§ MR. SPEAKERinformed the House, That he had received from the Judges for the time being on the rota for the Trial of Election Petitions in England, a Certificate and Report relating to the Election for the Eastern or Cirencester Division of the County of Gloucester, and the same was read, as followeth:
§ The Corrupt Practices Prevention Acts,1854 to 1883.
§ To the Right Honorable the Speaker of the House of Commons.
§ We, the undersigned Judges of the High Court of Justice, and two of the Judges for the time being for the trial of Election Petitions in England, do hereby, in pursuance of the said Acts, certify, That, upon the 24th and:25th days of January 1893, at the Assize Courts at Gloucester, in the County of Gloucester, and afterwards by adjournment for further consideration upon the 6th day of February 1893 at the Royal Courts of Justice, London, we duly held a Court for the trial of and did try the Election Petition for the Eastern or Cirencester Division of the County of Gloucester between Harry Lawson Webster Lawson, Petitioner, and Thomas William Chester Master, junior, Respondent
§ And, in further pursuance of the said Acts, we report that at the conclusion of the said trial we determined that the said Election and the Return thereof were null awl void, upon the ground that an equal number of good votes was given at the said Election for the said Thomas William Chester Master, junior (the Member whose Election and Return were complained of) as for the said Harry Lawson Webster Lawson; and we do hereby certify such our determination.
§ And, in further pursuance of The said Acts, we do hereby report that no corrupt or illegal practice was proved to have been committed by or with the consent or knowledge of any candidate at such Election.
§ We further report that there is no reason to believe upon the evidence given before us, that corrupt practices extensively prevailed at such Elections.
§ Dated this 6th day of February 1893.
§ H. HAWKINS.
§ R. VAUGHAN WILLIAMS.
§ And the said Certificate and Report were ordered to be entered in the Journals of this House.