Mr. S. Wortleyobserved, that he could find no instance of Election Petitions being decided before a short recess, and many instances of petitions deferred till after such a recess; and as it would occasion great inconvenience to keep witnesses in town for a long period, from so distant a place us the north of Scotland, he moved that the consideration of the election petition against him should be postponed from, the 2nd of December to some future day.
§ Sir C. Forbesopposed the Motion, contending that the matter in dispute lay in a nutshell, and that the hon. Member would not be able to maintain his seat for five minutes after the meeting of the committee to try the question.
§ Sir M. W. Ridleywas in favour of delay, and recommended further, that all the election petitions, but those where double returns had been made, should be post- 519 poned until after the holidays, which, it was understood, were to last for a month or six weeks.
Mr. Cutlar Fergusoncontended, that the hon. Gentleman (Mr. S. Wortley) had laid no special circumstances before the House to warrant a departure from the general rule, as applied to election petitions.
Mr. C. W. Wynnwould have consented to a motion to defer the consideration of the petition in question for a few days: he argued that it was one of the earliest duties of the House to ascertain who ought or ought not to sit as its Members, and that it would operate most unjustly to the parties, if election petitions generally were postponed until after the holidays.