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

LIVERPOOL ELECTION PETITION.

PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE SELECT
COMMITTEE.

( FROM OUR OWN REPORTER.

We published last week, in a second and third edition,
a full report of the proceedings before the Select Com-
mittee of the House of Commons, to the close of Monday,

and we now resume the narrative.

TUESDAY, MAY 31ST

The first witness called was

Thomas Cannel], who deposed : I am a householder in Liver-
pool. I was canvassed for Mr. Cardwell and Mr. Ewart by Mr.
Owen, and I told him that if he could give me a little money I
would. I know Joseph Birchall, a furniture -broker, in Rich-
mond-row ; he canvassed me on the other side, for Mackenzie
and Turner, and I told him if he would give me something I
would vote for his party. There was another person came to
Myoyard with Birchall, the one I did not know was a stoutish
gentleman. I am a coal-dealer and shoemaker. I told them
I wanted something for my vote. Birchall said be was not
allowed to give anything. They gave
.me a half-sovereign.
This was a day or two before the election day. The circum-
stance took place in the yard. A question was asked as to
how much I required. I said I wanted another sovereign.
Birchall did not say anything. It was the other man, not
Birchall, who gave me the half-sovereign. Birchall, however,
told the other man to give ine the half-sovereign. He said he
would see me the next day about it. I voted for them at the
election.

Cross-examined : lam not a freeman. I have been a house-
holder for thirty years ; eight years in Liverpool. When Bir-
chall and the other gentleman called, he said he was not wil-
ling, and was not allowed to give me anything.
Richard Joynson : I am a freeman of Liverpool, and voted
at the last election for Mackenzie and Turner. I know the
Angel Coffee-house, kept by Mr. Walter ; it is in the West
Derby ward. On the polling-day, between twelve and one, I
had promised Mr. Edwards, the plumber, that I should vote
for Mr. Cardwell, and to others that I should vote for Turner.
The other was a canvasser that waited upon me some time
before. The canvasser's name was Wynn. I was spoken to
about my vote by Joseph Green, a canvasser, on the polling-
day, who asked me who I was going to vote for. I said was
going to vote for Cardwell and Turner. He said, why do you
not vote ? I said, because, like an old horse, lam waiting for
my load. He said they were giving nothing but day's wages.
He sent me to vote for Turner and Mackenzie. He said he
would make it all right, and we were to go to Mr. Roaett's, on
the day after, and get the money. I then consented to go and
vote. When we started for the poll we had no tickets given
us. We had DO tickets given at all during the day. There
were four or five people with us in the car. Two of them were
present during the conversation about the day's wages ; one
of them was a cousin of mine, James Joynson. He voted also
for Turner and Mackenzie. The same was said to him about
a day's wages and voting. After we had polled we came back

to the coffee-house, and got some refreshment. We staid
there about half an hour or three quarters of an hour. We
polled about four o'clock. On the following day I went to
Mr. Rowett's. I saw Mr. Green there. There was a lot of
men there, on the same errand with myself. There was about
half a dozen. My cousin was not one of them. IVe asked
where we were to go, and we were told to go into Mr. Rowett's
office. Green said he had given in a list of our names, and all
was right. Green then left, and some time after Mr. Rowett
came in. I had not seen him before. When we ascertained
that he was there we all went into the office. Rowett asked
who Joseph Green was, and we told him. He then ordered us
to go out, and to come in one by one. One of our party said
to him that Joseph Green was one of the canvassers. We all
went into the office one by one. I was the first to go in. Mr.
Rowett then began to cross-question me, how I went out of
my word, to do me out of my day's lay. But after some con-
vet. _ _

tion which I do not exactly remember, he pulled me over
and gave me 55., my day's pay. When I came out. the others
asked me how I had got on. I said it was all right, and told
the next to go in. I did not wait, but went about my business.
The witness was cross-examined, and it came out that, while
railway fares and expenses had been paid for him, he knew not
by whom exactly he had received in hard cash the sum of
9s. 6d.

