§ Mr. Lockhartwished to know from the hon. Member the Under Secretary for the Home Department whether the Government had taken any steps to prevent clerks of justices of the peace in Scotland, (particularly in Scotland we understood) from acting as political agents in election contests? The practice was most unfair. He was aware that Government had shown its disapprobation of it, but he wanted to know whether it had issued any further orders on the matter?
§ Mr. F. Maulesaid the Government had no power to make any further orders with respect to it. The Secretary of State for the Home Department had intimated to the parties that the practice of clerks of the justice acting as political agents was wrong, and that, like the clerks to the sheriffs, they ought not to take any part as political agents. Some of them had acted on the intimation, but others had refused to do so. Government had not the power to make any order on the subject.