§ COLONEL FRENCH moved, that Mr. Speaker do issue his warrant to the clerk of the Crown in Ireland to make out a new writ for the electing of a burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the town of Galway, in the room of Anthony O'Flaherty, Esq., whose election has been determined to be void.
§ LORD LOVAINEsaid, that in the absence of the Chairman of the Galway Election Committee, he should move that the issue of the writ be suspended till Thursday next, in order that the evidence might be in the hands of hon. Members, who would then be able to judge whether or not it would be advisable that a further suspension of the writ should take place.
Amendment proposed, to leave out from the word "That" to the end of the Question, in order to add the words, "the Writ for the Town of Galway be suspended until Thursday next," instead thereof.
§ Question proposed, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Question."
§ COLONEL FRENCHsaid, he concluded that if the Committee had thought it desirable that the writ should be suspended, they would have reported to that effect. Galway contained a population of 30,000, and a constituency of 1,300, and the Committee had reported that only seventy voters had been bribed by small sums. Under these circumstances the borough ought not to be left without representation, for the suspension of the writ would be contrary to the constitution of the country, according to which the representation of the country ought to be maintained in as complete a state as possible.
§ SIR GEORGE GREYobserved, that he thought this was just one of the cases alluded to the other night, when a Resolution was carried requiring the suspension of the issue of writs in cases where the seats were vacated for bribery. It was then stated, that this suspension would give an opportunity to Members of the Committee to state whether or not it would be desirable that the House should be in possession of the evidence before the issue of the writ. He thought it desirable that that course should be followed in the present instance, especially as he understood that the noble Lord spoke for the Committee in the absence of the Chairman.
§ LORD LOVAINEbelieved that hon. Members would find, when the evidence was printed, that there was sufficient reason for the short delay proposed.
§ COLONEL FRENCHsaid, he would not in that case persist in his Motion.
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLremarked, that he thought that before the Motion was withdrawn they ought to understand that the writ would not be moved before Thursday.
§ LORD LOVAINE, at the suggestion of Sir G. GREY, then moved that the issuing of the writ be suspended till Thursday next.
§ MR. WALPOLEsuggested that the better way would be for the noble Lord to give notice of such a Motion.
§ Amendment and Motion, by leave, withdrawn.
§ Ordered, That the Writ for the Town of Galway be suspended until Thursday next.