HC Deb 16 March 1859 vol 153 cc222-4

Order for Consideration, as amended, read.

Motion made, and Question proposed— "That the Bill, as amended, be now considered."

MR. AYRTON

moved the recommitment of the Bill, in order that the provision by which the nomination of candidates was not to take place in open assembly, but through papers sent to the officers of the boroughs, might be reconsidered. It was only when more than the requisite number of councillors were proposed that an election was to take place. This appeared to him an unsatisfactory mode of conducting the elections, and it would be bettor to adopt that practice which was consistent with the usages of the people of this country—nomination in public meeting.

Amendment proposed, to leave out from the word "Bill" to the end of the Question, in order to add the words "be recommitted," instead thereof.

Question proposed, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Question."

MR. CROSS

explained the present position of the law and the object which the Bill had in view. As the law at present stood, no notice was given as to who were the candidates for the office of councillor, and the burgesses were therefore unable to know for whom to give their votes. Any man, whatever his character might be, could get a number of his friends together and obtain his election by surprise. Moreover, the corporation was obliged to keep open the poll all day, whether there was any opposition or not, and this put the corporation to great trouble and expense. In a large corporation like Manchester it would be necessary, if the plan of the hon. Gentleman were agreed to, to have as many as sixteen polling-places, with their attendant confusion and excitement. He should oppose the Motion.

MR. TURNER

also supported the Bill as it stood. He was quite sure that the hon. Member for the Tower Hamlets (Mr. Ayrton) could not have had any experience of municipal elections, or he would not oppose the provisions of this Bill. It would be a great been to Manchester.

MR. KNATCHBULL - HUGESSEN

asked the Government to express their opinion upon the question. It appeared to him that a system which worked well in the election of Poor Law Guardians, and of Members of Local Boards of Health should be carried out in municipal elections generally.

MR. SOTHERON ESTCOURT

thought the greatest publicity should be given in conducting municipal elections. Complaints were numerous that after an elector had voted other candidates appeared, and the remedy proposed was, that all candidates should be declared and their names published one whole day before the polling commenced. He was as much in favour of maintaining the principle of open voting as any man, and would much regret seeing it laid by. He thought the Bill provided a beneficial scheme.

MR. W. WILLIAMS

thought it highly important that the ballot should be introduced in municipal elections. It had been in use in the metropolis twenty-five years under Hob house's Act, and it had worked extremely well.

MR. RIDLEY

did not think the Bill provided a remedy for all the existing evils attending municipal elections; but it was good as far as it went, and he should support it.

MR. AYRTON

said, he would withdraw his Amendment.

Amendment by leave withdrawn.

Main Question put, and agreed to.

MR. TURNER

moved the omission of Clause 6, which substituted a revision by a barrister for the present revision before the mayor and assessors. He understood that this would not be opposed.

MR. VERNON SMITH

thought it would be more satisfactory if the lists were revised by revising barristers rather than by local authorities.

MR. CROSS

observed, that there would at present be considerable difficulty in transferring this duty to the revising barristers, and he was therefore willing to assent to the Motion.

Motion agreed to.

Clause struck out.

Clause 18.

MR. VERNON SMITH

said, that the 18th clause would abolish the system of voting papers which had hitherto been used at municipal elections, and would assimilate the proceedings in respect of voting to those of Parliamentary elections. He wished to know on what grounds this change had been introduced, as he believed the system of voting papers was generally approved. He could state, at all events, that the municipal electors of the borough which he represented (Northampton) were perfectly satisfied with that system.

MR. CROSS

replied, that the class of persons entitled to vote at municipal elections were, generally speaking, much below the Parliamentary electors in point of education, and it was found that, under the system of voting papers, electors who were unable to write were often fraudulently induced to vote for the wrong candidates. This practice had been going on for a long time, and, in consequence of the re-presentations made to him on the subject, he proposed by this clause that voting papers should no longer be used. The only advantage of these papers, which were delivered by the electors themselves, was that electors wrote down the names of the candidates for whom they voted, instead of repeating them to the poll clerks.

SIR JOHN SHELLEY

thought the system of voting by ballot adopted under the Metropolitan Local Management Act might be applied with great advantage to the case of municipal elections.

Bill, as amended, to be printed [Bill 75].

Bill to be read 3° on Wednesday next.

House adjourned at a quarter after Five o'clock.