§ Mr. SPEAKERinformed the House that he had received from the Judges appointed to try the several Election Petitions the following Certificate and Report relating to the Election for the City of Worcester:—
The Parliamentary Elections Act, 1868, The Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Acts, 1854–1895.
Election of a Member of Parliament for the City of Worcester, holden on the 17th day of January, 1906.
To the Right Honourable The Speaker of the House of Commons.
We, Sir John Compton Lawrance, Knight, and Sir Joseph Walton, Knight, Judges of the High Court of Justice, and two of the Judges on the Rota for the time being for the Trial of Election Petitions in England and Wales, do hereby Certify in pursuance of the said Acts that upon the twenty-second to the twenty-sixth day of May in this year, we duly held a Court for the trial of and did try the Election Petition for the City of Worcester between Henry Devenish Harben and Richard Cadbury, Petitioners, and George Henry Williamson, Respondent. And in further pursuance of the said Acts We Certify that at the conclusion of the said trial, we determined that the said George Henry Williamson, being the Member whose Election and Return were complained of in the said Petition was not duly elected and returned, and that the said Election was void. And we do hereby certify in writing such our determination to you.
And whereas charges were made in the said Petition of Corrupt and Illegal 1103 Practices having been committed at the said Election, We, in further pursuance of the said Acts, Report as follows:—
A Copy of the Evidence and of our Judgments, taken by the Deputies of the Shorthand Writer of the House of Commons, accompanies this our Certificate.
- 1. That no corrupt or illegal practice was proved to have been committed by or with the knowledge and consent of any Candidate at the said Election.
- 2. That the persons whose names appear in the First Schedule hereto were proved to have been guilty of the corrupt practices of bribery and treating.
- 3. That there is reason to believe that corrupt practices have extensively prevailed at the said Election.
- 4. That the said George Henry Williamson was guilty by his agents of the corrupt practice of bribery.
- 5. That Certificates of Indemnity have been furnished to the persons proved guilty of bribery or treating whose names appear in the Second Schedule hereto.
- 6. That the corrupt practices which, as there is reason to believe, extensively prevailed at the said Election were treating and the distribution of small sums, varying in amount from sixpence to two shillings and sixpence, as bribes amongst the poorer class of voters.