William Whitby : I am a freeman of Liverpool, and voted at
the last election for Charles Turner, Esq. I voted from the
Pontac. I saw a gentleman before I voted. Ido not know'
who he was. I have no recollection of him. I was in a bad
state of health. I cannot tell what sort of a looking man it
was I saw. A man gave me money in the street. I do not
know who he was. He asked me had I voted. I said no. I
wanted a day's wage. I got into a cab, and voted for Mac-
kenzie and Turner. I got five shillings paid to me for a day's
pay. Ido not know what I had done for 58. Why, of course
it must have been for my vote.—[At this stage of the examina-
tion it was objected to the production of the witness,—that
there were two William Whitbys upon the register.—and that,
consequently, lie came within the resolution of the committee,
and ought not to be produced till that class of cases came on
the day previous to the conclusion of the case. It was
ultimately agreed, however, that the witness should finish his
evidence.]—l got ss. in the street, and got into the cab and
went and polled. I did not tell the gentleman who I was going
to vote for, nor did he ask me. There was a committee at the
Pontac, and I do not know whose committee it was. The
walls were placarded with bills in favour of Mackenzie and
Turner. At that time he did not speak to me about colour-
carriers. I heard nothing said about them by anybody—that
I can swear. To the best of my recollection I heard nobody
speak about them—not personally, by no gentleman. I do
not know the gentleman who gave me the ss. I did not see
any other person get ss. I did not carry colours that day. I
did not work any that day. I am a Joiner, but I have not
worked for two years.

Cross-examined : I voted on principle for Mr. Turner, and I
should have done the same although I had not seen the gentle-

man who promised me
the same side.

he day's piy. I have always voted on

William Bland : 1 am a whitesmith, and a freeman of the
borough of Liverpool. I voted at the last election for Mr.
Turner and Mr. Mackenzie. The committee-room from which
I voted was at the head of Albert-street. I know a house
called the Derby Arms, kept by Glee. I understood I ought
to have voted from a house kept by Mays. I went on the day
of the election to the Derby Arms and saw Glee, and he asked
me if I intended to vote, and who I intended to vote for. I
told him I intended to vote for Mackenzie and Turner. I said
I was going to the house of an acquaintance of mine, George
Taylor, with whom I had arranged to go and vote. Glee said
we would get a day's pay. There was another person with me
at the time. His name was James M'Anally, and he was a
voter too. Glee told us both that we would have one day's pay.
I said I did not come particularly for the sake of money.

Mr. Sherlock of the Liverpool Mail, and Mr. Thomas Kaye,
of the Liverpool Courier, were next examined, with a view to
prove agency. They produced the manuscripts of the adver-
tisements, including the one which contains the names of the
Election Committee of Liverpool. The orders for insertion
came from the Constitutional Association•rooms.

Mr. Richard Briscoe deposed : I travel for the Ballycollig
Gunpowder works. I became clerk to the central committee
at the Constitutional Association-rooms. Previously I had
been a commission agent. I joined them early in March,
arranging with Mr. Buckmaster as to the remuneration which
I was to receive. Mr. Edmund Molyneux, I believe, was chair-
man : Mr. Buckmaster was the secretary. I think Mr. Edward
Deane was treasurer. They have a hook of rules in which his
name is mentioned. lam not aware that Mr. John Peacock
was treasurer during the election: Ido not know who was. I
received my remuneration from Mr. Buckmaster. I received
instalments: there is a balance, but I never expect to sect it.
Moss and Co. were the hankers. In the absence of Mr. Buck-
master, I was head clerk. Mr. Peacock was in close attend-
ance, and had the management of the election. There was a
placard in the room stating that it was Mackenzie and Turner's
committee-rooms. The placard was not put up as early as the
week after the meeting of the 2d of April. It was put up, per-
haps, a month before the close of the election. Those who

were most constant in attendance at the rooms were Mr.
Thomas Bold, who, I think, was on the committee, Mr. Wm.
Fisher, of Redcross-street, Mr. Samuel Moline, but not so
frequently, Mr. G. H. Horsfall, the canvassers, Mr. Lawrence
Peele, Mr. Thomas Toulinin, Mr. James Tyrer, Mr. Robert
Horsfall, Mr. John Buck Lloyd, Mr. William Rowett, who,
like the two preceding members, was not oftener present than
once in three days, Mr. John Briscoe. These persons brought
no information to me. They merely looked in to see how the
business of the election proceeded. Sometimes they met a
committee, as the election approached, once every other day.
There were car, printing, finance, and procession committees.
The finance committee consisted of Mr. Deane, Mr. Thomas
Bold, and Mr. G. Henry Horsfall. As far as I can recollect,
Mr. Peacock had nothing to do with finance. These com-
mittees did their business in the same room. We had altoge-
ther three rooms. There were a clerks' room, a committee-
room, and a small room which Mr. Buckmaster had for the
canvassing business. I know the principal canvassers. I
know William Buckley Jones; he was not chairman of a ward
committee that I know. John Briscoe was a ward chairman.
I am not aware that the expenses of the ward conunittees were
paid weekly .by the central committee, and I was there for
three months. I sat in the committee-room, very little
in the clerks'. On my oath I have not heard any-
thing about the expenses of the ward committees being
paid from the central office. I cannot undertake to
swear that they were not paid ; but neither can I
say that they were paid. I do not know of any chairman of
the Ward Committee coming to the committee-rooms to have
the accounts settled. I understand the Messrs. Moss were
bankers, simply from seeing their names in the rules of the
Constitutional Association. I have no reason to bel•eve that
they were bankers of the Central Committee. Ido not. know
who was treasurer of the Central Committee. Ido not know
that any one brought money from the bank. I never did go to
fetch money periodically as it was wanted to pay the current
expenses. I never saw a cheque written while I was there. I
have been present at meetings of the committees, but not to
my knowledge did the Ward Committees' accounts be sub-
mitted at the meetings of the Finance Committee. Ido not
know of any one whose duty it was to keep a note of the
expenditure. Ido not think I ever saw William Buckley Jones
more than twice at the committee-rooms. I know he was con-
nected with the Toxteth-park Ward Committee, being a resi-
dent in that district. Ido not recollect what he came for to

