§
House informed, that the Committee had determined,—
That Sir Robert Juckes Clifton, baronet, was not duly elected a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Nottingham.
That Samuel Morley, esquire, was not duly elected a Burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Nottingham.
1767
That the last Election for the said Borough is a void Election.
And the said Determinations were ordered to be entered in the Journals of this House.
House further informed, That the Committee had agreed to the following Resolutions:—
That Sir Robert Juckes Clifton was, by himself and by others on his behalf, guilty of undue influence at the last Election:
That Samuel Morley, esquire, was, by his Agents, guilty of bribery at the last Election:
That Charles Paget, esquire, was, by his Agents, guilty of bribery at the last Election:
That it was proved to the Committee that Joseph Richard Whitchurch and William Calah, junior, were bribed by William Marriott, with the knowledge of Sir Robert Juckes Clifton's Agent, by the corrupt payment of excessive travelling expenses to vote for Sir Robert Juckes Clifton:
That the said bribery was practised without the knowledge and consent of the said Sir Robert Juckes Clifton.
That at the last Election for the said Borough an excessive number of persons were employed on behalf of Messrs. Paget and Morley as messengers, canvassers, and protectors from violence.
That in three wards alone, out of seven, nearly 200 Voters were so employed by Messrs. Paget and Morley, who received from their agents sums varying in amount from 15 shillings to £4 10 shillings.
That amongst the Voters so paid were John Flint, George Fish, John Campion, John Foster, Charles Taylor, James Wright, Jesse Chambers, Thomas Selby, Edward Claypole, William Evans, George Hudson, Thomas Hooton, Edward Wheatley, Henry Mayfield, Thomas Chetwin, John Hillary.
That Henry Merrin was bribed by William Milner (junior), by the promise of £4 for his own vote, and the vote of his father, Frederick Merrin, to vote for Messrs. Paget and Morley, which sum he afterwards received:
That some of the Voters were allowed to continue their usual work during all the time of their employment, but nevertheless were paid at the same rate as those who attended all day; some were so old and infirm as to be incapable of rendering any efficient service; some were paid for a larger number of days than that for which they were engaged, or during which they were in attendance, while none of them were proved to the Committee to have rendered adequate services or work for the payment which they received:
That it was not proved to the satisfaction of the Committee that this colourable and extensive employment of Voters was with the knowledge and assent of Messrs. Paget and Morley, who, while leaving the conduct of the Election entirely in the hands of their committees, appeared to have implicitly relied on their discretion and judgment:
That your Committee are not of opinion that bribery in the form of direct money payments extensively prevailed at the last Election for the Borough of Nottingham:
That no such case of general riot at the last Election for the said Borough has been proved as would make the said Election altogether null and void on that account:
1768
That violent and tumultuous proceedings took place at the last Election for the Borough of Nottingham, and on the day of polling especially bands of men armed with sticks, and others on behalf of Sir Robert Juckes Clifton, by committing serious outrages on the property and persons of the inhabitants, created an alarm which was not without its influence on the result of the Election:
That the state of excitement and alarm which prevailed immediately before and at the Election afforded an apparently justifiable pretext for the hiring and payment by the Agents of Messrs. Paget and Morley of an excessive number of Voters, under the colourable pretence of employing them in carrying on the machinery of the Election, and the protection of the supporters of Messrs. Paget and Morley, which, in the opinion of the Committee, led to a practice so extensive in its application and demoralising in its effects, as well as unjustifiable and illegal:
That, in the opinion of the Committee, corrupt practices have not extensively prevailed at the last Election for the Borough of Nottingham.
§ Report to lie upon the Table.