§ The Parliamentary Elections Act, 1868.
§ The Parliamentary Elections and Corrupt Practices Act, 1879, and
§ The Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Acts, 1883 and 1895.
§ To the Right Honourable the Speaker of the House of Commons.
§ We, the Honourable Baron Pollock and the Honourable Mr. Justice Bruce, Judges of Her Majesty's High Court of Justice, and two of the Judges on the rota for the time being for the 67 trial of Election Petitions in England, do hereby, in pursuance of the said Acts, certify that upon the 7th day of December 1895, we duly held a Court at the Guildhall in the City of Lichfield, for the trial of and did on the said day and following days try the Election Petition for the Lichfield Division of the County of Stafford, between Sir Charles Wolseley, Baronet, Theophilus John Levett, John Alkin, and John Shaw, Petitioners, and Henry Charles Fulford, Esquire, Respondent.
§ And, in further pursuance of the said Acts we report:—
§ That, at the conclusion of the said trial we determined that the said Henry Charles Fulford, the Member whoso Election and return were complained of, was not duly returned or elected, and that his Election was void on the ground that the said Henry Charles Fulford, by Arthur William Barnes, his Election Agent, was guilty of an illegal practice at the said Election, in this hat his said Election Agent failed, without such authorised excuse as is mentioned in The Corrupt and Illegal Practices Act, 1893, to transmit to the Returning Officer a true return respecting Election expenses as required by the provisions of the last mentioned Act, and made a return respecting Election expenses in which he omitted to mention certain payments made on behalf of the said Henry Charles Fulford, the candidate, in respect of the conduct and management of the said Election, and omitted to mention payments made by the said Election Agent in respect of the conduct and management of the said Election for the holding of meetings to promote the Election of the said candidate.
§ And whereas charges were made of Corrupt and Illegal Practices having been committed at the said Election we, in further pursuance of the said Acts, report as follows:—
§ 1. That no Corrupt or Illegal Practice was proved to have been committed by or with the knowledge and consent of any candidate at such Election.
§ 2. That Arthur William Barnes, the Election Agent of the said Henry Charles Fulford, was proved at the trial to have been guilty of the illegal practice aforesaid.
§ 3. That there is not reason to believe that Corrupt or Illegal Practices have extensively prevailed at the said Election.
§ 4. That the said Henry Charles Fulford has been guilty by his said Election Agent of the illegal practice aforesaid, but save as aforesaid the said Henry Charles Fulford has not been guilty by any agent or agents of any illegal practice sit the said Election.
§ 5. That we have furnished the said Arthur William Barnes with a certificate of indemnity.
§ Dated this 24th day of January 1896.
§ C. E, POLLOCK.
§ GAINSFORDBRUCE.