§ Ordered, That all Members who are returned for two or more places in any part of the United Kingdom do make their election for which of the places they will serve, within one week after it shall appear that there is no question upon the return for that place; and if anything shall come in question touching the return or election of any Member, he is to withdraw during the time the matter is in debate; and that all Members returned upon double returns to withdraw till their returns are determined.
§ Resolved, That no Peer of the Realm, except such Peers of Ireland as shall for the time being be actually elected, and shall not have declined to serve, for any county, city, or borough of Great Britain, hath any right to give his vote in the election of any Member to serve in Parliament.
47§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That it is a high infringement of the liberties and privileges of the Commons of the United Kingdom for any Lord of Parliament, or other Peer or Prelate, not being a Peer of Ireland at the time elected, and not having declined to serve for any county, city, or borough of Great Britain, to concern himself in the election of Members to serve for the Commons in Parliament, except only any Peer of Ireland, at such elections in Great Britain respectively where such Peer shall appear as candidate, or by himself, or any others, be proposed to be elected; or for any Lord Lieutenant or Governor of any county to avail himself of any authority derived from his commission, to influence the election of any Member to serve for the Commons in Parliament."—(. Mr. A. J. Balfour.)
MR. J. LOWTHER (Kent, Thanet)I desire to submit an Amendment with a view to confining the operation of this Sessional Order to the cases of Lord Lieutenants of Counties. It will not be necessary for me to detain the House for more than a very few moments. My right hon. friend the First Lord of the Treasury gave me credit for very great consistency and persistency in connection with this matter. At the risk of forfeiting his good opinion I own at once that the fact whether Peers do or do not take part in elections is to me a matter of absolute indifference. Many years ago it may have been a matter of national importance, but it has now ceased to be so. There is, however, a question arising out of the Order to which it is impossible to attach too great importance, and that is whether it is to the credit and dignity of the House that it should go on affirming in so positive a manner a Resolution which it has neither the power nor the will to enforce. I need not trouble the House with precedents. I take it we are all on common ground when I say that all Prime Ministers on every side of politics have for the last quarter of a century ignored this Order. And perhaps I may be allowed to remind the House that since this Order was last passed it has been set at naught in a more persistent manner than ever. It was last passed on the 7th February in the present year, and before a week was over two Peers, 48 occupying a high position in their own neighbourhood, and upon different sides of politics, in two different counties, but on identically the same day, set the Order at defiance. I once said that the Order was broken every day. I understated my case: it has been broken twice a day. Again, in a room under the very shadow of this House, practically within its precincts, this Order was set at defiance by no less a person than the Lord High Chancellor of England, who, on that occasion—and this shows that the House is not in earnest in this matter—was moved into the chair by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and by the First Lord of the Admiralty at a meeting which was attended by many Privy Councillors and by no fewer than four Ministers of the Crown. I need make no further comment, although, in passing, I might point out how this example had been followed by the Duke of Devonshire and by a Bishop, whom I need not name. The fact remains that this Order has during the present calendar year been set at defiance by Ministers of the Crown in the House of Lords, aided and abetted and actively instigated by Cabinet Ministers sitting in the House of Commons. Surely then the House should not go on passing a Sessional Order which is openly defied, and which it has neither the power nor the desire to enforce. Without any of the laborious research with which my right hon. friend so generously credited me, I think I have been able to show that the Order is a farce and a sham, and, I venture to say, one discreditable to the House. I beg therefore to move to limit its operation to Lord Lieutenants of Counties.
§ MR. STANHOPE (Burnley)seconded the Amendment.
§
Amendment proposed—
To leave out the words from the word 'Kingdom,' in line 2, to the word 'for,' in line 8."—(Mr. James Lowther.)
§ Question put—"That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Question."
§ The House divided:—Ayes, 337; Noes, 76. (Division List, No. 1.)
