Denne, Charles | Day 6

Claimed £84 for the hire of 7 rooms for 11 days plus £80 11s for refreshments. Possibly inebriated as he was told to return on the following Monday and to be in a more fit state to answer questions

Witness Type: Publican, Beerhouse Keeper, Treater

Party: Liberal

Other Days The Witness Was Called On: Day 5

Witness Testimony:

  • 5322. [Witness recalled and further examined]

    (Mr. Jeune.) For how many days were your rooms taken ? — No particular time, but they were occupied, I think, 11 days.

  • 5323.

    How many rooms were taken ? — Four rooms at first; but I find for three days there were five rooms.

  • 5324.

    What sort of rooms were they ; sitting rooms ? — There were four sitting rooms, and we took one bed- room to pieces, and made a sitting room of it.

  • 5325.

    So that there were five sitting rooms altogether ? —Yes.

  • 5326.

    Were they all upon the first floor, or ground floor ? — Three of them upon the ground floor, and two upon the first floor.

  • 5327.

    Were they rooms which in ordinary times are used as sitting rooms ? — Yes.

  • 5328.

    What is the rent of your house ? — I am rated at 36L.

  • 5329.

    That makes, I suppose, about 40L or 45L. rental ? — Yes, that would be about it.

  • 5330.

    You charged for those rooms 84L., did not you ? 64;. I think.

  • 5331.

    No, 84L ; look at your bill (handing a paper to the witness) “Hire of rooms, offices, &c., 84L,” is not that so ? — Yes.

  • 5332.

    What that 84L. charged for the use of those five rooms ? — Yes. I thought it was 64L.

  • 5333.

    Now you find it is 84L. ? — Yes.

  • 5334.

    That is, as nearly as possible, 10 guineas a day ? — No, I put it down at 5 guineas, as I thought.

  • 5335.

    You meant to charge only 5 guineas a day ? — Yes.

  • 5336.

    How came you to make that little mistake in your own favour — how came you to charge twice as much as you intended ? — It is not twice as much.

  • 5337.

    It is getting on that way, you see — look at your own book and see what you have put down there (handing a book), read out what you find there ? — “14 days hire of rooms 84L.”

  • 5338.

    Was that put down in mistake also ? — It must have been so.

  • 5339.

    The mistake seems to have run pretty well through your books and BILLS — you have not been paid yet, have you ? — No.

  • 5340.

    If you were paid half as much as that it would be all you think you deserve ? — I do not know about that

  • 5341.

    What is the ordinary charge for those rooms ; if any person were to hire them from you, in the ordinary way as sitting rooms, what should you charge for them ? — That depends upon the season — the time of year.

  • 5342.

    Is May the season for Deal ? — July and August.

  • 5343.

    Supposing anyone took those sitting rooms in May, what would be your ordinary charge for them a day ? — Some of the rooms are larger than the others ; some would be 6L. a week, others 4L. , and others 3L. 10s.

  • 5344.

    For each room ? — Yes, with a bed.

  • 5345.

    Surely, would you get, in May, 6L. a room for a week ? — No.

  • 5346.

    You did not get it ? — No, except in the height of the season.

  • 5347.

    Look at your book and see if you can find a single case where you have charged more than 5s. a day for a sitting room, except at election times — We do always charge more at election times.

  • 5348.

    May was not the season then ? — No.

  • 5349.

    That is exactly what I thought ? — The wear and tear is something considerable, and destruction of furniture.

  • 5350.

    Can you find me a single case where you have charged more than 5s. a day for the use of a sitting room ? — I do not think I can.

  • 5351.

    You are charging 2L. a day for the use of each of those rooms, as nearly as may be — did you agree with anyone that you should charge as much as that ? — No, I made no agreement.