(12.55.) MR. WEBSTER (St. Pancras, N.), who. had the following Motion on the Paper—
" That, inasmuch as the provisions of the Ballot Act, 1872, in regard to the votes of illiterate persons, lend themselves to defeat the object of that Act, and owing to the spread of education are now unnecessary, this House is of opinion that the said provisions should be abolished,said: This question appears to me to be—
§ MR. CONYBEARE (Cornwall, Camborne)What is it?
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order !
MR. WEBSTERThis question appears to me to be one of such urgent public importance that I ought to raise 584 it now, even though I have only five minutes before me.
§ MR. CONYBEAREOn a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. What is the Motion.
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order ! Mr. Webster.
MR. WEBSTERI should like the House to consider what was understood to be the object of the Ballot Act when it was passed. The Attorney General of the then Liberal Government said it was to secure electors from landlord coercion on the one hand, and from intimidation on the other. I venture to say there is practised in many parts of the United Kingdom very great intimidation under cover of the illiterate clauses. In the constituency which I have the honour to represent there are between 4,000 and 5,000 electors, and yet at the last election there were only four illiterates. In South Paddington there were at the last election only two illiterates. But there are districts in Ireland—in Donegal, for instance—where illiterates abound in large numbers. At the General Election of 1886, out of 6,304 persons who voted in County Donegal 3,214 declared themselves illiterate. Let us compare the state of things in the United Kingdom and in Ireland. In 1886 there voted in England 2,400,000. Of these, 38,000 were illiterate. In Scotland there voted 358,000, of whom only 4,800 were illiterate. In Ireland 194,000 voted, and there were 36,722 illiterate. One voter only in 64 in England was illiterate; 1 in 74 in Scotland; but 1 in 5 in Ireland. I think something should be done to put a stop to the indecent scenes which took place at the recent elections in Ireland. I know that very soon my remarks will be put a stop to—
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order !
§ It being One of the clock, Mr. Speaker adjourned the House without Question put.
§ House adjourned at One o'clock.