51| AYES. | ||
| Allan, William (Gateshead) | Crombie, John William | Helder, Augustus |
| Archdale, Edward Mervyn | Currie, Sir Donald | Hemphill, Rt. Hon. Charles H. |
| Arnold, Alfred | Curzon, Viscount | Henderson, Alexander |
| Arnold-Forster, Hugh O. | Dalziel, James Henry | Hermon-Hodge, Rob. Trotter |
| Arrol, Sir William | Davies, M. V. (Cardigan) | Hickman, Sir Alfred |
| Asher, Alexander | Denny, Colonel | Hill, Rt. Hn. A. Staveley (Staffs. |
| Atkinson, Rt. Hon. John | Dewar, Arthur | Hill, Arthur (Down, West) |
| Bailey, James (Walworth) | Dixon-Hartland, Sir F. Dixon | Hill, Sir Edward Stock (Bristol |
| Baillie, Jas. E. B. (Inverness) | Donkin, Richard Sim | Hoare, Edw Brodie (Hampstead |
| Bainbridge, Emerson | Dorington, Sir John Edw. | Hoare, Sir Samuel (Norwich) |
| Baker, Sir John | Doughty, George | Holland, Wm. H. (York, W. R.) |
| Baldwin, Alfred | Douglas, Rt. Hon. A. Akers- | Hornby, Sir William Henry |
| Balfour, Rt. Hon. A. J. (Man.) | Douglas, Charles M. (Lanark) | Horniman, Frederick John |
| Balfour, Rt. Hon. G. W. (Leeds) | Douglas-Pennant, Hon. E. S. | Houldsworth, Sir Wm. Henry |
| Banbury, Frederick George | Doxford, William Theodore | Howard, Joseph |
| Barnes, Frederic Gorell | Drage, Geoffrey | Hozier, Hon. James Henry Cecil |
| Barry, Rt. Hn. A. H. S. (Hunts) | Duckworth, James | Hubbard, Hon. Evelyn |
| Barry, Sir Francis T. (Windsor | Dunn, Sir William | Hudson, George Bickersteth |
| Barton, Dunbar Plunket | Dyke, Rt. Hn. Sir William Hart | Jeffreys, Arthur Frederick |
| Beach, W. W. B. (Hants.) | Edwards, Owen Morgan | Jenkins, Sir John Jones |
| Beckett, Ernest William | Elliot, Hon. A. Ralph Douglas | Johnston, William (Belfast) |
| Begg, Ferdinand Faithfull | Evans, Samuel T. (Glamorgan) | Johnstone, Heywood (Sussex) |
| Bemrose, Sir Henry Howe | Evans, Sir Francis H. (South'ton | Jollife, Hon. H. George |
| Bethell, Commander | Fardell, Sir T. George | Jones, D. Brynmor (Swansea) |
| Bhownaggree, Sir M. M. | Fellowes, Hon. Ailwyn Edw. | Jordan, Jeremiah |
| Biddulph, Michael | Ferguson, R. C. M. (Leith) | Kay-Shuttleworth, Rt. Hn. Sir U |
| Bigwood, James | Fergusson, Rt. Hn. Sir J. (Man.) | Kearley, Hudson E. |
| Bill, Charles | Field, Admiral (Eastbourne) | Kemp, George |
| Billson, Alfred | Finlay, Sir Robert Bannatyne | Kenyon, James |
| Blakiston-Houston, John | Firbank, Joseph Thomas | Kenyon-Slaney, Col. William |
| Blundell, Colonel Henry | Fisher, William Hayes | Keswick, William |
| Bond, Edward | Fison, Frederick William | Kimber, Henry |
| Bonsor, Henry Cosmo Orme | FitzGerald, Sir R. Penrose- | Kitson, Sir James |
| Boscawen, Arthur Griffith- | Fitzmaurice, Lord Edmond | Knowles, Lees |
| Bowles, Capt. H. F. (Middlx.) | Flannery, Sir Fortescue | Lafone, Alfred |
| Brassey, Albert | Fletcher, Sir Henry | Langley, Batty |
| Broadhurst, Henry | Flower, Ernest | Lawrence, Sir E. Durning (Corn |
| Brookfield, A. Montagu | Folkestone, Viscount | Lawson, John Grant (Yorks) |
| Brown, Alexander H. | Foster, Colonel (Lancaster) | Lea, Sir Thos. (Londonderry) |
