§ MR. ADAIR, from the Select Committee appointed to try the Nottingham Town Election Petition, informed the House, That it appeared from evidence adduced before the Committee on Monday the 2nd day of April, that James Pringle having been duly summoned by the Speaker's Warrant, had disobeyed such Warrant, and had not appeared before the said Committee. He begged, therefore, to move that James Pringle, having been duly summoned by the Speaker's Warrant to attend the said Committee, and having disobeyed such Warrant, had been guilty of a contempt and breach of the privileges of that House.
§ MR. WATKINasked, whether it was usual to make such a Motion in cases of that kind; because he recollected that that course had not been followed in the case of Great Yarmouth, when two important witnesses, who were both served with the Speaker's Warrant, had absented themselves.
§ MR. HADFIELDthought it desirable that some prompt power should be given to the Chairman of a Committee to issue a warrant for the apprehension of a witness who disobeyed the Speaker's Warrant. A person who would bribe an elector was quite competent to bribe a person not to appear before a Committee.
MR. DEPUTY SPEAKERbelieved that in the case of the Great Yarmouth Election Committee, to which the hon. Member for Stockport had referred, no report had been made to the House like that which had just emanated from the Nottingham Election Committee.
§ Motion agreed to.
969§ Resolved, That James Pringle having been duly summoned by the Speaker's Warrant to attend the said Committee, and having disobeyed such Warrant, and not having appeared before the said Committee, has been guilty of contempt and of a breach of the privileges of this House.
§ Ordered, That James Pringle, having been guilty of contempt, and of a breach of the privileges of this House, be for his said offence taken into the custody of the Serjeant-at-Arms attending this House; and that Mr. Deputy Speaker do issue his Warrant accordingly.