§ Order for Second Beading read.
§ MR. DODDS, in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, that it was substantially the same measure as that which had been considered by a Select Committee, and that its provisions 1771 had received the sanction of the Association of municipal corporations. It proposed to give an increased time formating the needful provisions for a contested municipal election, and also to assimilate the law relating to municipal elections with respect to nominations with the law relating to Parliamentary Elections, and thus to prevent the nomination of bogus candidates. Besides these two main provisions, there were a number of smaller details, the substantial effect of which would be to assimilate the laws governing municipal and Parliamentary elections.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Bill be now read a second time."—(Mr. Dodds.)
§ MR. WHEELHOUSE, in moving, as an Amendment, that the Bill be read a second time that day six months, said, that whilst admitting that it was high time to put a stop to what were commonly known as bogus nominations, he considered that the Bill interfered much too largely with the present provisions of municipal elections. He should be quite willing to read the Bill a second time if it were understood that it would be open to him or any other hon. Member to object to going into Committee upon it.
§ Amendment proposed, to leave out the word "now," and at the end of the Question to add the words "upon this day six months."—(Mr. Wheelhouse.)
§ Question proposed, "That the word 'now' stand part of the Question."
MR. ASSHETON CROSShoped the hon. Member who had charge of the Bill would agree to that arrangement. So far as he could see there was no principle whatever in the Bill, partaking as it did rather of the character of an omnibus measure, and he objected to certain clauses.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
§ Main Question put, and agreed to.
§ Bill read a second time, and committed for Wednesday, 14th April.