Commons Sitting of 7 February 1826

STAMPING OF SMALL COUNTRY NOTES.
Mr. Calcraftbegged to ask a question of the gentlemen on the Treasury bench, upon a subject of considerable public interest. He understood that, of its own authority, government had taken upon itself to refuse the issue of any stamps for one and two pound country notes. If this was the fact, he thought it a great stretch of power.
Mr. Herriessaid, it was perfectly true that the government had taken upon itself to refuse stamps for one and two pound country notes. He imagined, that the understanding was general; that, if necessary, a short bill might be brought in to provide for exigencies, until the plan of the chancellor of the Exchequer was regularly stated. As the matter, however, was to come on so soon as Fri-

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day next, government had deemed it expedient to take upon itself the responsibility of refusing any further stamps for the country small notes; in order to prevent the issue of very large quantities, which would no doubt have been called for in the interim.
Mr. Calcraftsaid, it was the first time he had known government take upon itself such a responsibility, under such circumstances; and this, too, without even taking the opinion of the law officers of the Crown as to its legality. If the exigency was so pressing, a short bill ought to have been brought in; and the forms of the House might have been dispensed with. For himself, he thought the course most unjustifiable; and that it exposed the parties to actions of damages.

ELECTION LAWS IN IRELAND.
Mr. R. Martin, in moving for leave to bring in his bill, called upon every gentleman who had complained of the state of the 40 s. freeholders in Ireland, to assist in passing a measure which was intended to place those voters upon a more respectable footing. By showing the receipt for all rent due up to the time of the election, the 40 s. freeholders would be rendered really independent. At present it was well known that their property was in danger of being swept away, if they voted contrary to the inclination and bidding of their landlords. The tenants would prove themselves before the world to be much better qualified for exercising the rights of electors, could they show a full discharge for their rent. If they were in arrears, and the landlords wished them to vote independently, they could give them the receipt. No member who wished well to Ireland would deny them the boon which he now proposed. There was one evil more which it was desirable to correct. Any one having a majority of the magistracy on his side, might succeed in preventing the adversary from registering a sufficiency of votes to secure his return. In his own county he had been prevented for twelve months from registering a number of freeholders, and to the mean time the election went by. Such a power ought not to be left for any man to abuse. He would propose, that the clerk of the peace should have due notice of the application of the freeholders to be registered, and in failure of his attendance, a person should be sworn in
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who should be bound to take names, and hand them over to the clerk for him to register. He had as yet had no opportunity of conferring with Irish members on the subject. He then moved for leave to bring in a bill "to alter and amend the Election Laws in Ireland."
Mr. Hutchinsonsaid, that any measure to alter the law of election must, at the eve of a general election, be looked at with peculiar jealousy.
Sir H. Parnellsaid, that the plan of compelling people to show receipts for the discharge of rent, would be very objectionable.
Leave was given to bring in the bill.