§ 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 66 any thing 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 do 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.
§ 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 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."—(Sir A. Acland-Hood.)
§ SIR WILFRID LAWSON (Cornwall, Camborne) rose to oppose the Order, saying that in so doing he was following the action of a similar kind taken during many years by the late Mr. James Lowther. Mr. Lowther, he said, opposed the Order as a sham. It was a perfectly innocuous Resolution and there was nothing in it which enabled the "policeman on the beat" to prevent any Peer taking any part in any election. To-day the grounds for opposing the Resolution were stronger than ever. During the recess there was an election in North Dorset, and Lord Alington, who as Mr Sturt had occupied a seat in that House and had actually voted in favour of this Sessional Order, wrote a letter desiring 67 his tenants to vote for the Unionist candidate. Lord Alington had also announced his intention of writing a similar letter at all future elections in Dorset. He therefore wished to ask whether the Government intended to take any notice of the proceedings of this young man. If the right hon. Gentleman would say that he proposed to take any action, then it would not be necessary to put the House to the trouble of a division, but if he proposed to do nothing then it only remained for them to indicate their appreciation of the absurdity of the Order by dividing the House and trying to prevent it making a fool of itself.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.The hon. Baronet has reminded the House that this is not a new question and that it has often been raised by a right hon. friend of mine who is no longer with us. Now I have no other answer to give the hon. Baronet than that I have so often given in this place. I shall not defend or criticise the conduct of Lord Alington, who was very recently a Member of the House of Commons, and who probably has supported the Government in rejecting Motions similar to that of the hon. Baronet. [Sir WILFRID LAWSON: He voted for the Order.] I can only suppose that as soon as any gentleman is translated to another and a higher sphere, a process of rapid deterioration sets in and he forgets the principles which animated him in the House of Commons. As to the practical question whether or not this Order should be abolished, my views are quite unchanged. If the House of Commons in a formal way cares to delete the rule from its Standing Orders, it will be taken, and must be taken, as an intimation
§ to every Peer that, as far as the House of Commons is concerned, they will welcome his intervention in electoral contests. I do not remember the exact proportion of Unionists to Radical Peers in the House of Lords; but the balance is considerably in our favour. Therefore, from the Ministerial point of view, it would be an advantage to take the step suggested; because, if the intervention of Peers has any effect at all, that Party must gain which can enlist the greater number of Peers on its side. It is, therefore, on purely constitutional grounds, and against the interests of his Party that the hon. Baronet acts; and I will stand between the hon. Baronet and his self-denying procedure. I am sufficiently enamoured of the old constitutional principles of this country to see with reluctance the appearance of noble Lords on our electoral platforms. Such assistance may be extremely useful in relieving the labour thrown on candidates; but I do not believe it would be expedient. I will admit that there is no sanction behind this Order. The House cannot censure a noble Lord; and, if it did, he would probably treat the censure with ridicule. Therefore, the most dignified course is to take no steps to enforce the Rule. But the fact that this Order is retained by the House will prevent the great mass of Peers from taking an active part during the brief period in which an election is going on, and that is to the advantage of the House at large and of the hon. Baronet and his Party. In those circumstances I hope the opposition to the Order will not be pressed.
§ Question put.
§ The House divided:—Ayes, 345; Noes, 65. (Division List, No. 1.)
