NEW CLAUSE.—(Copy of Act to be Exhibited in Polling Stations.) (Hansard, 10 July 1913)

§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. J. A. Pease)

The Clause which I have placed on the Paper, and which I now move, is to carry out the pledge which I gave yesterday to the hon. and learned Member opposite (Mr. Cassel) who moved a similar Clause. The only alteration which I have made in his Clause is to place the word "conspicuously" in a different position in the context. It simplifies the phraseology, and I have added at the end the words, "or affect the liability of any person for acting in contravention of this Act." These words appear to me to be necessary in order to make it quite clear that no one may escape liability for the offence in the event of the returning officer not fulfilling his duty by placing in a conspicuous position a copy of the Act, so that the electors may know what are the provisions of the Act which we are about to pass, I trust, into law.

§ Mr. CASSEL

The Clause which I moved yesterday the right hon. Gentleman has now accepted with certain modifications which really do not materially alter its effect. The alterations appear to me to be satisfactory. I cannot help thinking that the reason why the right hon. Gentleman did not at once accept the Clause yesterday was that we were really discussing the Bill in Committee at the time when it was already in print. Really it is rather a farce that a Bill should be discussed in Committee when it has already been printed as amended in Committee. If that was not the case, I can only congratulate the right hon. Gentleman upon the lightning rapidity of the printers in having printed the Bill within so short a time of the conclusion of yesterday's stage of the measure. Even if the 626 right hon. Gentleman did not accept the Clause as it was yesterday, I am glad he has done so to-day, and I am willing to agree to the alterations which he has introduced.