HC Deb 24 March 1881 vol 259 cc1920-1

MR. WARTON moved— That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, that She will be graciously pleased to give directions that there be laid before this House, a Return to be made by the Commissioners who have recently sat or are still sitting for the purpose of inquiring into Corrupt Practices in the Cities of Canterbury, Chester, Gloucester, and Oxford, and in the Boroughs of Boston, Knaresborough, Macclesfield, and Sandwich, of the actual places or premises in which bribery has been carried on, specifying shops, private houses, public institutions, public houses, stables, solicitors' offices, the open street, and all other places and premises (if any), and giving the number of persons bribed, and the amount of money laid out in bribery in each kind of place or premises respectively. The hon. and learned Gentleman said, he wanted, if possible, to get at what the Government were going to do with regard to electoral corruption. He understood that the Motion was not opposed in the sense of any Amendment being put upon the Paper; but he had had a courteous communication from the Under Secretary of State for the Home Department, informing him that the Government did not like the Motion, and would possibly oppose it. He did not see why the Government, in the face of Parliament and the country, should object to the exposure of all corruption, wherever carried on, whether by the Birmingham caucus, or in any other part of the country.

MR. COURTNEY

said, he had informed the hon. and learned Member again and again that it was quite impossible for the Government to grant the Return, because they had not the materials to make it. The Gentlemen who had served on the several Election Commissions had, for the most part, discharged their offices and made their Reports, and had not, in their investi- gations ascertained the particulars desired by the hon. and learned Member for Bridport, as to— The shops, private houses, public institutions, public houses, stables, solicitors' offices, the open street, and all other places and premises (if any) in which bribery has been carried on. Being thus destitute of all the information which the hon. and learned Member desired, it was impossible for the Government to grant it to him, unless he desired the whole of those Commissions to be re-opened and inquiries made on the spot. For these reasons, he could only say that the Government were unable to give the Returns.

Question put, and negatived.