71| AYES. | ||
| Agnew, Sir Andrew Noel | Bain, Colonel James Robert | Blundell Colonel Henry |
| Allen, Charles P. | Balcarres, Lord | Boland, John |
| Allhusen, Augustus Henry E. | Balfour, Rt. Hn.A.J. (Manch'r) | Bond, Edward |
| Allsopp, Hon. George | Balfour, Rt Hn Gerald W (Leeds) | Boulnois, Edmund |
| Arkwright, John Stanhope | Balfour, Kenneth R.(Christeh.) | Bowles, Lt. Col. H.F.(Middlesex) |
| Arnold-Forster, Rt. Hn. H. O. | Barran, Rowland Hirst | Brassey, Albert |
| Arrol, Sir William | Barry, E. (Cork, S.) | Brigg, John |
| Asher, Alexander | Barry, Sir F. T. (Windsor) | Bright, Allan Heywood |
| Asquith, Rt. Hn. Herbert H. | Bayley, Thomas (Derbyshire) | Brodrick, Rt. Hon. St. John |
| Atkinson, Rt. Hon. John | Bell, Richard | Brotherton, Edward Allen |
| Aubrey-Fletcher, Rt. Hn. Sir H. | Bhownaggree, Sir M. M. | Brunner, Sir John Tomlinson |
| Bagot, Capt. J. FitzRoy | Bigwood, James | Bryce, Rt. Hon. James |
| Bailey, James (Walworth) | Black, Alexander William | Brymer, William Ernest |
| Burdett-Coutts, W. | Foster, Sir Walter (Derby Co.) | Lees, Sir Elliott (Birkenhead) |
| Buxton, Sydney Charles | Fowler, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry | Leese, SirJoseph F. (Accrington |
| Caldwell, James | Freeman-Thomas, Captain F. | Legge, Col. Hon. Heneage |
| Cameron, Robert | Galloway, William Johnson | Levy, Maurice |
| Campbell, Rt. Hn. J. A. (Glasgow) | Gardner, Ernest | Lewis, John Herbert |
| Campbell, J. H. M. (Dublin Univ. | Garfit, William | Llewellyn, Evan Henry |
| Campbell, John (Armagh, S.) | Gibbs, Hon. A. G. H. | Lloyd-George, David |
| Campbell-Bannerman, Sir H. | Gladstone, Rt. Hn. Herbert J. | Lockwood, Lieut.-Col. A. R. |
| Carlile, William Walter | Goddard, Daniel Ford | Loder, Gerald Walter Erskine |
| Carson, Rt. Hon. Sir Edw. H. | Gordon, Hn. J. E. (Elgin & Nairn) | Long, Col. C. W. (Evesham) |
| Causton, Richard Knight | Gordon, Maj Evans-(T'r H'ml'ts | Long, Rt. Hn. W. (Bristol, S.) |
| Cavendish, R. F. (N. Lanes.) | Gore, Hon. S. F. Ormsby- | Lonsdale, John Brownlee |
| Cavendish, V. C. W. (Derbysh. | Gorst, Rt. Hon. Sir John Eldon | Lowe, Francis William |
| Cawley, Frederick | Goschen, Hon. George Joachim | Lowther, C. (Cumb., Eskdale) |
| Cecil, Evelyn (Aston Manor) | Goulding, Edward Alfred | Loyd, Archie Kirkman |
| Chamberlain, Rt. Hn. J. (Birm. | Graham, Henry Robert | Lucas, Col. Francis (Lowestoft) |
| Chamberlain, Rt Hn J. A (Worc.) | Grant, Corrie | Lucas, R. J. (Portsmouth) |
| Chaplin, Rt. Hon. Henry | Gray, Ernest (West Ham) | Lyttelton, Rt. Hon. Alfred |
| Chapman, Edward | Greene, Sir EW (B'ry S Edm'nds | Macdona, John Cumming |
| Cheetham, John Frederick | Greene, Henry D. (Shrewsbury | M'Arthur, Charles (Liverpool) |
| Churchill, Winston Spencer | Grey, Rt, Hn. Sir E. (Berwick) | M'Arthur, William (Cornwall) |
