§ In the matter of the Evesham Election Petition. We, Sir Charles Edward Pollock, knight, one of the Barons of the Court of Exchequer, and Sir Henry Hawkins, knight, one of the Justices of the High Court of Justice, two of the Judges for the time being for the trial of Election Petitions in England, do hereby, in pursuance of The Parliamentary Elections Act, 1868, and The Parliamentary Elections and Corrupt Practices Act, 1880, certify that, upon the 7th day of June instant 1880 and the day following, we duly held a Court at Worcester, in the county of Worcester, for the trial of, and did try, the Election Petition for the Borough of Evesham, in the said County of Worcester, between Edward Charles Rudge, Alfred Espley, and Joseph Masters, Petitioners; and Daniel Rowlinson Ratcliff, Respondent.
§ And, in further pursuance of the said Acts, We certify that, at the conclusion of the said trial, we determined that the said Daniel Row- 59 linson Ratcliff, the Member whose Return and Election were complained of in the said Petition was not duly elected, and that his Election and Return were void, because he, by his Agent, one William EdmundBallinger, was guilty of bribery at and before the said Election.
§ And whereas charges were made in the said Petition of corrupt practices having been committed at the said Election to which the Petition refers, we, in further pursuance of the said Acts, report as follows:—
§ That, upon the trial of the said Petition, no corrupt practice was proved to have been committed by or with the knowledge or consent of either of the Candidates at the said Election.
§ And, in further pursuance of the said Acts, we further report that the persons who were proved at the trial to have been guilty of corrupt practices, namely, bribery at the said Election, are, William Edmund Ballinger, William Spiers Wilson Brotherton, Thomas Taylor, and David Plumb.
§ And, in further pursuance of the said Acts, we report that, upon the evidence before us to which we have confined our attention, there was no reason to believe that corrupt practices extensively prevailed at the said Election to which the said Petition relates.
§ Given under our hands this 15th day of June 1880.
§ C. E. POLLOCK.
§ H. HAWKINS.
§ To the Right Honourable
§ The Speaker of
§ The House of Commons.