HC Deb 13 March 1884 vol 285 cc1347-50
MR. RAIKES

asked Mr. Attorney General, Whether he has brought under the consideration of Her Majesty's Government the circumstances connected with the withdrawal of the Petition against the last Election for Hereford; whether he is aware that the Petition presented against that Return was withdrawn at the last moment in consequence of an arrangement signed on behalf of the Liberal Party in Hereford by several persons, including Mr. Scobie, who has since been appointed an Official Receiver in Bankruptcy by the President of the Board of Trade; whether that agreement did, among other provisions, stipulate that one of the present sitting Members for Hereford should apply for and accept the Stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds before Easter 1882 (an engagement which has not been carried out), and that the first vacancy occurring in the representation of Hereford during the present Parliament should be filled up by the Conservative Party without opposition by the Liberal Party; whether he is prepared to move for the appointment of a Select Committee of this House to inquire into this matter; and, what other steps, if any, he proposes to take in order to maintain purity of election, and to afford to the sitting Members for Hereford an opportunity of explaining this transaction?

MR. R. T. REID

In consequence of the form in which this Question is put, I would ask the permission of the House to say one word before the Attorney General replies to it. I wish to say in the strongest possible manner that I have not at any time been party or privy, directly or indirectly, to any bargain, agreement, or understanding of any sort or kind, relating either to the withdrawal of an Election Petition, or to the representation of the City of Hereford in Parliament. Any arrangement that may have been made between the Petitioners or any other persons was wholly without my knowledge or authority; and I have not, and will not, pay any regard to anything of the kind.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir HENRY JAMES)

Sir, I have not called the attention of Her Majesty's Government to the circumstances connected with the alleged agreement to withdraw the Petition against the return for the City of Hereford. I have not—because it is not my duty to do so. I have no information of any kind upon the subject, except that which is to be derived from the statement of the hon. Member for Evesham (Mr. Dixon-Hartland) the other night. Every Member of the Government had the same opportunity as I had of hearing that statement, and some took advantage of the opportunity and heard the hon. Member's speech, which I did not. For the same reason I cannot answer the numerous Questions put to me by the right hon. Gentleman as to the details of the alleged agreement. I know nothing of them; but probably he can obtain the information he seeks from the hon. Member for Evesham, who, I believe, was a rejected candidate at the election to which the Question refers. But I think I ought to say that, in my opinion, if any Petitioner who is in possession of evidence which may affect a Member's seat withdraws the Petition for any consideration given to him so to do, he principally, and also all concerned, are guilty of conduct which cannot be justified. But at the time of the alleged agreement such a withdrawal constituted no crime, and there is nothing of which I could take official cognizance. Of course, the House can deal with the conduct of its own Members; but we have heard both hon. Members for the City of Hereford state upon their honour that they had taken no share of any kind in connection with this alleged agreement. The right hon. Gentleman seems to complain that the agreement has not been fulfilled. I need scarcely point out that it is not the business of the House to see to the carrying out of such an objectionable contract. I will only add, in reply to the Question as to what steps I propose taking to preserve the purity of election, that I have taken the step of submitting to the House the provision in the Corrupt Practices Act that such an agreement to withdraw a Petition shall constitute a crime, and the House has been pleased to concur in that proposition. I trust this enactment will put an end to any such agreement as the one suggested in the Question. As I understand, both the hon. Members for Hereford have given assurances on their honour that they were not parties to the transaction which is alleged.

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

Only one of them. ["Both, both!"]

MR. RAIKES

I now beg to ask the senior Member for Hereford (Mr. Pulley) a Question of which I have given him private Notice—whether he intends to ask for a Committee of this House to inquire into the circumstances?

MR. PULLEY

I beg to say I have received no private Notice from the right hon. Gentleman, and that such is not my intention.

MR. RAIKES

I sent the Notice to the hon. Member by letter on the previous day.

MR. PULLEY

It did not reach me.

MR. RAIKES

said, he was sorry for that. In consequence of the reply which he had received, he should take the earliest opportunity of calling the attention of the House to the subject of his Question, and move a Resolution in reference to it.