| Coates, Edward Feetham | Griffith, Ellis J. | M'Crae, George |
| Cochrane, Hon. Thos. H. A. E. | Gurdon, Sir W. Brampton | M'Iver, Sir Lewis (Edinburgh W |
| Cohen, Benjamin Louis | Hain, Edward | Majendie, James A. H |
| Collings, Rt. Hon. Jesse | Halsey, Rt. Hon. Thomas F. | Malcolm, Ian |
| Colomb, Rt. Hn. Sir John C. R. | Hambro, Charles Eric | Marks, Harry Hananel |
| Compton, Lord Alwyne | Hamilton, Marq. of (L'nd'nd'y) | Martin, Richard Biddulph |
| Cook, Sir Frederick Lucas | Harrington, Timothy | Massey-Mainwaring, Hn. W. F. |
| Craig, Robert Hunter (Lanark) | Harris, F. Leverton (Tynem'th) | Maxwell, W. J. H. (Dumfriessh.) |
| Crombie, John William | Haslam, Sir Alfred S. | Milvain, Thomas |
| Crossley, Rt. Hn. Sir Savile | Hatch, Ernest Frederick Geo. | Montagu, Hn. J. Scott (Hants.) |
| Dalrymple, Sir Charles | Hay, Hon. Claude George | Moon, Edward Robert Pacy |
| Dalziel, James Henry | Hayden, John Patrick | Mooney, John J. |
| Davies, Alfred (Carmarthen) | Hayter, Rt, Hon. Sir Arthur D. | Morgan, D. J. (Walthamstow) |
| Davies, M. Vaughan (Cardigan | Heath, Arthur Howard (Hanley | Morrison, James Archibald |
| Devlin, Charles R. (Galway) | Heaton, John Henniker | Moulton, John Fletcher |
| Dewar, John A. (Inverness-sh. | Helder, Augustus | Mowbray, Sir Robert Gray C. |
| Dickson, Charles Scott | Helme, Norval Watson | Muntz, Sir Philip A. |
| Dickson-Poynder, Sir John P. | Hemphill, Rt. Hon. Charles H. | Murnaghan, George |
| Dimsdale, Rt. Hn. Sir Joseph C. | Henderson, Sir A. (Stafford, W. | Nannetti, Joseph P. |
| Disraeli, Coningsby Ralph | Henderson, Arthur (Durham) | Newnes, Sir George |
| Dixon-Hartland, Sir F. Dixon | Hermon-Hodge, Sir Robert T. | Nicholson, William Graham |
| Donelan, Captain A. | Hoare, Sir Samuel | Nolan, Joseph (Louth, South) |
| Doogan, P. C. | Hobhouse, Rt Hn H (Somers't, E | Norman, Henry |
| Dorington, Rt, Hn. Sir John E. | Hogg, Lindsay | O'Brien, Patrick (Kilkenny) |
| Doughty, Sir George | Horner, Frederick William | O'Brien, P. J. (Tipperary, N.) |
| Douglas, Rt. Hon. A. Akers- | Hoult, Joseph | O'Connor, James (Wicklow, W.) |
| Douglas, Charles M. (Lanark) | Houston, Robert Paterson | Palmer, Sir Walter (Salisbury) |
| Doxford, Sir William Theodore | Howard, J. (Midd., Tottenham | parker Sir Gilbert |
| Duke, Henry Edward | Hozier, Hon. James Henry Cecil | parkes, Ebenezer |
| Duncan, J. Hastings | Hudson, George Bickersteth | Parrott, William |
| Dunn, Sir William | Hutchinson, Dr Charles Fredk. | partington, Oswald |
| Durning-Lawrence, Sir Edwin | Jebb, Sir Richard (Claverhouse | Paulton, James Mellor |
| Ellice, Capt EC(S. Andrw's Bghs. | Jeffreys, Rt Hon Arthur Fred | Pease, Herbert Pike(Darlington |
| Elliot, Hn. A. Ralpn Douglas | Jessel, Capt Herbert Merton | Pease, J. A. (Saffron Walden) |
