MR. NEVILLE-GRENVILLEsaid, he would beg to ask the hon. Member for Cambridge, Whether he intends to bring before the notice of this House a Petition presented by him, from nearly 7,000 inhabitants of the city and county of Bristol, praying the House to declare one of the Seats vacant, and for the issue of a new Writ?
§ MR. POWELLSir, having carefully considered, so far as I am able to do, the circumstances of this case; and having the fullest confidence that the hon. Member referred to in the Question will act under a due sense of his heavy responsibility to wards the constituency which returned him to Parliament, under the full assurance that he was and would continue to be capable of sitting and voting in this House, I do not propose to ask the House to refer the subject-matter of this petition to a Committee; but I hope I may be allowed to add, by way of a more complete answer to this Question, this remark — that if an hon. Member who is proved to be a bankrupt does sit and vote in the House of Commons, then a state of affairs has arisen which is clearly provided for by the Statutes of the Realm and the established usage of Parliament.