HC Deb 22 March 1911 vol 23 cc416-8

Mr. SPEAKER acquainted the House that he had received the following Certificate and Report from the Judges appointed to try the several Election Petitions relating to the Election for the Borough of King's Lynn:—

In the High Court of Justice, King's Bench Division.

The Parliamentary Elections Act, 1868.

The Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act, 1883.

Election of a Member of Parliament for the Borough of King's Lynn, in the County of Norfolk, holden on the 3rd day of December, 1910.

To the Right Honourable the Speaker of the House of Commons.

We, Sir Edward Ridley, Knight, and Sir Arthur Moseley Channell, 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 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th days of March of this year we duly held a Court at the Guildhall, King's Lynn, in the County of Norfolk, for the trial of, and did try, the Election Petition for the Borough of King's Lynn, between Harry Flanders, William Carter Watling, and Richard Senter, Petitioners, and Holcombe Ingleby, Respondent, and, in further pursuance of the said Acts—

We certify that, at the conclusion of the said trial, we determined that the said Holcombe Ingleby, being the Member whose election and return were complained of in the said Petition, was duly elected and returned.

And whereas 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) That no corrupt or illegal practice has been proved to have been committed by or with the knowledge or consent of any candidate at the said Election;

(2) That no person was proved at this trial to have been guilty of any corrupt or illegal practice;

(3) That corrupt or illegal practices were not proved to have nor have we reason to believe that corrupt or illegal practices have extensively prevailed at the said Election, or at all;

(4) That no candidate has been proved to have been guilty by his agents of any corrupt or illegal practice at the said Election.

A Copy of the Evidence and of our Judgment, taken by the Deputies of the Shorthand Writer of the House of Commons, accompanies this our Certificate.

EDWARD RIDLEY.

A. M. CHANNELL.

Dated this 21st day of March, 1911.

And the said Certificate and Report were ordered to be entered in the Journals of this House,

Copy of Shorthand Writer's Notes laid upon the Table by Mr. Speaker.