| Bryce, Rt. Hon. James | Fowler, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry | Lecky, Rt. Hn. William E. H. |
| Bullard, Sir Harry | Garfit, William | Leese, Sir J. F. (Accrington) |
| Burdett-Coutts, W. | Gibbons, J. Lloyd | Lewis, John Herbert |
| Burt, Thomas | Gibney, James | Llewelyn, Sir D.-(Swansea) |
| Butcher, John George | Gilliat, John Saunders | Lloyd-George, David |
| Buxton, Sydney Charles | Gladstone, Rt. Hon. H. John | Loder, Gerald Walter E. |
| Caldwell, James | Goddard, Daniel Ford | Long, Col. C. W. (Evesham) |
| Campbell, J. H. M. (Dublin) | Godson, Sir Augustus Fredk. | Long, Rt. Hon. W. (Liverpool) |
| Campbell-Bannerman, Sir H. | Gold, Charles | Lowe, Francis William |
| Carlile, William Walter | Goldsworthy, Major-General | Lowles, John |
| Carmichael, Sir T. D. Gibson- | Gordon, Hon. John Edward | Lowther, Rt. Hn. J. W. (Cumb'd) |
| Causton, Richard Knight | Goschen, George J. (Sussex) | Loyd, Archie Kirkman |
| Cavendish, R. F. (N. Lanes.) | Goulding, Edward Alfred | Lubbock, Rt. Hon. Sir John |
| Cavendish, V. C. W. (Derbysh.) | Graham, Henry Robert | Lucas-Shadwell, William |
| Cawley, Frederick | Gray, Ernest (West Ham) | Macartney, W. G. Ellison |
| Cayzer, Sir Charles William | Greene, W. Raymond-(Cambs) | Macdona, John Cumming |
| Cecil, Lord Hugh (Greenwich) | Gretton, John | MacIver, David (Liverpool) |
| Chaloner, Captain R. G. W.) | Grey, Sir Edward (Berwick) | M'Arthur, Charles (Liverpool) |
| Chamberlain, Rt. Hn. J. (Birm. | Griffith, Ellis J. | M'Arthur, William (Cornwall) |
| Chamberlain, J. A. (Worc' r.) | Gull, Sir Cameron | M'Calmont, H. L. B. (Cambs.) |
| Channing, Francis Allston | Gurdon, Sir William Brampton | M'Calmont, Col. J. (Antrim, E.) |
| Charrington, Spencer | Hall, Rt. Hon. Sir Charles | M'Crae, George |
| Clarke, Sir Ed. (Plymouth) | Halsey, Thomas Frederick | M'Ewan, William |
| Cochrane, Hon. Thos. H. A. E. | Hanbury, Rt. Hon. Robert Wm. | M'Iver, Sir L. (Edinburgh, W.) |
| Cohen, Benjamin Louis | Hanson, Sir Reginald | M'Killop, James |
| Colston, Chas. Edw. H. Athole | Hardy, Laurence | Malcolm, Ian |
| Colville, John | Hare, Thomas Leigh | Manners, Lord Edward W. J. |
| Commins, Andrew | Harwood, George | Marks, Henry Hananel |
| Compton, Lord Alwyne | Hayne, Rt. Hon. Charles Seale- | Massey-Mainwaring, Hn. W. F. |
| Cook, Fred. Lucas (Lambeth) | Hazell, Walter | Mellor, Colonel (Lancashire) |
| Corbett, A. Cameron (Glasgow) | Healy, Maurice (Cork) | Mendl, Sigismund Ferdinand |
| Cornwallis, Fiennes Stanley W. | Healy, Thomas J. (Wexford) | Meysey-Thompson, Sir H. M. |
| Courtney, Rt. Hon. Leonard H. | Healy. Timothy M. (N. Louth) | Middlemore, J. Throgmorton |
| Crilly, Daniel | Hedderwick ThomasCharles H | Milton, Viscount |
| Milward, Colonel Victor | Round, James | Trevelyan, Charles Philips |
| Monk, Charles James | Runciman, Walter | Tritton, Charles Ernest |
| Montagu, Sir S. (Whitechapel) | Russell, Gen. F. S. (Cheltenham | Valentia, Viscount |
| Moon, Edward Robert Pacy | Russell, T. W. (Tyrone) | Verney, Hon. R. Greville |
| Morley, Charles (Breconshire) | Rutherford, John | Vincent, Col. Sir C. E. H. |
