§ On the motion of Mr. Benett the special report of the committee appointed to take into consideration the allegations contained in the petition presented to the House against the return made at the last Liverpool election, was read. The report stated, that gross bribery prevailed at the last election.
§ Mr. Benettsaid, he rose as Chairman of the Liverpool Election Committee, to make the usual motion when a report of the nature just read was made to the House. He said, that gross bribery had been traced by the Committee to a great number of individuals; but as he was not aware that any opposition would be offered 1141 to the motion he was about to make, he should not trouble the House by going into the details of the evidence. He thought that the fact of such a report having been made by the Committee was sufficient reason to induce the House to grant the motion for the suspension of the writ for a new election for Liverpool, until time was allowed for the House to take steps to do justice in the case. The crime of bribery had attached only to the lowest class of freemen in Liverpool; and he thought, that as the proposed Reform measure, if passed into law, would not disfranchise the present freemen during their lives, some other steps ought to be taken to deprive at once the guilty parties at Liverpool of the enjoyment of the elective franchise. He intended to call the attention of the House to the subject after the Easter recess, and in the mean time he moved that the Speaker be directed not to issue the writ for the election of a Burgess to represent Liverpool before Monday April 18th.
§ An Hon. Member seconded the Motion. He declared that a regular systematic plan, of the most gross bribery had been established at Liverpool, and he thought steps ought to be taken to punish the guilty parties.
§ Lord Althorpthought the House would not be doing its duty, after having suspended the writs for smaller places where bribery was detected, not to apply the same rule to larger places. He felt bound to rely on the statement of the Committee, that gross bribery had been practised at Liverpool, and he should not offer any opposition to the Motion.
§ Mr. R. Palmersaid, that as the Motion was unopposed, he would trouble the House with only a few words. He thought that the House ought to endeavour to put an end to the bribery at elections, which so much prevailed at present, and he gave notice, that when the proposed Reform measure came into Committee, he should propose a clause, to compel Members of that House to take an oath that they had not employed improper means to procure their return. Whether he should propose that Members should take that oath at the hustings, or at the Table of the House, he had not yet determined.
§ Motion agreed to.