
and packers, since 1753. At that time we packed all the
clothing for the army. We have been employed from that
time till the change in the Mifitary arrangements was made
by Mr. Sidney Herbert, and from then down to the present.
The charge for packing includes all the charges we are
allowed.

By-Mr. Turner—We include other items of expense in
he charge for packing.

By Mr. Selfe—Our charges for packing are about the same
under the new system as they were under the colonel's
time. I hand in a table of the sums received from Govern-
ment for packing, and disbursements for last two years.
During that time we have received £12,500.
By Col. French—The packing charges formerly were
paid by the agents of the colonels. Our average charge for
packing for the year is covered by the sum of £5,000. Our
average charge for packing for Indian and Mediteranean
regiments would be £34 10s. each regiment.

By Mr. Selfe—l have never heard any complaints of bad
packing. All the clothing that has been packed by us to
go abroad was properly packed in tarpaulins. Some great
coats were packed without tarpaulins, because the Govern-
ment practice was to do so. The great-coats were to go to
Australia.
By Mr. Turner—l think that bales destined for long
voyages ought to be packed in tarpaulins, as a protection
against bad weather ; but the reason why it is not done
rests with the Government not with us. Our books are
carefully made up, and will be of use in checking the Go-
vernment books, supposing they have been improperly
kept. Some doubts have been expressed that our pre-
mises are inadequate for a proper inspection of Go-
vernment goods, but I have to say that we have
space for double the Government business we now
transact. When the commissioners inspected our premises
the lower floors were more than usually crowded. For six
months out of the year they are generally empty. There is as
much difficulty in getting goods for the army in India up
the country, as there is getting cotton down. It generally
take six months to get the clothing to some of the regi-
ments in the interior of India. We received a notice from
the late Secretary for War that our services would be dim-
discontinued, but the present secretary has intimated that
the subject would be reconsidered.
Mr. Bishop, a partner in the house of Hibbert and Co.,
was next examined. He said--I adhere to the evidence I
gave before the army contract committee. It was said that
in my evidence a direct charge of bribery was made against
some parties at Weedon, but on looking over the evidence
I don't think that assertion an be borne out. In that
evidence I merely stated " I thought" evidence of un-
due preference might be got from two of the in-
spectors at ,Weedon, named Mallett and Hebsen. I
have since seen ' the explanations given why the
tender of Messrs. Isaacs was accepted for some red cloth,
and I don't think anythittg prejudicial to any other parties
in the trade was done.

Mr, Selfe—ln answer to a question put to you in the
Parliamentary Committee, No. 5,653—" Do you believe
there is ground for believing that bribery existed in
Weedon ?"—you answered that you believed that there
was good ground for that belief. Do you adhere to that
belief ?

VV
Witness—At the time I was shown some papers and
documents, which I thought justified me in making that
assertion. I applied to the party to give me the documents
to lay before Lord Panmure, when I was told that I had
been shown private documents in perfect confidence, and
that I ought not to have madq it public. I can't say what
the object of the party could be in showing me the docu-
ments.
Mr. Selfe—What is the name of the party ?
Witness—l cannot say. lam precluded from giving the
name.
Mr. Turner—The Commission is in. a difficulty. Our
object is to trace out any bribery or corruption that exists
at Weedon. The public are under the impression that gross '
corruption exists at Weedon, and how far that impression
has been caused by any evidence I don't know. I think
you ought not to withhold the name of the party who gave
you the information, but on the contrary you ought to tell
the Commissioners all you know about it. You ought not
to withhold the name of your informant.
Witness—l wish I could, but, as I said before, lam pre-
cluded from giving the name.
Mr. Selfe—On the ground of fair play you ought to give
the commissioners the information they require. It is not
because parties are officials that they should not have jus-
tice. I think it is the duty of parties making such a charge
to come forward and prove it. There have been vague
rumours of bribery at Weedon, but the moment investiga-
tion begins they vanish ; and, in my opinion, during the
whole of this inquiry, we have not had a tittle of evidence
to prove those rumours well founded. Parties until proved
guilty must be considered innocent, and, in my opinion, up
to the present moment the charge of briberrexiating-at
Weedon is false and frivolous.
Several other questions having been answered by Mr.
Bishop, and two or three other gentlemen having been exa-
mined, the commissioners adjourned until to-morrow.