§ The Parliamentary Elections Act, 1868.
§ The Parliamentary Elections and Corrupt Practices Act, 1879.
§ The Parliamentary Elections and Corrupt Practices Act, 1880.
§ To the Right Honourable The Speaker of the House of Commons.
§ We, the Honourable Sir William Robert Grove, knight, and the Honourable Sir Synge Christopher Charles Bowen, 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 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 28th, 29th, 30th, and 31st days of March, and the 1st day of April 1881, We duly held a Court at the New Borough Court, Wigan, in the County Palatine of Lancaster, for the trial of, and did try, the Election Petition for the Borough of Wigan between James Spencer and Edward Prestt, Petitioners; and Francis Sharp Powell, Respondent, which prayed that it might be determined that the said Francis Sharp Powell was not duly elected or duly returned, and that the said Election and Return of the said Francis Sharp Powell were and are wholly null and void.
§ And, in further pursuance of the said Acts, We report that at the conclusion of the said trial, we determined that the said Francis Sharp Powell, being the Member whose Election and Return were complained of in the said Petition, was not duly elected or returned, and that his Election and Return were and are wholly null and void on the ground of bribery by Agents, 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.) The following persons have been proved at the trial guilty of the corrupt practice of bribery:—
- Thomas Scott,
- Edwin McLoughland;
- (c.) That there is reason to believe that corrupt practices have extensively prevailed at the Election for the Borough of Wigan, to which the said Petition relates.
§ Dated this 1st day of April 1881.
§ W. R. GROVE.
§ CHARLES BOWEN.
§ And the said Certificate and Report were ordered to be entered in the Journals of this House.