§ A conference was held with the Lords on the Registration of Electors Bill, and it was reported to the House that the managers of the conference on the part of the Lords had delivered back the Bill, together with the reasons of their Lordships for adhering to their Amendments.
§ The Amendments and the reasons for disagreeing to them, having been read,
§ The Attorney-Generalsaid, that he was exceedingly sorry that it became 1312 his duty to move that the Amendments of the House of Lords to the bill should be considered on that day three months. If the House were to agree to the Amendments of the House of Lords, they would inflict a great and serious wound on the constituent body in this country. When the bill had gone up from this House, it was simply a bill for regulating the mode of the registration of their constituents, and it passed without any objection being made to it, except in the case of one clause, on which a division took place. A clause, however, had been introduced into it, in the other House, respecting the franchise, to which he thought it was impossible that they could agree. Thousands of persons had already been placed on the registry as voters, in their character as trustees, but by the clause to which he had alluded the franchise was taken from them, and he thought that this provision could not be allowed.
§ Mr. Warburtonthought, that the objection pointed out by the learned Attorney-General was a very valid one, and one which would be generally admitted. When the bill was before in this House, it was agreed as a principle that it should provide only for the matter of registration, and yet the House of Lords had introduced this clause, having reference to an entirely different matter.
§ Motion agreed to, consideration of the Amendments postponed for three months.