THOMAS RUST stated, “Mr. Grimmer, in order to induce me to vote for
Stormont and Scarlett, offered to pay me £50 down, and to procure me £50
of the city money after Christmas. He promised distinctly to procure the
city money. I have taken an active part at general elections. I believe
there was great bribery at the last election for members of parliament.
I do not think there was any bribery previous to the last election. I do
not know any instance of it. I saw some bribery at the last general
election. I was up two nights working for the party. I never had money
offered to me at local elections, but I was offered £100 at the last
general election to go out and buy votes. The proposition was made by
two leading partizans of Stormont and Scarlett. One of the parties
produced a large quantity of promissory notes. I told him that he was
playing a dangerous game. The partizan said ‘Can’t I lend money to whom
I like?’ I replied, ‘I think not; it depends on the conditions.’ The
gentleman who made the proposition said, “This is the way we do
business.” The proposers were not members of the corporation. They went
away and called again. One of them pulled out a large bag of sovereigns,
and said he would not only lend me £100, but give it to me to join the
party, and to do what I could in the Northern ward. They declared more
than once that they were determined to buy it. They were guardians of
the poor. There was no distinction as to the voters to be bought;
freemen as well as others.”
HENRY BUSH said, “Alderman Turner authorized me to give £6 to a voter, to
vote for Lord Stormont and Sir James Scarlett, and said that was the most
money they were then giving. I would not take the money as I said it was
not enough.”
MR. ALDERMAN TURNER declared on oath that the statement was false.
MR. JOHN HAYES said, “On the second day of the last general election, Mr.
George Liddell gave me three sovereigns for my vote, but never told me in
which interest I was to vote. Mr. Wortley, one of the common council,
also gave me three sovereigns to vote in the interest of Stormont and
Scarlett. I took the sovereigns but voted in the Whig interest, and
carried the money to the committee and gave it to Mr. Beare and Mr.
Springfield. It was returned to me in four months afterwards.”
MR. WORTLEY denied the statement, but several persons were named who were
present when Mr. Wortley paid the money.
MR. COZENS was examined as to the evidence which had been given before
the House of Commons’ committee by Mr. W. J. U. Browne, then sheriff, who
when asked whether there was any committee for conducting the election of
Lord Stormont and Sir James Scarlett, replied, “Certainly not;” and the
manuscript was produced of a letter which appeared in the _Mercury_, in
answer to one sent out by Mr. Robberds, in which Mr. Browne spoke of “the
committee for conducting the election,” and signed himself as chairman.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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