Testimonies

Brassey, Henry A | Day 21

Witness Type: Candidate / MP

Party: Liberal

Witness Testimony:

• 21443.

  So you entertained I suppose some 70 or 80 people altogether ? — Yes, I saw a good many people. Of course I was anxious to see them.

• 21444.

  I see that the total of the subscriptions in 1876 is £320; in 1877 £489; in 1878 £551, and in 1879 £573. Can you account how it was your subscriptions rose in those four years from £320 to £573 ? — Well I gave more liberally to the Deal regatta and band fund. I regulated my subscriptions according to what I thought was the urgency of the case. There was no hard and fast rule about it.

• 21445.

  Do you think the approaching election had something to do with your subscriptions, nearly doubling or going on to doubling in the four years from 1876 to 1879 ? — I did not take that into consideration certainly when I sent my subscriptions. I wanted to be, very naturally, liberal to the place. I did not wish to influence the election in any way. Indeed I do not think it would have made any material difference in influencing tiie election.

• 21446.

  Apart from the dinner, and so on, your other payments in three years have nearly doubled ? — Yes.

• 21447.

  Do not you think that as the election came nearer it appeared to you prudent to spend a larger sum in the borough ? — Well, naturally, I think, one looks after one’s interests to some extent. I mean to say, I cannot say my subscription approached the amount you describe simply because the election was approaching. I did not regulate my subscriptions by that. I confess I came, certainly, to reside here a year ago last autumn thinking possibly an election might occur.

• 21448.

  In 1879, exclusive of the £360 which you spent in personal expenditure, your total subscriptions and other payments amounted to £647 ? — I have given a correct statement, I believe.

• 21449.

  So adding the £360 which you say is your personal expenditure you spent in 1879 in the borough, about £1000 ? — That appears to be so.

• 21450.

  In 1880 you have found it rather less expensive, have not you ? — Certainly the amounts do not appear to be so large.

• 21451.

  In 1880 I see your subscriptions, quite apart from other payments, are £245 10s 8d ? — Yes. When I received knowledge that the petition was to come about I thought it would be better to stop my subscriptions. I informed Mr. Edwards I thought I should not carry on my subscriptions this year until the matter was decided.

• 21452.

  It is £234 in 1880 as against £573 in 1879 for the reason you have told us ? — Yes. I thought it desirable to stop the subscriptions till the petition was disposed of.

• 21453.

  And of the £234, of which you have given an account, £189 I see is paid in Januarv, February, and March, leaving £45 for the remainder of the year ? — Yes, in regard to subscriptions.

• 21454.

  Yes. So that since the election, which took place in April, you have paid only £45 for subscriptions ? — Yes. I wrote to Mr. Edwards and said, as Sir Julian Goldsmid had determined to petition I thought it desirable I should stop my subscriptions for the present, and I think Mr. Emmerson has not paid any since. (Mr. Emmerson) I have not.

• 21455.

  (Mr Jeune.) Why did you think the petition would make it desirable for you to stop your subscriptions ? — Well, everything appeared to be in such a very uncertain state, I thought that until the petition had been tried and the matter had been decided, it would be better to discontinue them; there was no other reason, simply I thought it better to discontinue them.

• 21456.

  But why? Were you afraid that your subscriptions might be misconstrued ? — No.

• 21457.

  Then why, if it was the proper and regular expenditure of a member in his borough, should you discontinue your subscriptions ? — Well, there were a good many things that I should have wished to consider, whether I should continue them or not. For instance, the matter of the Liberal Association to which I had subscribed largely. It certainly did not appear to me beneficial to the town or to our interest at all to carry on my subscriptions to that and after my experience in the late election, whatever had occurred I should have hesitated very much whether I should have continued it; and other matters of that character. I thought it would be a desirable thing that the matter should be discussed, whether it would be a proper thing to continue them or no. I doubt very much whether I should, whatever came of the petition, continue my subscription to the liberal Association here. I think it was a waste of money. I saw no result from it at all; there was no state of organisation when the election did come on; so I was informed by Sir Julian Goldsmid. I hesitated very much about continuing it, and I thought all things considered it would be better to discontinue the subscriptions, at all events for a time. That was the view I took.

• 21458.

  It seems to me a little difficult to understand. If these were fair and proper subscriptions for a member in his borough, why should they be discontinued ? — I thought it better under the circumtances to wait for a few months, and see what would be the outcome of this petition, and so on, and I thought it was better to discontinue them, at all events for a time. The subscriptions are, no doubt, very liberal, but I should not think them out of the way, except perhaps the Liberal Association, and perhaps the regatta which is perhaps rather liberal, but taking them as a whole, I do not consider that they are very much out of the way.

• 21459.

  The regatta was £25 a year ? — Yes. (Mr. Holl.) Had you given dinner to the corporation at any time previous to 1879 and 1880 ? — Yes, I think I had.

• 21460.

  You had given dinners to the corporation in former years ? — Yes.

• 21461.

  Then this dinner was not an unusual occurrence ? — No.

• 21844.

  Then ”expenses connected with the management of the Working Men’s Association, £10. That is their own expenses, I suppose ? — Yes.

• 21912.

  (Mr. Jeune.) You are sure, of course, he did not send you any account like one of these yearly accounts ? — Yes; I should have had it if he did.

• 22230.

  As we are not in a position to go into that question entirely with regard to the elections prior to the general election of 1880, we think we are not entitled to hear ex parte statements of one side or the other ? — Under those circumstances, of course, I shall not press it. I have here a list of all my subscriptions in the borough from the 1st of January 1875, and also a list of miscellaneous payments which I have made in the borough. (Handing it the Commissioners.) I am happy to offer any explanation with respect to all the items.

• 22231.

  You were a candidate in conjunction with Mr. Knatchball-Hugessen for the borough of Sandwich at the general election of 1880 ? — Yes.