§ MR. SPEAKERinformed the House, that he had received from Sir William Ventris Field, knight, and the Honorable Sir Charles Day, knight, Justices of the High Court of Justice, and two of the Judges selected for the Trial of Election Petitions, a Certificate and Report relating to the Election for the Borough of Lambeth (Kennington Division):—
§ The Corrupt Practices Prevention Acts, 1854 to 1883.
§ To the Right Honorable the Speaker of the House of Commons.
§ We, the Honorable Sir William Ventris Field, knight, and the Honorable Sir John Charles Day, knight, Justices of the High Court of Justice, and two of the Judges for the time being for the trial of Election Petitions in England, do hereby, in pursuance of the said Acts, certify that upon the fifth and sixth days of April, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-six, we duly held a Court at the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London, and within the Metropolitan District, for the trial of and did try the Parliamentary Election Petition for the Kennington Division of the Borough of Lambeth, in the County of Surrey (the same being a Borough within the Metropolitan District), wherein John Crossman, George Garlick, John Charles Jowett, and John Sandes were the Petitioners and Robert Gent-Davis was the Respondent, which prayed that it might be determined that the said Robert Gent-Davis, being the Member whose Election and return were complained of in the said Petition, was 1035 not duly elected or returned, and that his Election and return were and are wholly null and void.
§ And, in further pursuance of the said Acts, we report that at the conclusion of the said Trial we determined that the said Robert Gent-Davis, being the Member whose Election and return were complained of in the said Petition, was duly elected and returned, and we do hereby certify in writing such our determination to you.
§ And whereas no charge was made in the said Petition of any corrupt practice having been committed at the Election to which the said Petition refers, but charges were made in the said Petition of illegal practices having been committed at the said Election. We, in further pursuance of the said Acts, report as follows: That no illegal practice was proved to have been committed by or with the knowledge or consent of any Candidate at such. Election, nor has any Candidate been proved guilty by his Agents of any illegal practice within the meaning of "The Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act, 1883," in reference to such Election.
§ We further report that there is no reason to believe that illegal practices extensively prevailed at the Election for the Kennington Division of the said Borough of Lambeth, to which the said Petition relates.
§ Dated the 7th day of April 1886.
§ WILLIAM V. FIELD.
§ JOHN C. DAY.
§ And the said Certificate and Report were ordered to be entered in the Journals of this House.