CORRUPT PRACTICES AT ELECTIONS BILL.—LEAVE.—FIRST READING. (Hansard, 10 April 1862)

§ SIR GEORGE GREY

said, he rose to move for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the law relating to corrupt practices at elections of Members of Parliament. The Bill was founded mainly on the Resolutions of the Committee which sat in 1860, to inquire into the operation of the Corrupt Practices Prevention Act, and it provided for the continuance of that Act, with some material alterations, for a period of five years. It was proposed to comprise in the present Bill the enactments in the present Act, as well as some enactments which would be introduced for the first time. The Bill would re-enact the clauses relating to bribing and treating, and reduce the penalties attaching to those offences, in accordance with the recommendation of the Committee. The Committee recommended that in boroughs no provision should be made for the conveyance of voters; but the House having already pronounced its opinion on that subject when a Bill having reference to it was before them, he did not intend to introduce any provisions into the Bill in reference to that point. By the eighth Resolution the Committee expressed the opinion that the appointment of election 827 auditors had failed to prevent corrupt practices; the clause, therefore, relating to election auditors would be omitted, and a provision substituted calculated to ensure the publication of all the expenses of candidates and the inspection of all the accounts relating to the election. The Bill would extend to Election Committees the power of compelling witnesses to give evidence, though they might criminate themselves, subject to indemnity, as was given now by the Royal Commissioners where Commissions were issued. In that way witnesses would be protected from the consequences of their evidence so far as related to all civil and criminal proceedings. There was power also given to suspend the writs for certain time where it was proved that systematic bribery existed. There was also a provision that persons employed as agents at elections should be disqualified from voting.