§ MR. DONALD CRAWFORD (Lanark, N.E.)I beg to ask the Lord Advocate, whether information has reached him that, during the County Council elections in Scotland, treating to intoxicating drink was common in many places, and other expenditure, which would be illegal under the Corrupt Practices Acts; whether there is any reason why the Corrupt Practices Acts should not apply to County Council and other municipal elections in Scotland as well as in England; and, whether he will, at an early date, bring in a Bill to make those Acts applicable to such elections in Scotland?
§ THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. P. B. ROBERTSON, Buteshire)While it seems that in a few instances there have been some regrettable irregularities, there is no reason to suppose that the recent County Council Elections in Scotland, as a whole, have been conducted otherwise than in a creditable manner. At the same time the institution of those elections adds another reason for applying the Corrupt Practices Acts to municipal and other local elections in Scotland (as has already been done in England), and in the view of the Government this ought to be done. Relying on what I believe to be a general concurrence of opinion in the House I shall on an early day move for leave to introduce a Bill for this purpose.
§ MR. CRAWFORDI beg to give notice that I shall, on an early day, move for leave to bring in a Bill on the subject.