| Emmott, Alfred | Jones, D Brynmor (Swansea) | Pemberton, John S. G. |
| Esmonde, Sir Thomas | Jones, William (Carnarvonsh) | Percy, Earl |
| Evans, Sir Francis H (Maidstone | Kennedy, V. P. (Cavan, W.) | Pierpoint, Robert |
| Fardell, Sir T. George | Kenyon-Slaney, Rt. Hn. Col. W. | Pilkington, Colonel Richard |
| Ferguson, R. C. Munro (Leith) | Kerr, John | Pirie, Duncan V. |
| Fergusson, Rt. Hn. Sir J. (Manc'r. | Kimber, Sir Henry | Platt-Higgins, Frederick |
| Finch, Rt, Hon. George H. | Kitson, Sir James | Pryce-Jones, Lt.-Col. Edward |
| Findlay, Alex. (Lanark, N. E. | Knowles, Sir Lees | Purvis, Robert |
| Finlay, Sir R. B. (Inv'rn'ss B'ghs | Lambert, George | Pym, C. Guy |
| Firbank, Sir Joseph Thomas | Lambton, Hon. Frederick Wm. | Randles, John S. |
| Fisher, William Hayes | Langley, Batty | Rasch, Sir Frederick Carne |
| Fitz Gerald, Sir Robert Penrose- | Laurie, Lieut.-General | Ratelifi, R. F. |
| Fitzroy, Hon. Edw. Algernon | Law, Andrew Bonar (Glasgow) | Redmond, John E. (Waterford |
| Flannery, Sir Fortescue | Lawrence, Sir Joseph (Monm'th) | Reid, James (Greenock) |
| Flower, Sir Ernest | Lawson, Hn. H. L. W. (Mile End | Remnant, James Farquharson |
| Forster, Henry William | Layland-Barratt, Francis | Renwick, George |
| Foster, P. S. (Warwick, S. W.) | Lee, A. H. (Hants., Fareham) | Rickett, J. Compton |
| Ridley, S. Forde | Spencer, Rt. Hn. C. R. (Northants | Warner, Thomas Courtenay T. |
| Roberts, John H. (Denbighs.) | Spencer, Sir E. (W. Bromwich) | Wason, Eugene (Clackmannan |
| Robertson, Herbert (Hackney) | Stanley, Rt. Hn. Lord (Lancs.) | Wason, John Cathcart (Orkney |
| Rolleston, Sir John F. L. | Stevenson, Francis S. | Weir, James Galloway |
| Rollit, Sir Albert Kaye | Stewart, Sir Mark J. M'Taggart | Welby, Lt.-Col. A. C. E. (Taunt'n |
| Rose, Charles Day | Stock, James Henry | White, Luke (York, E. R.) |
| Rothschild, Hn. Lionel Walter | Stone, Sir Benjamin | White, Patrick (Meath, North) |
| Royds, Clement Molyneux | Strachey, Sir Edward | Whiteley, H. (Ashton und.Lyne |
| Runciman, Walter | Stroyan, John | Whitley, J. H. (Halifax) |
| Rutherford, J. (Lancashire) | Talbot, Rt. Hn. J. G. (Oxf'd Univ. | Whitmore, Charles Algernon |
| Rutherford, W. W. (Liverpool) | Taylor, Austin (East Toxteth) | Whittaker, Thomas Palmer |
| Sadler, Col. Samuel Alexander | Taylor, Theodore C. (Radcliffe | Williams, Osmond (Merioneth) |
| Samuel, H. L. (Cleveland) | Tennant, Harold John | Williams, Colonel R. (Dorset) |
| Sassoon, Sir Edward Albert | Thomas, Sir A. (Glamorgan, E. | Willoughby de Eresby, Lord |
| Schwann, Charles E. | Thomas, J A (Glamorgan, Gower | Wills, Arthur Walters, N. Dorset) |
| Seely, Charles Hilton (Lincoln) | Thomson, F. W. (York, W. R.) | Wilson, F. W. (Norfolk, Mid.) |
| Seely, Maj. J. E. B. (Isle of Wight | Thornton, Percy M. | Wilson, John (Glasgow) |
