§ Mr. J. R. YORKEasked Mr. Attorney General, Whether his attention has been called to the Report of the Boston Election Commission, in which the following names are scheduled as those of persons "guilty of bribery in respect of the votes of other persons," namely, John Maltby, Thomas Houghton Bailey, Benjamin Bissell Dyce, John Faulkner, and Thomas Wright; whether John Maltby therein mentioned is the person of that name who now is Mayor of Boston; and, whether the other four persons so scheduled are the same whose names now appear on the corporation of Boston; and, if so, what course does he intend to take with regard to those persons?
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL,in reply, said, the Report of the Commission had not been laid before him officially, but his attention had been drawn to it, and he found that the names of the persons mentioned were in the Report scheduled as having been guilty of bribery. He did not absolutely know as a fact, but he had reason to believe, that one of the persons mentioned, John Maltby, was now Mayor of Boston, and he had reason to believe further that the other four persons mentioned were mem- 350 bers of the corporation. He was not at present in a position to say whether sufficient evidence could be obtained against those persons to warrant a prosecution for bribery; but if he found, on further investigation, that it could, he should deem it to be his duty to bring the matter under the attention of the Government, and advise that a prosecution should be instituted.
§ MR. INGRAMasked Mr. Attorney General, Whether the persons scheduled as guilty of bribery by the Boston Commissioners are not exempted by Clause 45, Act 31 and 32 Vic. c. 125, from all penalties and disqualifications incurred by such, act of bribery, they having received no notice of the charge of bribery as required by the above-named Clause?
The ATTORNEY GENERAL,in reply, said, that, in his opinion, the persons scheduled as guilty of bribery by the Commission were not exempted by the 45th clause of the Act referred to from the penalties and disqualifications incurred by such act of bribery, although they were not, he believed, at present labouring under those penalties and disqualifications, because, as he understood, they had not been found guilty of bribery on any proceeding after notice of the charge; but probably if the case were heard they might be found guilty of sucha proceeding, and then the penalty of disqualification would attach, to them.