Select Committee Report on Railways

REPORTS

FROM

COMMITTEES:

SIXTEEN VOLUMES

-(14.-PART II.)-

RAILWAY SUBSCRIPTION LISTS,

4-7.

BATH AND WEYMOUTH RAILWAY SUBSCRIPTION LIST.

Session

31 January 17 July 1837.

VOL. XVIII.-PART II.

1837.

FOURTH REPORT

FROM THE

SELECT COMMITTEE

ON

RAILWAY SUBSCRIPTION LISTS;

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE,

AND APPENDIX.

South Midland Counties Railway.

Ordered, by The House of Commons, to be Printed, 10 July 1837.

G. V. 40 shares, £3,000.

George Vernon is a clerk in the house of Messrs. Lewis and Davis, of Basinghall-street, cloth-merchants. He signed the Deed for 25 shares, at the request and on the behalf of John Ebenezer Davis, one of his employers; and for 15 shares at the request and on the behalf of Lambert Dexter, in the way of business. He is not able to meet the liability he has incurred from his own resources.

148 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE

Mr. Henry Dean. 22 May 1837.

I should entertain very great doubt about it being with Mr. Huckvale; the arrangement is the leaving the £400. unpaid.

20581. Yes; have you any doubt you made the arrangement?—I have no doubt that, being requested, I permitted that arrangement to be made; they depositing with me the old scrip as usual.

20582. Do you mean to say you did it by deputy?-I permitted them to do what they wished, namely, to leave their scrip for five hundred and ten shares, and take only one hundred and ten new scrip, and leave the rest.

20583. Did you make that arrangement with them?-Yes; I permitted them to have the indulgence; I put it in that way; the arrangement was not mine, it is not a word I like to have; it was a favour asked by them, which I granted. 20584. Was it asked by them, and granted by you?-Yes.

20585. You were a party to it?-Yes.

20586. Did you not afterwards well know that Mr. Huckvale, who came and took those shares, was Mr. Huckvale, and not Mr. Poulton, when the deposit was paid-I really cannot answer that question; I do not recollect looking at the receipt; if I had looked at it, I should have known it, because it is signed, "for B. W. Poulton, Robert Huckvale;" therefore it was Mr. Huckvale who came with the money and took the scrip.

20587. Have you any doubt that you were aware at the time that the person who brought the money was not Poulton ?-I do not see how I could be aware of it, I did not ask a question.

20588. Did he not bring you an order? He brought a little memorandum I had given to Poulton, acknowledging I held 400 old scrip for him, Poulton's; now I find that the person who brought the papers was Mr. Huckvale; any other man who brought the 400/. would have got the scrip.

20589. Did you look at the receipt or not-I cannot say whether I did or not.

20590. Was it your habit, in taking a sum of 400 l, which would represent a much larger number of shares, and a very large amount of liability, to take it without looking at the receipt? It was not my habit; I might have done it; I cannot say now.

Mr. Geo. Vernon

Mr. George Vernon, was called in; and Examined, as follows: 20591. Mr. Rowe.] DID you sign Rennie's deed for the sum of 3,000 7.:- Yes.

20592. Did you sign more than once?—Yes.

20593. Making that sum-Yes.

20594. Will you allow me to ask you what you are -I am at present a clerk in the firm of Lewis & Davis, in Basinghall-street.

20595. What are they?-Cloth merchants.

20596. Were you a clerk in the employ at the time?-I was.

20597. You were not a partner at the time you signed as merchant?-I was not a merchant in that firm.

20598. Nor any other?-I had some little transactions of my own, and I may style myself a merchant.

20599. When you signed this deed to the amount of 3,000 7., did you sign the deed for yourself or other parties-I signed it for other parties.

20600. Can you give me the names of those other parties?-If it is absolutely necessary, I will state them.

20601. Chairman.] Yes, it is ?-A gentleman of the name of Lambert Dexter. 

20602. Mr. Rowe. Who besides?-John Ebenezer Davis.

20603. It was at their request?-Yes.

20604. Chairman.] How many did you sign for the one, and how many for the other? The one for twenty-five shares, and the other fifteen; Mr. Davis

for twenty-five, and the other for fifteen.

20605. Mr. Rowe.] Did you on both occasions go to the Poultry?-I will not be certain, but I think I signed both at the Poultry.

20606. Who gave you the scrip; did you carry the old scrip with you?--I did.

20607. Did you carry money besides?—Yes.

20608. Who gave you that money-The two gentlemen for whom I signed. 20609. Who did you see at the office where you signed -I am not acquainted with them. 

20610. Should