| Seton-Karr, Sir Henry | Tollemache, Henry James | Wilson, J. W. (Worcestersh. N.) |
| Shackleton, David James | Tomlinson, Sir Wm. Edw. M. | Wilson-Tod, Sir W. H.(Yorks.) |
| Sharpe, William Edward T. | Trevelyan, Charles Philips | Wodehouse, Rt. Hn. E. R. (Bath |
| Shaw, Thomas (Hawick B.) | Tuff, Charles | Woodhouse,Sir J. T. (Huddersfd |
| Sinclair, Louis (Romford) | Tufnell, Lieut.-Col. Edward | Worsley-Taylor, Henry Wilson |
| Skewes-Cox, Thomas | Tuke, Sir John Batty | Wortley, Rt. Hn. C. B. Stuart- |
| Slack, John Bamford | Turnour, Viscount | Wrightson, Sir Thomas |
| Sloan, Thomas Henry | Valentia, Viscount | Wylie, Alexander |
| Smith, Abel H. (Hertford, East) | Vincent, Sir Edgar (Exeter) | Wyndham, Rt. Hon. George |
| Smith, H. C. (North'mb. Tynesd. | Waldron, Laurence Ambrose | Yoxall, James Henry |
| Smith, Rt Hn J. Parker (Lanarks | Wallace, Robert | |
| Smith, Samuel (Flint) | Walrond, Rt. Hn. Sir William H | TELLERS FOR THE AYES—Sir |
| Soames, Arthur Wellesley | Walton, Joseph (Barnsley) | Alexander Acland-Hood |
| Spear, John Ward | Wanklyn, James Leslie | and Mr. Ailwyn Fellowes. |
| NOES. | ||
| Abraham, William (Cork, N. E. | Heath, Sir James (Staffords. NW | Price, Robert John |
| Abraham, William (Rhondda) | Higham, John Sharpe | Rea, Russell |
| Agg-Gardner James Tynte | Hope, J. F. (Sheffield, Brightside | Reckitt, Harold James |
| Ambrose, Robert | Humphreys-Owen, Arthur C. | Reid, Sir R. Threshie (Dumfries |
| Atherley-Jones, L. | Isaacs, Rufus Daniel | Richards, Thomas (WMonm'th) |
| Barlow, John Emmott | Jacoby, James Alfred | Robertson, Edmund (Dundee) |
| Bartley, Sir George C. T. | Labouchere, Henry | Robson, William Snowdon |
| Blake, Edward | Lough, Thomas | Roche, John |
| Broadhurst, Henry | Lundon, W. | Russell, T. W. |
| Buchanan, Thomas Ryburn | Macnamara, Dr. Thomas J. | Sackville, Col. S. G. Stopford) |
| Channing, Francis Allston | MacNeill, John Gordon Swift | Stanhope, Hon. Philip James |
| Condon, Thomas Joseph | MacVeagh, Jeremiah | Sullivan, Donal |
| Cremer, William Randal | M'Hugh, Patrick A. | Toulmin, George |
| Dalkeith, Earl of | M'Killop, W. (Sligo, North) | Welby, Sir Charles G. E. (Notts. |
| Delany, William | Morgan, J. Lloyd (Carmarthen) | White, George (Norfolk) |
| Devlin, Joseph (Kilkenny, N. | Morpeth, Viscount | Wilson, Chas. Henry (Hull, W.) |
| Dilke, Rt. Hon. Sir Charles | Nolan, Col. John P. (Galway, N.) | Wilson, John (Durham, Mid.) |
| Dillon, John | Norton, Capt. Cecil William | Wilson, John (Falkirk) |
| Eve, Harry Trelawney | Nussey, Thomas Willans | Wood, James |
| Fenwick, Charles | O'Brien, James F. X. (Cork) | |
| Field, William | O'Connor, T. P. (Liverpool) | TELLERS FOR THE NOES—Sir |
| Flynn, James Christopher | O'Malley, William | Wilfrid Lawson and Mr. |
| Hardie, J. Keir (Merthyr Tydvil) | Perks, Robert William | Kearley. |