§ SIR HERBERT MAXWELLasked the Lord Advocate, If he is prepared to introduce a Bill to amend "The Corrupt and Illegal Practices at Elections Act, 1883," with the view of scheduling and limiting the expenses of Returning Officers in Scotland (over which candidates at present have no control), and by this means assimilating the Law to that of England?
THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. B. BALFOUR)The Corrupt Practices Act made no alteration on the previous law regulating this matter in Scotland, nor, as I understand, in England. The law in England stands upon the Parliamentary Elections Returning Officers Act, 1875, which enabled Returning Officers to require security for their expenses, and also fixed a scale of their charges. An Act bearing a similar title was passed for Scotland in 1878, to which no scale of charges was appended. Both of these Acts are to be read as one with the Ballot Act; and consequently any amendment upon them would be most appropriately made when the Ballot Act is under consideration. I may say that I think the matter is very fit for being made the subject of complete statutory regulation.