The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-06-07 00:00:00

the inside or outside of the committee rooms, Ultimately, the
pamphlet was admitted.
Witness : The manuscript advertisements which are pro-
duced are written partly by myself, by Mr. Buckmaster, and
others.

By Mr. RODWELL : Besides the gentlemen whom I named,
hundreds came into the rooms.of the central committee, many
of them for mere gossip. The business part of the committee
was conducted by Mr. Peacock and Mr. Bremner. I never
attended a ward committee meeting, nor was I present at any
of the ward rooms where the gentlemen published as the secre-
taries were acting in that capacity. The canvass showed a
majority for both Messrs. Turner and Mackenzie—a majority
for Mr. Turner of at least 2,000, that for Mr. Mackenzie being
1.600 or 1,800. That was three or four days before the election.
The map of the routes for the polling day was kept private, to
keep our opponents from having such a good plan.
John Banks: I live at 146, Park-row, Liverpool, and am a
voter. Shortly before last election I applied for a situation to
a person named Parkhouse, who acted as clerk, I believe, to
the committee in the Great George Ward. Parkhouse intro-
duced me to Mr. Buckley Jones, and told him that I wanted
employment. In consequence of what was said, I went to see
Mr. Thomas Inman, of the Albert Dock warehouse. I saw
him at the committee-room in the Royal Oak at Toxteth-park.
I got to be door-keeper, messenger, and partly canvasser. I
was so employed nine days. After that Mr. Inman paid me
£2 ss. The committee of the Toxteth ward met at the Royal
Oak. Mr. Henry Steele was chairman. Mr. Inman was clerk.
The gentlemen who were members were Mr. Buckley Jones,
Mr. Troughton, Mr. W. H. Horsfall, Mr. J. L. Brewer, and
Mr. Wm. Fisher. I saw the members once at the Royal Oak.
A card was put up outside the room, stating that it was " Mac-
kenzie and Turner's committee-room." On the day of the
poll another room was taken for the convenience of polling. It
was an empty house opposite St. James's Church. The mem-
bers of the Royal Oak used this empty house. The gentlemen
most active in taking the voters in and out were Mr. Inman,
Mr. Robinson, and others.
By Mr. RODWELL: I was a hatter at one time. I have no
business now. When I saw the candidates at the Royal Oak
it was a public meeting. That was the only occasion on which
I saw them there. There used to be a little confusion there at
times, some of the men getting rather rough.

Joseph Grooby: lam a voter for Liverpool. I vote as an
occupier, not as a freeman. I know Mr. Thomas Williams.
He is clerk of the church, and is a sort of messenger
or collector for the Constitutional-office. I have known
him ten or twelve years. I know Mr. Buckmaster,
and I recollect, two months before the election, going
to Mr. Buckmaster with Mr. Williams, who introduced me to
that gentleman. He asked me if I was a voter and a protec-
tionist,—one on our side. Williams introduced me not only as
a voter, but one as could do a little. Mr. Williams and me
have been mixed up with the teetotallers, and knew I had some
popularity with the teetotallers, on account of speaking on
nearly all sorts of topics? just as they happened to be the order
of the day. He likewise introduced me as a regular brick—one
of the right sort, and as a bandmaster and musician. Mr.
Buckmaster looked for my name in the voters' list. A person
called upon me of the name of Birchen ; but I was not in. I
afterwards called at his house in Richmond-row. He said that
Mr. Hatch wanted to see me relative to some music. Mr.
Hatch is the managing man for St. Anne's Ward; he conducts
the municipal election in that ward. Birchall is a broker, and
a very active man in the Liverpool Protection Society. He
appears to be directed by Hatch to go on messages, Ste. I
have seen him at the Pontack. He had, when there, some-
thing to drink, and went to where a voter was likely to be got,
regulating the election and throwing in his meed of assistance.
Though I was a teetotaller they treated me very kindly, pro-
viding me with every species of temperance liquid, and I could
have got as much as I liked to call for. I saw Mr. Birchall
there and in the street opposite his own house, actively helping
in the election, and a time or two I saw him at the Constitu-
tional Office, busying about the election. When I was there
be went into the central committee-office, while I and another
had to wait outside. I heard names called, Mr. Buckmaster
and others. He desired me to go to the Pontack, and see Mr.
Hatch relative to the band. The Pontack public-house is so
called from the people in the neighbourhood getting drink
upon tick—hence the "Pontack.' (Laughter.) When I
went lie recommended me to the Central Committee.
He said he should recommend me to the committee,
and do his best to the band. I said I knew I could
be employed on the other side, but lie said it would be all right.
He put my name down. I thanked him and went away. That
is all that passed at that time, save that I was to call again. I
recollect a stout gentleman being there, whose name I did not
know then. He seemed to be similarity employed to Mr.
Birchall. I am not positive as to the name of the stout gen-
tleman, and I have seen him since in Liverpool. I know a
person named Manger, but be is not the man I mean. He
keeps a temperance coffee-shop. I called at the office of Mr.
Hatch two or three weeks before the election. He came down
to the bottom of the stairs, and I asked him if he would employ
me to canvass for his party. He said that he did not think he
could. He had no power vested in himself, but he would use
his influence with the Central Committee, and he appointed
me to meet him next day at three o'clock, at the committee.
There were three or four messengers outside, one of whom
went into the office to tell Mr. Hatch that he was wanted. He
came out, and he shook his litad, and said he could do nothing
for me. I was to call upon him in a few days, and if anything
else transpired he would give me employment. I saw him in
two or three days at Ashley Brothers, and he told me that I
should be employed with another man to receive signatures in
the gallery at a meeting in the amphitheatre. We went to that
meeting, having been sent from the Central Committee-rooms
by Mr. Buckmaster. That meeting was called for the purpose
of " expounding largely " on protection—very preponderous,
and just like the mighty orations which our friend Wilkins
would make. (Laughter.) We had to ask parties to the gal-
leries to subscribe their names on the blank sheets supplied to
us. We used all our " suasions," as the Americans say, to
make them sign. I did the speaking, and my companion pro-
vided pen and ink. I sent in the estimate for providing the
music to Mr. Buckmaster at the Central Committee. I left it
at the office. Before I took it to the Central Committee I told
Hatch that I had it in my power to supply them with all the
bands that they would require.
It being now a quarter to four o'clock, the proceedings
closed before the last witness had finished his evidence. During
nearly the whole of the day Mr. Turner was present, and several
members of the house, including Mr. Muntz and Mr. Locke,
paid a visit to the committee-room.
It transpired in the course of this day's proceedings, that
one of the witnesses, Thomas Parkinson, a shipbuilder, who
was to be called to prove bribery, had, in a fit of delirium
tremens, made away with himself early that morning.