QUALIFICATION OF MEMBERS— MR. HARCOURT. (Hansard, 29 May 1848)

§ MR. SPEAKER
begged to call the attention of the House to a circumstance which had occurred with reference to one of its Members. An hon. Member, who had been returned at the last election for the county of Oxford (Mr. G. G. V. Harcourt), had appeared at the table at an early period of the evening, and taken the oaths, but did not deliver in a paper with 71 a statement of his qualification, nor sign the usual qualification roll, thinking it unnecessary to do so, because at the time of his election he was the heir apparent of a Peer of Parliament (the Archbishop of York). He (Mr. Speaker) apprehended, however, that according to the Act of Parliament a person, although he was heir apparent to a Peer at the time of his election, yet if he had ceased to be so in consequence of the death of his father, was bound on taking his seat to deliver in a statement of his qualification, and to sign the usual paper, otherwise his election would be void. [Mr. SPEAKER read the words of the Act.] The hon. Member, had now in his hands a declaration of his qualification, and was prepared to deliver it in if it was the pleasure of the House to permit him to do so. He had only to ask the House, therefore, whether it was their pleasure that the hon. Gentleman should deliver in his qualification at once?

§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
said, it was clear the penal part of the Statute did not apply to the hon. Member; but, if it was necessary, he would submit to the House a Motion upon it.

§ MR. SPEAKER
having signified that no Motion was necessary,

§ MR. HARCOURT
offered his thanks to the House for their courtesy. Having sat for more than forty years as a Member of that House without having had occasion to deliver in a qualification, and having at his last election delivered in his qualification as the eldest son of a Peer, he did not think it necessary to deliver in any other on his present election.