HC Deb 06 February 1911 vol 21 cc21-3
Mr. SPEAKER

I have to call the attention of the House to the return of the writ for the electing of a Member to serve in this present Parliament for the North, or Buckingham, Division of the County of Buckingham, by which it appears that Sir Henry Calvert Williams Verney, Baronet, returned as member for the said North, or Buckingham, Division of the County of Buckingham, was by a clerical error described in the return as Sir Henry Calvert Williams, Baronet, instead of as Sir Henry Calvert Williams Verney, Baronet.

I have also to inform the House that I have received from the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery a statutory declaration, made by the Mayor of the Borough of Portsmouth as Returning Officer for the said Borough, relating to the election of two Members to serve in this present Parliament for the said Borough of Portsmouth, which I will read to the House. This is the affidavit: I, Tom Scott Foster, of "Braemar," Southsea, Mayor of the Borough of Portsmouth, do hereby solemnly declare as follows:

  1. "1. That on the 29th day of November, 1910, a writ duly issued out of the Crown Office in Chancery, and sealed with the Great Seal, was delivered by the Postmaster of Portsmouth to me as Returning Officer for the Parliamentary Borough of Portsmouth, the receipt whereof I duly endorsed on the said writ, and further acknowledged to the said Postmaster.
  2. "2. That an election was duly held in pursuance of the said writ on the 7th day of December, 1910, and two persons hereinafter named were then elected.
  3. "3. That the said writ has been mislaid, and I am unable, after making the most careful search, to find the said writ, and to endorse the certificate on the writ as provided by 35 and 36 Vict., cap. 33, first Schedule, par. 44.
Now I hereby certify that the Members elected for the Parliamentary Borough of Portsmouth, in pursuance of the said writ, are Charles William de la Poer Beresford, of 1, Great Cumberland Place, London, Admiral (half-pay); and Bertram Godfray Falle, of 27A, Clarendon Parade, Southsea, barrister-at-law. I make this declaration conscientiously, believing the same to be true, and by virtue of the provisions of the Statutory Declarations Act, 1835. Declared at Portsmouth, in the County of Hants, this 9th day of January, 1911. (Sd.) T. Scott Foster, Mayor and Returning Officer for the Parliamentary Borough of Portsmouth. Before me, (Sd.), C. Lanyon Owen, a Justice of the Peace for the Borough of Portsmouth. In these circumstances it is necessary that a Motion should be made, and I think the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury is prepared to make that Motion.

The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Master of Elibank) moved:

"That the Clerk of the Crown do attend this House forthwith with the last Return for the North, or Buckingham, Division of the County of Buckingham, and amend the Return by inserting the name 'Verney' after the name 'Williams.'

"That it be an instruction to the Clerk of the Crown that he do receive the names mentioned in the Statutory Declaration made by the Mayor of Portsmouth as Returning Officer at the last election for that Borough as if they had been endorsed upon the Writ as the two Members returned to serve in the present Parliament for the Borough of Portsmouth, and that he do amend his certificate to the House accordingly."

Mr. SPEAKER

Before I put that question, I should like to ask whether the hon. Member for the North, or Buckingham, Division of the County of Buckingham is present.

Sir HARRY VERNEY

Yes, Sir.

Mr. SPEAKER

Is the hon. Member the gentleman wrongly described in the return?

Sir HARRY VERNEY

Yes, Sir.

Question put, and agreed to.

The CLERK of the CROWN (Sir Kenneth Muir-Mackenzie)

attended, and the Return was amended in accordance with the Resolution of the House.

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