HC Deb 02 August 1831 vol 5 cc586-7
Sir William Guise

brought up the Report of the Committee appointed to inquire into the Election for Great Grimsby. The Report stated, that the two sitting Members had been guilty of treating, and the Election was, therefore, declared void. The hon. Baronet moved, that the Speaker do order a new Writ to be issued for Great Grimsby.

On the Speaker putting the question,

Mr. O'Connell

expressed an opinion, that it would not be right to comply with the Motion, and that it would be improper to allow the new Writ to issue. A Committee of the House had declared, that Great Grimsby ought not to continue to send two Members, and had agreed to take away one Member from that borough, and, therefore, two Writs ought not to issue. They had been threatened with an elsewhere, and he thought that this would be a good opportunity for that House to exert its own power, and by not allowing the nominees of Peers, and the Representatives of rotten boroughs to enter the House, they might materially check the opposition which such persons might be disposed to offer to the Bill now before them. He would move, therefore, that the debate on the order for issuing the Writ, be adjourned till to-morrow.

Lord Althorp

confessed, that he was taken by surprise by the Motion of the hon. and learned Gentleman. He would remark, however, that this was a Special Report of the Committee, and that the Members were accused, not of bribery, but of treating. The only instance, however, in which the Writs were superseded, were cases of bribery. To suspend the Writ in this case, therefore, would be unprecedented, and the Motion ought not to be adopted.

Mr. Robert Gordon

said, the Motion of Sir William Guise, was to issue Writs for two Members, while the hon. and learned Gentleman thought, as Great Grimsby was to lose one Member, that the House ought to suspend the issue of the Writs for two Members.

Sir Richard Vyvyan

thought, the hon. and learned Gentleman had no case to stand upon. He should certainly, if necessary, take the sense of the House upon the question of the issue of the Writ being postponed.

Lord Althorp

thought, on further consideration, that the Writ ought to issue. Till the Bill became a law, it would be quite impossible to act upon it. The proposed Motion of the hon. and learned Gentleman could not, therefore, be carried into effect.

Amendment negatived without a division, and the Writ ordered to be issued.

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