The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-05 00:00:00

PRESTON.

This election committee met for the first time
yesterday morning, Mr. Phillips in the chair. The
other members of the committee were Mr. Byng,
Colonel Wynne, Mr. Davey, and Mr. Abel Smith.
Counsel for the petition, Mr. Knowles, Q.C., and
Mr. Johnson ; and for the sitting member, Mr.
Phinn, Q.C., Mr. Sergeant Pigott, and Mr. Barry.
The petition alleged hribery, treating, and undue
influence, and prayed that the election might be
declared void.

The formal proof of the return of the writ hay-
ing been put in,
Mr. Knowles opened the case of the petitioners,
observing that the class of people chiefly bribed
were the old franchise men of Preston, and the
bribery consisted in the improper employment of
those men as canvassers, on condition of their
voting for Mr. Grenfell. He should also prove
treating.
John Leach, a tailor, of Preston, was first called,
and deposed that he was engaged at the last elec-
tion as secretary to the Trinity Ward Committee of
which a Mr. Ambler was the chairman and Mr. S.
Smith the secretary. He had seen Ambler and a
person named Riding (an alleged agent) at the
Three Tuns publichouse, which was one of Mr.
Grenfell's committee-rooms. On the morning of
the election Ambler gave witness a sovereign to
give to a voter named Quayle. On Taesd ay, after
the election, he was at the Three Tuns, and Ambler
was there with a bag of money. Witness called
out the names of the voters employed as canvassers
and as they were called out they came into the
room and were paid £l. In two cases he saw the
money paid himself. He himself received £2 10s.
for his services, which he did not consider sufficient.
In cross-examination he stated that it bad been
customary to employ a krge number of canvassers,
at Preston, and he believed it was a very common
thing for them to get drunk at elections.
(Laughter.) He denied that he had said he would
pay Ambler out unless he settled his claim. He said
he could do so, and he probably might have said it
with a mysterious nod of the head. (Laughter.)
He mentioned it to a few old friends. It was
false to say that he had been guilty of tampering
with a pawn-ticket, but he acknowledged that he
had been spoken of as a clever electioneering agent,
and had spoiled the voting papers of a candidate at
the election for guardians, in consequence of which
another person was elected. (Laughter.)
Thomas Taylor, an old franchise man, and a shoe-
maker of Preston, stated that Lawrenson (an
alleged agent of Mr. Grenfell) took him on the
day of the election to Lund's beerhouse. He had
been to Riding's house in the morning to see if he
could get any money for the election. When at
the Odd Fellows' Arms, Farnwerth gave Lawren-
son eight half-crowns, which the latter gave him,
saying he should have 10s. more when he had
voted. He then went and plumped for Grenfell,
but got so drunk afterwards that he did not go for
the 10s., and never had it since.
James Barton, a factory operative, deposed that
he was present when the transaction referred to by
the last witness took place, and saw Lawrenson
gig e the money to Taylor. He went to the Odd
Fellows' Arms because there was something to eat
and drink stirring. (Laughter.)
David Shaw, a machine maker, stated that he
was an old franchise man, and voted at the last
election for Grenfell—a plumper. He received
£1 15s. for voting. That was because he was put
down as a canvasser. He had come there to tell
the truth, and not lies. He did not know who gave
him the money. (After- some recollection.) The
money was paid him by Mr. Constantine.
Mr. Phinn—Have you had a drop of drink 'W-
ilily ?
Witness—Well, I have tasted; but what odds is
that to you ? I've had a cup of coffee and some-
thing good in it, but not good enough, for I wanted
a sup 'of whisky, but they would not let me have it.
(Laughter.) I'll pay for some for you, if you like.
I'm lively now, but not so lively as when I've had
a drop more. You should see me then. (Laughter.)
I've had a gill of porter and two penn'orth of
whisky, nowt else, I swear ; and I tell you I'm a
Lancashire lad, and have got my clogs on.
, (Laughter.)
Thomas Smith, a loomer, stated that he was an
old franchise man for Preston. He remembered the
last election and going to Mr. Grenfell's committee-
room. Some days before the election he saw
' Hollings, Ludell, and Bradley (alleged agents of
Mr. Grenfell) there. He went there more than
once. On the second time he went there one of
, them gave him 25., and said, " You must get some
subsistence." He got the money for canvassing.
He went to the committee-room again, and got ls. ;
then he vt ent to his work till night, and at night
he canvassed. The men canvassed one another,
' there's no way else but that. Some of the can-
vassers canvassed him, and he canvassed others,

When they were altogether they were in the com-
mittee-room. He polled for Grenfell and Cross.
Some other witnesses were then examined, but
their evidence was precisely to the same effect, and
the committee djourßed.

BRIGHTON _RA( ES.—(This Day.)

Fadladeen
Montebello
Abron

[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.]

£lOO PLATE

CLARET STAKES.

Theodora--
Cock-a-Hoop.

Six ran.
CLUB PLATE

Enfield
Katrine

Five ran.

LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN

RAIL WAY.'

The ordinary half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of
this company was held yesterday, at the Waterloo station,
at two o'clock.

The chair was occupied by Capt. Mangles.
The report, which has already appeared in The Sun
having been taken as read,

The CHAIRMAN said if the circumstances and position of
the company had not altered within the last few days, he
should have felt it his duty to have occupied the time of
the proprietors for a much longer period than was now
necessary. (Hear) The change to which he alluded of
course related to the differences which had existed between
this company and the Brighton—(hear, hear)—but he was
happy to say that in the course of a few days terms of peace
would be signed. (Hear.) The directors had great plea-
sure in stating that a mutual agreement had been come to
with the Brighton company ; each company had given
way to a certain extent without sacrificing principles,
and the result, he trusted, would be a peace more
lasting, perhaps, than that of Villafranca. (Hear, hear,
hear, and laughter.) The chairman then entered
into explanations with respect to the increased expenditure
of the company, which he said had been caused by the
extended demands o 1 trade, and therefore many Were of an
exceptional nature. The old bridges on the Guildford junc-
tion, which were of wood, had been removed, and had been
replaced with new ones constructed of bricks. The con-
version of several of the old first and second into second and
third class carriages had caused an expenditure which would
not again occur until new carriage's were required. The
directors had thought it proper to subscribe to the
West London extension line, as it was felt that
the Kensington station would be of great advantage to
this line. With respect to the Charing-cross railway station
the directors left the question of an extension thereto en-
tirely to the proprietors. The directors did not think badly
of their Waterloo station, and the extension if made, would
only be done by incurring an enormous expense, and he
also thought that there were certain difficulties in the way
which would prevent its completion for a considerable
time. The chairman concluded his observations by moving
the adoption of the report.
After a long discussion, in which Mr. Herapath, Mr.
Pincher, and several other shareholders took part,
The adoption of the report was agreed to.
A dividend, at the rate of 41 per cent, per annum, was
declared, payable on the 20th of August.