HC Deb 13 June 1893 vol 13 cc906-7
MR. DARLING

I desire to ask the Postmaster General a question of which I have given him private notice—namely, whether he intends to take any, and, if so, what, steps in consequence of the charge which has been made against him in The Pall Mall Gazette of to-day, that he was a party to a corrupt bargain within the meaning of the Corrupt Practices Act for the withdrawal of a Petition against himself at East Nottingham?

MR. A. MORLEY

The hon. and learned Member's letter was handed to me as I came into the House. In that letter the hon. and learned Member does not refer to The Pall Mall Gazette of to-day. I have not seen the paper to-day and do not know what further charges are made against me.

MR. DARLING

Read the letter.

MR. A. MORLEY

I intend to ask you what action you propose to take in regard to the charge of entering into a corrupt bargain within the meaning of the Corrupt Practices Act, as to the withdrawal of the Petition against yourself. I imagined that the question referred to the statement made a week ago, and so far as I remember no charge was then made against me of having acted corruptly in regard to the withdrawal of the Petition. If that charge has been made I am prepared to state that it is absolutely without foundation. I was no party to the withdrawal of any Petition. I had no notice served upon me of the filing of the Petition, and if there was any corrupt arrangement in connection with that Petition it was absolutely without my knowledge, without my consent, and certainly it would be against my approval. In these circumstances I am not going to take any action, and I am not going to gratify the desire of those connected with the journal in question by bringing any proceedings or action against them.

MR. DARLING

Arising out of that answer, may I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman is aware that an affidavit was made by Mr. Finch-Hatton and filed, that upon it the Judge ordered that the lapsed Petition should proceed on his entering into security, and that in that affidavit the very charge referred to in my letter to the right hon. Gentleman was made?

MR. A. MORLEY

I do not know that such a charge was contained in any affidavit. I have referred to the article published last Tuesday, in which no such charge is made. If it is made now I say it is absolutely false and without foundation.