the rooms. People came very frequently to give information,
but they never gave any to me. Mr. Roskell was chairman of
the Kirkdale division of the Kirkdale and Everton Ward. Mr.
Marwood was secretary, Mr. Thomas Dover, I believe, was
chairman, and Mr. Thomas Watson vice-chairman, and Mr.
Clegg secretary, of Scotland Ward. Mr. Nicholson was chair-
man of Vauxhall Ward. I do not know that Mr. Clegg had
anything to do with the election expenses. Mr. John Briscoe
was chairman of the St. Paul's Ward, and Mr. Brookes secre-
tary. I saw a placard stating that Mr. James Tyrer was chair-
man of the Exchange Ward, and I know that placards were
posted throughout the town, announcing the names of the trea-
surers and secretaries. In Pitt-street Ward, Messrs. Rigby and
Callas were the two chairmen, and Messrs. Thomas Rimmer
and Gardner the secretaries. Alderman Cooper was chairman
of Great George Ward, and Mr. Gibson one of the secretaries.
Mr. M`Keveri,gan Ido not know. In Rodney-street Ward, Mr.
Payne was published as chairman, and Mr. Cooper and Mr:
Gregory were published as secretaries. I could not swear
positively that any of them acted as secretary. I only state it
as my belief. I believe that the chairman and secretaries of
the IVard Committees were ex officio members of the Consti-
tutional Association, but I do not know that they were ex
officio members of the Central Committee. Some of them
called at the office, hut I do not know that they transacted any
business. Alderman Parker was chairman of the St. Anne's
Ward. Ido not recollect that Mr. Parker was a member of
the Band Committee. Mr. Rowett, who lives in the West
Derby Ward, came two or three times a-week to the rooms. I
know Mr. Winnesley, in the West Derby, but. I
ido not think
that he acted as secretary in the ward. Mr. :master ma-
naged the canvassing department; butin I believe i,;
brought periodat the secical
re-
taries of the several wards either gave or
reports. I do not know M'Keverigan. I know Burchal, but
only within a short time. I know Mr. Fisher, foreman to Wm.
Buckley Jones, but only since we came to London; before I did
not even know him by sight. I know Mr. Williams, clerk to
Mr. Buck Lloyd; but before I came to London I did not know
him either by name or sight. Thomas Williams was, I believe,
collector for the Constitutional Association. I can't recollect
who were the Car Committee. There were Mr. Edward J.
Lowe, Mr. J. B. Cooper (the secretary of the Rodney-street
Ward), and perhaps half a dozen more whom I do not recollect.
I do not remember that there was a committee called a Colour
- Band Committee, but there was one organised to arrange a
'ession. I cannot tell you what books were kept. I myself
nerally in the committee room to wait upon the electors
-s who called for information. The majority of them
-egistered. I had the general superintendence of
on in the club-rooms—making out circular.
'et which is handed me lay -at the Central
itanybody asked for it I gave them a copy.
l to this document being nut in as

Witness

ct authority for issuin
by Mr. Cardwell's con

There rr

Mr. MA.CAI
books sent to the roon
may have been tw.

e been 200 or 300 of
;enerally in a drawer.
a table, but the bulk

was not exposed. I cannot spea
,nce, but I should think Mr. Buckr

'1 any degree of

room,
evidence, jus

I.7LAY submitted that, as being issued from the
to competent for the document to be given in
d be the case with a placard posted on