HC Deb 03 May 1866 vol 183 cc352-3
MR. NEVILLE-GRENVILLE

said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Why the towns of Weston-super-Mare, Shepton-Mallett, Wellington, and Chard, co. Somerset, which have more than 5,000 inhabitants, have been omitted from the "Return of the names of Municipal Boroughs, &c, of 5,000 inhabitants and upwards, and which are not now represented in Parliament?"

SIR GEORGE GREY

said, in reply, that the Returns were made out by the Registrar General, and he stated that the reason why these boroughs were not included were as follows:—That the borough of Weston-super-Mare had no defined boundaries, and that, according to the last information obtained, it had only 2,000 inhabitants; that Shepton Mallet had 4,868 inhabitants; Wellington, 3,689 inhabitants; and Chard, 2,276 inhabitants. Each of these boroughs, therefore, had a population of less than 5,000.

MR. NEVILLE-GRENVILLE

said, that the Returns quoted by the right hon. Gentleman differed very much from those which he (Mr. Neville-Grenville) had received.

SIR GEORGE GREY

said, that the figures were not his, but those returned at the last Census.