THE SOLICITOR GENERAL, in moving that the Bill be now read the second time, said, he intended to ask the House to permit the measure to be passed through its remaining stages this evening, otherwise it would be impossible that it should become law before the Recess.
§ MR. WALDEGRAVE-LESLIEsaid, the Bill had not as yet been circulated.
THE SOLICITOR GENERALsaid, its object was well known. It was merely to correct an oversight. There could be no difficulty, therefore, about the matter.
§ Bill read a second time, and committed; considered in Committee, and reported without Amendment.
§ On Motion, That the Bill be now read a third time,
§ MR. DARBY GRIFFITHasked, whether in a case where it was intended to put a Bill in one night through all its stages, it would not be proper to put a Notice on the Paper that such a course would be proposed? He thought the present mode of proceeding rather objectionable.
LORD STANLEYsaid, he agreed in principle with the hon. Member; but he believed it was not usual to make a proposal for carrying a Bill through all its stages until its principle had received the assent of the House by being read a second time. He would not have recommended the present course if it were not that the Bill was simply intended to correct an accidental omission in the Representation of the People Act.
MR. OTWAYsaid, that while satisfied with the removal of the anomaly which 547 he had pointed out, and that the voters who had been guilty of corrupt practices in the four disfranchised boroughs had been properly and severely punished, he believed the country would never be convinced of the sincerity of Parliament in dealing with electoral corruption until the bribers were visited with the same punishment as the bribed. He regretted that the Government had not disfranchised the former as well as the latter, and especially a candidate at Lancaster, who had had former experience of election contests.
§ Bill read the third time, and passed.
§ Moved, "That the House, at its rising, do adjourn till Thursday."