§ The Parliamentary Elections Act, 1808.
§ The Parliamentary Elections and Corrupt Practices Act, 1879.
§ The Parliamentary Elections and Corrupt Practices Act,.1880.
1749§ To the Right Honourable
§ The Speaker of the House of Commons.
§ We, the Right Honourable Sir Robert Lush, knight, and the Honourable Sir Henry Manisty, knight, Judges of the High Court of Justice, and two of the Judges for the time being for the trial of Election Petitions in England, do hereby, in pursuance of the said Acts, certify that upon the 28th, 29th, and 30th days of June, and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th days of July 1880, We duly held a Court at the Guildhall, in the Borough of Lichfield, in the County of Stafford, for the trial of, and did try, the Election Petition for the said Borough between Sir John Swinburne, baronet, Petitioner; and Richard Dyott, Respondent.
§ And, in further pursuance of the said Acts, We certify and report that at the conclusion of the said trial we determined that the said Richard Dyott, being the Member whose Election and Return were complained of in the said Petition was not duly elected and returned, and that his Election and Return were and are wholly null and void on the ground of abduction by the Respondent's agents of voters, whereby they were prevented from voting at such Election, and we do hereby certify in writing such our determination to you.
§ And whereas charges were made of corrupt practices having been committed at the said Election, we, in further pursuance of the said Acts, report as follows:—
- (a.) That no corrupt practice was proved to have been committed by or with the knowledge or consent of any Candidate at such Election;
- (b.) We further report that the following persons have been proved at the trial to have been guilty of the corrupt practice of abduction of voters, whereby they were prevented from voting:—
- Frederick Symonds, a Justice of the Peace for the Borough of Lichfield; James Spooner, Market Gardener, Lichfield;
- (c.) We further report that there is no reason to believe corrupt practices have extensively prevailed at the Election for the Borough of Lichfield to which the said Petition relates.
§ Dated this 5th day of July 1880.
§ ROBT. LUSH.
§ H. MANISTY.
§ And the said Certificate and Report were ordered to be entered in the Journals of this House.