LORD BRASSEY.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 8271, 23 November 1895, Page 7

LORD BRASSEY.

The Melbourne correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes : — Lord Brassey's speeches read well, but he is a wretched speaker—slow, with irritating • hems' and ' ahs,' and no fire. After Lord Hopetoun a bag way. At the Chamber of Commerce dinner to him he read an amusing letter—" Manchester, September 28th, 1335. Governor of Victoria.—Dear Sir, —I am having consignments of Australian rabbits from the London market. They are in prime condition, and sell at 2a 21 to 2s 4d per pair. They are sent in boxes hung on two rails, and each box contains twentjseven pair. They are fine large rabbits, clean killed—(laughter) — and properly handled in ev9ry way. We have the best market in England for rabbits. (Laughter.) There i 3 a steamer fixed f rom your port or Sydney for Manchester direct, sailing in November. I shall be glad of consignments. (Great laughter.) I can sell several thousand pairs weekly. Account sales and cash daily. (Roars of laughter).— Yours faithfully, J. Donaldson." He added that Mr Freeman Thomas, his son-in-law and business manager, waa already contemplating a search for coneiguments of bunny in the Royal Domain. Lord Brassey (the pronunciation is Brasa-ey after all, not Bracey), spends a deal of his spare time about Poll Melbourne and the wharves. He and the Government House party honoured a Sailors' Rest concert with their presence the other evening ; and Lady Maud Warronder obliged with several songs, while Lord Richard Nevill played her accompaniments. Lord Brassey is the richest man the colonies has seen. He is worth the modest trifle of four or five millions. His sister, who had two and a-half millionß, married Bass, of' ale and porter fame, who also had two and a-half millions.