HC Deb 23 May 1881 vol 261 cc1061-2
SIR HENRY PEEK

asked Mr. Attorney General, Whether his attention has been called to the circumstances attending the declaration of the poll at the late St. Ives election:— The result of the polling was in the first instance declared as follows:—Ross (Conservative) 517, Pendarves (Liberal) 395; majority 122. This result took both parties by surprise, and it was at once openly declared that some mistake had been made in the counting. So strong was the feeling in the matter that the returning officer directed another counting of the votes, and the correct numbers were then found to be:—

Ross 462
Pendarves 360
Majority —102"
and, if, in his opinion, the existing machinery of the Ballot Act is sufficient?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir HENRY JAMES),

in reply, said, he thought the Question ought to have been addressed to his right hon. Friend the Vice President of the Council on Education, because the defect seemed to have arisen through the violation of one of the elementary rules of arithmetic. This was a circumstance which could not always be guarded against; but he did not think it afforded evidence that the machinery of the Ballot Act was insufficient.

SIR HENRY PEEK

asked if the Attorney General was aware that at the last Election his Colleague and himself received from the electors of Mid Surrey 1,330 more votes than were recorded by the High Sheriff?