| Moulton, John Fletcher | Ryder, John Herbert Dudley | Wallace, Robert |
| Muntz, Philip A. | Samuel, Harry S. (Limehouse) | Wanklyn, James Leslie |
| Myers, William Henry | Samuel, J. (Stockton-on-Tees) | Ward, Hon. Robert A. (Crewe) |
| Newark, Viscount | Sassoon, Sir Edward Albert | Warr, Augustus Frederick |
| Nicholson, William Graham | Saunderson, Rt Hon Col. E. J. | Webster, Sir Richard E. |
| Nicol, Donald Ninian | Savory, Sir Joseph | Weir, James Galloway |
| Northcote, Hn. Sir H. Stafford | Schwann, Charles E. | Welby, Lieut.-Col. A. C. E. |
| Palmer, Sir C. M. (Durham) | Scoble, Sir Andrew Richard | Wentworth, Bruce C. Vernon- |
| Paulton, James Mellor | Scott, Sir S. (Marylebone, W. | Whitmore, Charles Algernon |
| Pease, H. Pike (Darlington) | Sharpe, William Edward T. | Williams, John Carvell (Notts.) |
| Pease, J. A. (Northumbl'd) | Shaw, Charles Ed. (Stafford) | Williams, J. Powell (Birm. |
| Philipps, John Wynford | Sidebotham, J. W. (Cheshire) | Willoughby de Eresby, Lord |
| Phillpotts, Captain Arthur | Simeon, Sir Barrington | Wilson, Frederick W. (Norfk) |
| Pickersgill, Edward Hare | Sinclair, Capt. J. (Forfarshire) | Wilson, Henry J. (York, W. R.) |
| Pierpoint, Robert | Sinclair, Louis (Romford) | Wilson, J. W. (Worcestersh, N.) |
| Pilkington, R. (Lancs, Newton | Skewes-Cox, Thomas | Wilson-Todd, W. H. (Yorks.) |
| Pilkington, Sir G. A. (Lcs. S. W. | Smith, Abel H. (Christchurch) | Wodehouse, Rt. Hn. E. R. (Bath) |
| Platt-Higgins, Frederick | Smith, Hon. W. F. D. (Strand) | Wolff, Gustav Wilhelm |
| Plunkett, Rt. Hn. H. Curzon | Soames, Arthur Wellesley | Woodall, William |
| Powell, Sir Francis Sharp | Spencer, Ernest | Woodhouse, Sir J. T. (Hudd'rsf'd |
| Price, Robert John | Stanley, Hon. A. (Ormskirk) | Woods, Samuel |
| Priestley, Sir W. O. (Edin.) | Stanley, Edward J (Somerset) | Wortley, Rt. Hn. C. B. Stuart- |
| Pryce-Jones, Lt.-Col. Edward | Stanley, Sir H. M. (Lambeth) | Wylie, Alexander |
| Purvis, Robert | Stanley, Lord (Lancashire) | Wyndham, George |
| Quilter, Sir Cuthbert | Steadman, William Charles | Wyvil, Marmaduke D'Arcy |
| Rankin, Sir James | Stevenson, Francis S. | Yerburgh, Robert Armstrong |
| Renshaw, Charles Bine | Stewart, Sir M. J. M'Taggart | Young, Comm'nd'r (Berks, E.) |
| Rentoul, James Alexander | Stone, Sir Benjamin | Young, Samuel (Cavan, East) |
| Richardson, Sir T. (Hartlep'l) | Strachey, Edward | Younger, William |
| Rickett, J. Compton | Strutt, Hon. Charles Hedley | Yoxall, James Henry |
| Ridley, Rt. Hn. SirMatthew W. | Stuart, James (Shoreditch) | |
| Ritchie, Rt. Hon. Chas. T. | Sturt, Hon. H. Napier | |
| Roberts, John Bryn (Eifion) | Thomas, D. A. (Merthyr) | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Roberts, John H. (Denbighs.) | Thorburn, Walter | Sir William Walrond and Mr. Anstruther. |
| Robertson, Herbert (Hackney) | Thornton, Percy M. | |
| Rothschild, Hon. Lionel Walter | Tollemache, Henry James |
| NOES. | ||
| Abraham, Wm. (Cork, N. E.) | Fox, Dr. Joseph Francis | Norton, Capt. Cecil William |
