HC Deb 02 February 1837 vol 36 cc88-9
The Attorney-General

rose, pursuant to notice, for the purpose of moving for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Municipal Corporation Bill. There were certain irregularities in the elections under that Act which, unless the House passed some legislative enactment to remedy them, would be productive of great inconvenience. There were two boroughs—Rochester, and Newport in the Isle of Wight— in which corporations there was an equal number of votes for each set of aldermen; the consequence had been, that each party had been put to much expense, inconvenience, and loss of time. Processes had also been issued against unfortunate councilmen more than two terms after the period they had been bound to serve, which had put the individuals to both expense and inconvenience; he should, therefore, propose, that the Court of King's Bench shall not have the power to issue a quo warranto after the lapse of two terms from the period of election. He would not now discuss the matter further, but would merely move for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Municipal Corporation Act.

Sir William Follett

did not rise for the purpose of opposing the motion of his hon. and learned Friend, in the object of which he agreed, though he would not pledge himself upon the subject; but he rose for the purpose of expressing his hope that his hon. and learned Friend meant to introduce some clause which should make the mayors more responsible than at present; indeed, as the law now stood, there was no check whatsoever on that officer—his dictum being final. There had been many instances in which the assessors had decided differently, and he should like to see some alteration in the constitution of their courts—in each case he hoped his hon. and learned Friend would bring forward some proposition for remedying the inconvenience. As the Bill now stood he would not pledge himself to support it.

Leave given. Bill brought in and read a first time.

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