HC Deb 05 November 1830 vol 1 cc213-4
Mr. D. W. Harvey

said, he had a Resolution to submit to the House, but as he had not had an opportunity of communicating its purport to the Tight hon. Gentleman opposite (Sir R. Peel), he should take leave to ropose it to the House, and leave it open to any objection, on the subject of want of notice, which might be made against it. The Resolution was to this effect:—"That every Member of that House be forth with directed to make a return, to the best of his knowledge and belief, of the number of Voters in the City or Borough which he represents, and whether they are all partially, or in what proportion, residents of the place he represents—whether he himself holds any office, civil, military, or otherwise—whether there are any and what duties attached to such place or office, and what are their nature and extent."

On the question being put,

Sir R. Peel

said, he required no notice on the subject of such a Motion, as he was at once prepared to give it a decided negative.

Mr. Bernal

asked, if the hon. Member had any objection to divide his Motion into parts. If not, he was prepared to support the latter part of it, although he could not consent to entail on the Members of that House the onerous and impracticable task demanded in the first part.

Colonel Davies

also observed, that the returning officers of Boroughs and Cities were the only persons possessed of the information which the hon. Member required by the first part of the Motion. In many places a contest had not taken place for years, and how, in such a case, was the Member to obtain information with respect to the residency or number of the voters?

Mr. Harvey

withdrew the Motion, with the understanding that he would renew it in another shape.