one of my counsel first communicated to the Committee that one of the sitting members for good reasons would not continue to defend his return.
Election Petitions and Parliamentary Enquiry
The Hon. H Fitzroy being examined, said
I am at present one of the members for Lewes, for which I first contested in 1834-5, when I was defeated by 33. I again contested in 1836 and beat Sir John Easthorpe by 31. I stood again in 1837, when myself and Sir Chas. Blunt (one Liberal and one Conservative) were returned, the defeated candidates being Mr. T. Brand and Capt. Lyon. On the death of Sir Chas. Blunt in 1840, Lord Cantelupe was elected, unopposed. I was again a candidate last July, in conjunction with Lord Cantelupe, with whom I was to pay an equal share of the expenses. After our defeat, a petition was presented by two electors on our behalf. Messrs. Clarke and Fladgate were our agents. I attended the opening of the Committee to try the petition. On the second morning, Mr. Clarke called me aside and asked if Mr. Harford withdrew would I be content. I said yes! it is all I expected. If the technical difficulty could not have been got over, it must have been evident that Mr. Harford would be bound to go out, bt as to any opposition, it was not likely because in a single election at Lewes nobody could beat me. After it was arranged it was quite understood that all actions that were pending should be given up. I am quite confident that no man received money from me r for his voting for me, but if you call it bribery the giving of beer and tobacco to men when one has to make a long speech, I admit that I have always done that, and am afraid must always do it. There are a great many public houses in Lewes, and it is expected of a candidate to make a speech at each. I have put beer and tobacco on the table before the writs have been issued, but never had open houses for people to go and get what they liked. I paid my own bills and know how every farthing[1] of my £2,000 was spent. One great expense at Lewes is the putting the town in a state of siege to prevent voters from being carried off. I do not recollect what the expense of that was in 1841, but I know that in 1837, the expense of watching the many #8203;roads for a week was £500. I had always confined my people to beer and tobacco, but, unfortunately, the other side began a new system at the last election of giving punch, wine and hot suppers, and I was forced to give hot suppers too, but that was before the writ came down. Also the night after the receipt of the writ, they again gave hot suppers, and my committee said I must do the same or must give up the contest. I had a dispute with my committee over it and told them if it was done, I would walk out of the town. I did not permit it, and so my poor voters went supperless to bed. Had it not been for our agents, Lord Cantalupe need not have given up and he and myself might have both won. The other side objected to 64 of our scot-and-lot voters, who had not paid their rates and taxes, and we had objected to none of theirs.
We saw then that if those 64 were to be knocked off, Lord Cantalupe could not be put in a majority on a scrutiny. That was the reason of our giving up the chance of our obtaining more than one seat. I had every reason to know that it would be a very expensive proceeding, if only by the expense of one day.
Howard Elphinstone, Esq. M.P. during his examination, said
"I was returned at the last election with Mr. Hanford. I promised to be a candidate if the expense did not exceed £1,000, which with Mr. Hanford's promise not to go beyond £1,500 would make together £2,500. Our canvass was favourable, but after the election, I am sorry to say the bills far exceeded what was intended. Mr. Hanford's majority was four and my own was two. A petition was lodged against us, and we defended the seats, our agents being Mr. Parkes, of London and Mr. Briggs, of Lewes. I desired Mr. Parkes to consult counsel, the result of which was the expression of doubt whether both seats could be retained; also that the defence of both seats would be enormously expensive, because of the scrutiny that would be gone into. The arrangement which followed between me and Mr. Hanford was that if I retained the seat, I should pay all the outstanding liabilities and the expenses of the petition, which latter -
- ↑ An explanation of old currency and coinage may be found at the following website Pre-decimal currency, accessdate: 16 June 2022