| Allen, W. (Newc.-under-Lyme) | Galloway, William Johnson | O'Brien, Patrick (Kilkenny) |
| Allhusen, Augustus H. Eden | Gourley, Sir Edwd. Temperley | O'Connor, Arthur (Donegal) |
| Ambrose, Robert | Haldane, Richard Burdon | Oldroyd, Mark |
| Austin, M. (Limerick, W.) | Hayden, John Patrick | O'Malley, William |
| Bayley, Thomas (Derbyshire) | Heath, James | Pirie, Duncan V. |
| Boulnois, Edmund | Heaton, John Henniker | Priestley, Briggs (Yorks.) |
| Bowles, T. Gibson (King's Lynn | Hogan, James Francis | Reckitt, Harold James |
| Buchanan, Thos. Ryburn | Howorth, Sir Henry Hoyle | Redmond, William (Clare) |
| Cameron, Sir Chas. (Glasgow) | Hutton, John (Yorks. N. R.) | Reid, Sir Robert Threshie |
| Carson, Rt. Hon. Edward | Jacoby, James Alfred | Richardson, J. (Durham, S. E.) |
| Carvill, P. George Hamilton | Jones, William (Carnarvonsh. | Sandys, Lieut.-Col. T. Myles |
| Clark, Dr. G. B. (Caithness-sh.) | Kinloch, Sir John Geo. Smyth | Scott, Chas. Prestwich (Leigh) |
| Cranborne, Viscount | Labouchere, Henry | Smith, James Parker (L'n'rks) |
| Curran, Thomas B. (Donegal) | Lambert, George | Souttar, Robinson |
| Dalbiac, Colonel Philip Hugh | Logan, John William | Sullivan, Donal (Westmeath) |
| Dalkeith, Earl of | MacAleese, Daniel | Sullivan, T. D. (Donegal, W.) |
| Davitt, Michael | MacDonnell, Dr. M. A(Qu'n's C | Ure, Alexander |
| Dilke, Rt. Hon. Sir Charles | Maclean, James Mackenzie | Wedderburn, Sir William |
| Dillon, John | Maclure, Sir John William | Wharton, Rt. Hon. John L. |
| Donelan, Captain A. | MacNeill, John Gordon Swift | Wilson, Charles Henry (Hull) |
| Doogan, P. C. | M'Ghee, Richard | Wrightson, Thomas |
| Drucker, A. | M'Kenna, Reginald | |
| Duncombe, Hon. Hubert V. | Maddison, Fred. | TELLERS FOR THE NOES— |
| Ellis, John Edward | Maden, John Henry | Mr. James Lowther and Mr. Philip Stanhope. |
| Farquharson, Dr. Robert | Mellor, Rt. Hn. J. W. (Yorks.) | |
| Fenwick, Charles | Milbank, Sir Powlett Chas. Jn. |
§ Main Question put, and agreed to.
§ Resolved, That it is a high infringement of the liberties and privileges of the Commons of the United Kingdom for any Lord of Parliament, or other Peer or Prelate, not being a Peer of Ireland at the time elected, and not having declined to serve for any county, city, or borough of Great Britain, to concern himself in the election of Members to serve for the Commons in Parliament, except only any Peer of Ireland, at such Elections in Great Britain respectively where such Peer shall appear as a candidate, or by himself, or any others, be proposed to be elected; or for any Lord Lieutenant or Governor of any county to avail himself of any authority derived from his Commission, to influence the election of any Member to serve for the Commons in Parliament.
§ Resolved, That if it shall appear that any person hath been elected or returned a Member of this House, or endeavoured so to be, by bribery, or any other corrupt practices, this House will proceed with the utmost severity against all such persons as shall have been wilfully concerned in such bribery or other corrupt practices.