§ MR. CAVENDISH BENTINCKasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether three letters, which were published by the "Times" newspaper, on Saturday, 10th June, and which purported to have been respectively addressed by the First Lord of the Treasury, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and the President of the Board of Trade, to the Birmingham Trades Council, on the subject of the Corrupt Practices Elections Bill, are genuine; whether Her Majesty's Government propose to amend the Corrupt Practices Bill by charging official election expenses on the local rates; and, whether he is now prepared to inform the House what course he intends to take upon the amendment of the honourable Member for Stoke, referred to in the above-mentioned letter?
MR. GLADSTONEIn reply to the hon. Member's Question, I have to state that the three letters referred to in the Question as having appeared in The Times are genuine. Her Majesty's Government have no intention of proposing to amend the Corrupt Practices Bill by charging official election expenses on the local rates.