§ MR. HOWELLI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, inasmuch as the laws relating to Parliamentary elections fill a very considerable space in the Statutes of the realm, and that the total number of Acts, and portions of Acts, now in force relating to such elections, qualification, disqualification, &c, of Members of this House, the qualification, registration, and mode of voting of electors, and other matters, extends to something like 180 Acts, the Government will, during the Recess, consider the propriety of preparing a measure for consolidating, amending, and 1365 simplifying the law relating to Parliamentary elections, and matters connected therewith?
§ * THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. H. SMITH,) Strand, WestminsterThe subject to which the hon. Gentleman calls the attention of the Government will receive very careful consideration.