HC Deb 11 May 1910 vol 17 cc788-9
Mr. DEPUTY-SPEAKER

I have also to inform the House that the following certificate of the High Court of Justice King's Bench Division has been forwarded to Mr. Speaker:—

"In the High Court of Justice,

"King's Bench Division.

"Parliamentary Elections Act, 1868, and the Corrupt and the Illegal Practices Prevention Act, 1883.

"Election for the Borough of the Hartlepools, holden on the 15th January, 1910, between Joseph Forster Wilson and John Roger Butterwick, petitioners, and Sir Christopher Furness, respondent.

"To the Right Hon. the Speaker of the House of Commons.

"We, Sir Walter George Frank Phillimore, Bart., and Sir William Pickford, Kt., 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 27th, 28th, 29th, and 30th days of April, 1910, and the 2nd and 3rd of May, 1910, we duly held a court at the Justice Room, Borough Buildings, Hartlepool, for the trial of, and did try, the election petition for the borough of Hartlepool, in the county of Durham, between Joseph Forster Wilson and John Roger Butterwick, petitioners, and Sir Christopher Furness, respondent, and in further pursuance of the said Acts we certify that at the conclusion of the said trial we determined that the said Sir Christopher Furness, being the Member whose election and return were complained of in the said petition, was not duly elected and returned, and we do hereby certify in writing such our determination to you. And whereas as charges were made in the said petition of corrupt and illegal practices having been committed at the said election, we, in further pursuance of the said Acts, report as follows:—

  1. "(1) That no corrupt or illegal practices were proved to have been committed by or with the knowledge or consent of any candidate at the said election.
  2. "(2) That George Bernard Butler was proved to have been guilty of the illegal practice of having as election agent not transmitted to the Returning Officer a 789 true return respecting his expenses at the said election, and that William Wallace was proved to have been guilty of the illegal practice of having before, during and after the said election made payments in respect of the conduct and management of the said election otherwise than by or through the election agent of the candidate.
  3. "(3) That there is no reason to believe that corrupt or illegal practices have extensively prevailed at the said election.
  4. "(4) That the said Sir Christopher Furness was guilty by his agents of the illegal practices mentioned in paragraph 2 of this Report.
  5. "(5) That no certificates of indemnity have been furnished to the persons found guilty of the illegal practices mentioned in paragraph 2 of this report.

"A copy of the evidence and of our judgment taken down and written out at length by the deputies of the shorthand writer of the House of Commons accompanies this our certificate.

"Dated this 9th day of May, 1910.

"WALTER G. F. PHILLIMOHE.

"W. PICKFORD.".