Brassey, Henry A | Day 21
Henry A Brassey was one of the two Liberal MPs elected at the 1874 election and returned unopposed in 1880. He continued to hold the position until 1885. He was requested to appear at the trial and bring all papers and accounts relating to subscriptions and other payments made by him relating to Sandwich, Deal, and Walmer since 1874. He also prepared a statement regarding expenses at the 1868 and 1874 elections to counter remarks made by Mr Crompton Roberts during his cross examination.
Witness Type: Candidate / MP
Party: Liberal
Witness Testimony:
- 21413.
The other account of your expenses incurred in Deal, independent of subscriptions, expenses of a personal character, are carried up to February 1880. How was it you did not happen to include the expenses which make up the cheque for £116? It is not mentioned in this list at all ? — No. I thought it would be better only to go into those amounts which had reference only to expenses in connexion with the election, and not mix them up.
- 21414.
You have had no detailed account at present from Mr. Edwards showing how this £116 is made up ? — No. The only explanation I am able to offer is contained in this letter of his which I have handed in.
- 21415.
The letter in which Mr. Edwards says that the £116 is made up of £47 12s 8d for expenses of the Liberal Association, rent, rates, taxes, housekeeper, etc., and that the remainder is for subscriptions ? — Yes.
- 21416.
But you do not know any of the details showing how it is made up ? — No; I know nothing beyond that.
- 21417.
Any further information with regard to those details you cannot give ? — I am afraid I would not be able to give you any more information.
- 21418.
Do these papers you have handed in contain the whole of your expenditure so far as you are aware in connexion with the borough during these years ? — Yes, I think so.
- 21419.
And the returned accounts, with the addition of the items you have mentioned, are the whole of the expenditure in connexion with the 1880 election that you are aware of ? — Quite so.
- 21420.
Nothing has been spent that you are aware of beyond what you have mentioned and as contained in these documents ? — No, nothing.
- 21421.
(Mr. Jeune.) You say you were three weeks at Deal ? — A fortnight or three weeks.
- 21422.
This account seems to run from October 28th to November 17th, which is as nearly as possible three weeks, and, excluding the £57, it comes to a little over £300. You say you took a house here ? — Yes.
- 21423.
The rent of the house I see was £25 8s 7d. The house, therefore, was about eight guineas a week, or something of that sort ? — Yes.
- 21424.
May I ask how many servants you brought down here ? — I think I must have had seven or eight.
- 21425.
And your own family came down too ? — Yes.
- 21426.
Consisting of how many members may I ask ? — There were two children, I think, and Mrs. Brassey was here.
- 21427.
£100 a week is a large sum, is it not, for the expenditure of such a number of people ? — Well, I saw a great many of my friends privately on that occasion. I had not seen them for some time. A great many people living in Deal I had the opportunity of entertaining at dinner, and so forth, and of course it made the amount larger than it would have been.
- 21428.
Not your friends; people here ? — I did not entertain voters, if that is what you mean. I entertained a great many of my friends generally, ladies as well as gentlemen.
- 21429.
By your friends generally you do not mean your personal friends, but people in the town ? — People living about, several of them. That may have made the expenses higher than they would have been.
- 21430.
£100 a week for eight people, even if you had a dinner party every night, is a large sum, is it not ? — Well, as I say the entertainments to my friends may have made my expenses heavier than they would have been.
- 21431.
I see there is “Wine bill, £50 17s 6d” ? — That was for wine supplied during the time I was here, and I believe I took some away. I did not consume it all here. I think some was removed.
- 21432.
There are two items, “T. Loyns & Co. one, £21 7s 4d, and the other £23 3s 11d.” What are Messrs. Loyns, I forget ? — I think they are grocers.
- 21433.
Was that for things consumed during the three weeks ? — Yes, I think so.
- 21434.
£45 grocer’s bill for three weeks; I suppose you did not have much haberdashery of them, they are haberdashers also ? — I cannot say what was purchased, but there may be some haberdashery. There may be some things purchased besides.
- 21435.
Did you ever stay at Deal before in that way ? — Yes; I stayed I think once before, I am not sure that I have not made two visits to Deal in that way.
- 21436.
In what year was the last one before 1879 ? — I rather think I have not stayed since 1874.
- 21437.
A little before the 1874 election ? — At the 1874 election, I think it was. The 1874 election terminated in a week, it did not last a week.
- 21438.
It was a short time ? — A very short time.
- 21439.
When you say you entertained people you refer to entertainments in the house you had hired ? — Yes.
- 21440.
Did you give any other entertainments besides the dinner to the corporation and the entertainments in your own house ? — No.
- 21441.
May I take it that you had dinner parties every night at your own house ? — Not every night; perhaps two or three a week.
- 21442.
And 20 or 30 people there ? — Perhaps not so many as that; 12 to 15, and that sort of thing. The room was not sufficiently capacious to hold more than that.