nine leaseholders, and for Lord John Russell, there freeholders and twenty-four leaseholders; the nine and five include the Chapter Clerk of Exeter and their Surveyor.

2714. You stated that the two individuals of those who voted for Mr. Parker held offices, from which you would draw the inference that those were influenced by their offices; do you know of any who voted for Lord John Russell were thus influenced ? I believe not; I would state that they are as intelligent and respectable a set of yeomen as any in the county of Devon. In the parish of Broadhempstone, the voters are nearly all freeholders; there are twenty-nine freeholders in that parish who voted for Lord John Russell, and four leaseholders; five freeholders voted for Mr. Parker, and one leaseholder; of those six who voted for Mr. Parker, three reside out of the parish at a distance, and of the other three, one was a clergyman. 2715. How many of Lord John's freeholders reside out of the parish? Only three.

2716. Are the bulk of those twenty-nine freeholders of the same class of voters as the persons in Staverton and Rattery? I should say, taking the three parishes together they are, and they are a very intelligent set of

men.

2717. Who is the owner of the parish of Broadhempstone, principally? There is no great owner of that parish, they are all freeholders.

2718. Do you consider that the bulk of the freeholders in Staverton and Broadhempstone are independent of any influence? In Broadhempstone, most

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decidedly; in Staverton, a very slight influence; the influence of the landlord being that of the Dean and Chapter, for the reason I have before stated, I think is not a very powerful one in respect of the leases; the influence of the tithes being in their hands, perhaps might have some weight.

2719. Are the tithes let on lease? They are leased by the Dean and Chapters for twenty-one years to a middle-man who holds them; I rather believe it is their own surveyor.

2720. Were you acquainted before the election with the political sentiments of the voters in those three parishes? I have been in the habit of associating with the yeomen of that neighbourhood a good deal within the last few years.

2721. Are you of opinion that the same opinions in politics existed amongst those persons as among the others of which you have already spoken? I am.

2722. Does that circumstance of your knowledge of their political opinions give rise to the supposition in your mind that the change which took place in the Rattery votes took place in consequence of the change of opinion of the landlord? It does.

2723. Had you any conversation with any of them on the subject? I do not know particularly; I have had a good deal of conversation with the yeomen in that neighbourhood by frequently meeting them.

2724. Is there any other parish or district to which you wish to refer as illustrative of the general principle you have stated? In the district immediately round Exeter, those voters who poll at Exeter, there were 189

only of the leaseholders and 50 renters who voted for Lord John Russell, while 510 voted for Mr. Parker; it will be seen from the list of the Exeter district, that in many parishes Lord John Russell had not a single voter of the leaseholders. I might instance some of the more prominent cases of Colaton Raleigh-there were 22 leaseholders voted for Mr. Parker, not one for Lord John; in the parish of Dunsford, 24 leaseholders for Mr. Parker, and one for Lord John.

2725. To whom does that parish belong? To principally.

2726. Are you sufficiently acquainted with those parishes to say, by reference to your poll-book, how the same class of persons voted when they voted in respect of their freehold qualifications? There are but nine freeholders in the parish of Dunsford, they also voted for Mr. Parker.

2727. Are they the same description of persons? Yes, they are small freeholders, who also probably rent lands.

2728. Have you any freeholders in Colaton Raleigh? There are seven.

2729. How did they vote? For Mr. Parker.

2730. Are you sufficiently acquainted with those places to say whether the freeholders of those parishes are the same class, or of a class above or below the renters who voted? I should say about the same; in the parish of Exminster there were 24 leaseholders for Mr. Parker, and one for Lord John Russell; freeholders, 13 for Mr. Parker, and one for Lord John.

2731. One leaseholder and one freeholder? Yes;

in the parish of Kenn, 13 leaseholders and 21 freeholders voted for Mr. Parker, and only one freeholder for Lord John, and I believe he lives out of the parish.

2732. In the course of your communication with the voters in the county, are you aware of any instances of persons who have voted contrary to their inclinations, in consequence of any superior influence exercised over them? I know many cases; some of the tenants have told me of it, and told me the circumstances, but they have told it me in confidence, because they say if it was known that they had repeated it, they should lose their interest with their landlords, and that would be almost as bad for them as if they had voted against their landlords' interest; I can mention one, but I am not allowed to give names, which is a very prominent case. A yeoman who, ever since 1816, has been a most active man on our side, and has canvassed on our side of the question, and taken a very active interest, attended the nomination; on his return he received a letter from his landlord, requesting that he should not oppose Mr. Parker; I have seen him since, and he told me he thought he might then have been allowed to be quiet, but on the Sunday his landlord called on him, and compelled him, though, as he told me, with tears in his eyes, to go to the poll and vote for Mr. Parker.

2733. What do you mean by compelled him? By the influence which was used.

2734. What do you mean by influence? I do not mean by threats, but he had no lease, and his capital being embarked in his farm, and he having a family, he was

afraid that if he offended his landlord he should not get his lease promised him, that it would be ruinous to him.

2735. He did not say that his landlord threatened that it would be the worse for him if he did not vote for Mr. Parker? He did not state to me the words used, but that the influence was so used as to afford that presumption.

2736. You think that the tears in his eyes afforded an indication of the state of his mind? Yes.

2737. He had the prospect of obtaining a great benefit from the landlord? I have no idea that the landlord would have turned him out, but he felt himself under that obligation to the landlord, and the fear of offending him, that induced him to vote against his conscience.

2738. Do you think the influence on his mind was fear of loss or wish for advantage? Not hope of advantage, for as to the lease, I understand the landlord is too respectable a man to have inflicted any injury upon him, even if he had voted for Lord John Russell-but still he felt the importance of keeping the good-will of the landlord.

2739. You say you had been previously well acquainted with this man, and knew his political sentiments? For the last nineteen years.

2740. Having known him well, do you attribute the change in his vote to any change in his political sentiments? Certainly not; he has been with me since the election to explain it, he said he was anxious that his political reputation should stand well.