§ MR. WALPOLEmoved, in pursuance of notice, for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the law for the registration of persons entitled to vote in the election of Members to serve in Parliament for England and Wales, pursuant to suggestions contained in the Report of the Committee on Notes of Electors. The hon. and learned Gentleman said he would not, on this occasion, do more than state the leading objects of his Bill, reserving for the second reading a more detailed statement of its provisions. His chief purpose was to prevent that wholesale system of raising objections to voters, by which much injustice was now wrought; and this he proposed to do by giving to all bonâ fide electors the right of retaining their names on the register without being exposed to frivolous and vexatious objections. He sought to accomplish his object by the imposition of a heavy penalty on the objector who, without good and probable cause, objected to the vote. Another means by which he sought to secure the quiet right of a bonâ fide voter was to take away all objections founded upon mere technical grounds, without going at all to the merits; but he had another object, which was that of facilitating the purification of the electoral lists, by giving to the bonâ fide objector increased means of effecting that purpose, at the same time that his power should be so restricted as not to admit of his acting vexatiously or injuriously towards the elector. He would not go further into the nature of the measure; but would just state, that it was a Bill framed in conformity with the suggestions contained in the report of the Committee on Votes of Electors.
§ Leave given. Bill brought in, and read a first time.