§ Commons' consequential Amendments and Commons' Reasons for disagreeing to some of the Amendments made by the Lords, considered (according to Order).
§ THE MARQUESS OF RIPONsaid, the House of Commons had not assented to the Amendment introduced by the noble Marquess opposite (the Marquess of Salisbury), for requiring that if a schoolroom were used as a polling station the loss which the managers might consequently suffer in respect of the circumstance should be made good to them by the candidates. The Education Department of the Privy Council was prepared to meet the difficulty by the issue of a Minute providing that the number of days during which the managers were deprived of the use of a school-room solely in consequence of its being employed as a polling-place should be counted as school days in reckoning the attendances required to obtain a Parliamentary Grant. Under these circumstances he moved that their Lordships do not insist on their Amendment.
§ LORD CHELMSFORDsuggested that the word "employed" might not be taken to cover the days during which the schools would be under preparation to serve as polling-places, and their restoration after such use.
§ THE MARQUESS OF RIPONreplied that the clause would include the whole of the time during which the scholars were deprived of the use of the school.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYsaid, that the concession now granted was the one he had asked for before he pressed his Amendment. When he moved the Amendment, he did not think there was much hope that the Members of the House of Commons would saddle themselves with the expenses incurred in their own elections; but he did hope, and as the result had proved, not without good reason, that they would save themselves at the expense of the public purse.
§ Amendment to which the Commons have disagreed not insisted on.
§ THE MARQUESS OF RIPONthen moved that their Lordships do not insist on their own Amendment; but do agree with the Amendment made by the Commons, in respect of the declaration to be made by the illiterate voter.
§ THE DUKE OF RICHMONDsaid, he did not mean to advise their Lordships to insist on the Amendment to which they had agreed on his suggestion. He should have preferred that Amendment by which the illiterate voter would merely have been required to make a declaration before the Returning Officer; but if the Government preferred that he should deliver in a written document stating that he could neither read nor write, he had no objection.
§ Amendment to which the Commons have disagreed not insisted on.
§ THE MARQUESS OF RIPONsaid, that by a verbal error the Commons had inserted the words "polling place" for "polling station." He moved that the words "polling station" be substituted for "polling place."
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ THE MARQUESS OF RIPONmentioned that, in consequence of this verbal Amendment, the Bill must go back to the Commons.
§ Bill returned to the Commons.