The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-20 00:00:00

REIGATE.

The inquiry was resumed yesterday, when the exami-
nation of

Job Heath Apted, shoemaker, and paid canvasser for Mr.
Gower, was again proceeded with. He said he paid about
£lOO for refreshments and rooms in 1863, and expended
another £lOO in paying canvassers. It was a very long
election ; unfortunately, they were all long elections at
Reigate. The election of 1859 was the most earnest elec-
tion he ever remembered. About 160 voted for Wilkinson
without being paid anything. One man told him he would
come up and vote without receiving anything if witness
would promise not to tell any one. (A laugh.) In 1858
witness worked for Wilkinson, but received nothing. In
February, 1858, he worked for Rawliuson ; there was a
good dearof bribery and treating going on at that election.
He received no money from Mr. Smith except by check.
The money he received in various sums amounted alto-
gether to £163 108.. including his own fee. He received
two checks of £3O each from Smith in one day, and he took
his fee of £5O from amount.
The Chief Commissioner said that the account stood
thus :—The witness altogether received £163 10s. Id. Of
this sum he paid £3O to Rose; he took £5O for his own fee ;
he paid £5 to his son, and about £24105. he paid to voters ;
making a total of £lO9 10s. How did he account for the
rest ? • •

Witness said he paid £3B to voters, and ho thought the
Commissioner would find it so.
The accounts were again examined, and the total arrived
at was £lll 10s. paid out. The witness then added a num-
ber of incidental expenses and small bills, making a total
of £137 3s. ld. The balance, amounting to about £27, all
wont for refreshments. The smaller checks, amounting to
£15105., he could not account for, nnless they passed through
his hands to other persons.a.nd he neglected to enter them
in his account. It was impossible for him to say how many
out of 473 electors who voted for Mr. Gower received money.
All the money that passed through his hands in 1863 came
through Mr. Smith. It might amount to between £l5O and
£2OO. He then received £3O as his own fee. He then paid
to voters about £67 10s.; for refreshments and other ex-
penses, about £lOO ; to David Pitt,
captain of the battalion
of roughs, £2l 65., for himself and men; personal expenses,
£8 10s. It was pointed out to the witness that thoso sums
amounted to £227, when he remarked that he might have
had as much as £240. He paid about 20 men £3 each. (List
of names produced.) In 1859 he was Mr. Wilkinson's agent,
but received nothing for his own services. The sum that
then passed through his hands was £57 10s. He did not
believe that a single voter out of the 161 who voted for
Wilkinson was paid. In 1858 he received from £l5 to £2O
to pay for refreshments. Ho then worked for Mr. Rawlin-
son. He felt inclined to act for Mr. Doulton, and took the
chair at the first meeting; but Doulton told him thatt they
were sure to win, and meant to buy the borough; they had
money and meant to use it. He then seceded from Mr.
Doulton. Ho considered that this was an impudent thing
on the part of Mr. Doulton either to do or to say; no money
would buy his vote, and ho thought that the borough was
as pure as himself. (Laughter.) He told Mr. Doulton that
if that was his game he would have nothing to do with him.
(A laugh;) A great many strangers had since come to live
in the borough, and he could not answer for them. He was
still of opinion that it was an impudent thing in Mr. Doul-
ton to say at that time that he meant to buy the borough,
and he
same
impudent for anyone to say.
the
laugh.)
He thought so, notwith-
standing the payment to all these men at the last election.
a should
thing thinke e
now.
it equally
That was no bribery. He did not consider a man impure
because he was on the list of those who were to be paidfor
their work.
Mr. Sergeant O'Brien wished to know whether the- wit-
made yesterday, that Mr.
reassnast witnesshe
sanvassers and messengers,
and were being paid for their services ?
on the day of polling
the-wit-
ness
thateos Gower
evardo
whthearrese de
as well
etehl
Witness replied that it was by no means his wish to im-
plicate Mr. Gower in any way, but that gentleman did com-
mit one error, and it could not now bo helped. Instead of
employed wt
atstatement
a
coming to his agents and telling them
cautiously to " put
on" a few voters, Mr. Gowerincautiously and injudiciously
stated before a meeting held in that hall that those who
worked for him should be paid for their services. The re-
sult was that next day between 40 and 50 men came to wit-
ness to say that they had done such and such work for Mr.
Gower. The agents for Mr. Gower heard that the Monson
party were coming among their voters and buying them
up. A deputation then went to Mr. Go iver and represented
the facts to him. He replied that he would consider the
matter, but he did not quite see his way clear. It was un-
true that a meeting at the Black Horse the night before the
election witness told them they must be more cautious
when the writ came down. What he told them was that
he did not wish to interfere with their enjoyments, but
they were quite against the instructions that no meetings
were to be held in publichouses, and he hoped they would
not do it again, especially as the writ was coming nown.
Mr. Mulley (recalled) said ho had received £42 alto-
gether, and paid more than that sum away.
John Andrews (recalled) said lie sent in a bill for £l3 lOs
for five weeks' canvassing and posting bills, but did not
receive it, and did not apply for it afterwards. When he
was put
on to work he was told he should be paid for his
services, but no sum was mentioned. Ho received nothing
beyond the £1 for the services rendered by his boy. (This
witness had led the commissioners to believe that he had
made no claim for anything.)
James Mills, gardener, a Gower voter, received 30s. after
the election from Job Apted. Also received 7s. 6d. from G.
Pullen for watching one night and a half.
David Howson, gardener, voted for Mr. Gower in 1863,
and received 30th for ono week's work, jle did not Tote at