§ Sir WILLIAM DAVISONI beg to move,
That leave be given to bring in a Bill to require candidates at local government elections to deposit a sum of money to be forfeited under certain conditions.I need detain the House only a very few minutes in explaining the provisions of the Bill, as they are very few and simple. The Bill is also, in my opinion, quite uncontentious. All parties in municipal life suffer from the abuse which it attempts to remedy. Its object is to bring local government elections into line with Parliamentary elections in so far as the payment of a deposit by candidates i; concerned, such deposit to be forfeited unless the candidate secures a certain quota of the votes polled, which is fixed in the Bill at one-eighth. As the House 256 is aware, there are a large number of municipal elections where freak candidates, commanding practically no support whatever, put themselves up, or have themselves put up, in several wards, thereby causing not only considerable expense to bona fide candidates, but involving the borough in a wholly unnecessary election in a very serious expense in the way of poll clerks, engaging halls for the election and other incidental expenses.There was a recent case in a county council election where a candidate put up for no fewer than five different divisions and got only a negligible number of votes in any one case, but which involved the county in very considerable expense. Lancashire Members will be aware of a similar case which has recently occurred in Manchester. Then there is also a flagrant case, to which my attention has been drawn by present Members 257 of this House, namely, the case of the borough of Hornsey, where one individual has been in the habit of getting himself nominated again and again for practically every ward in the borough, and I am told that he gets only two or three votes in each ward; yet it involves the borough, quite apart from the candidates who have had to oppose him, in hundreds if not thousands of pounds of expense. I am also told that there is a similar case in the borough of Marylebone. I do not wish to detain the House, or I could give similar instances in all parts of the country.
The Bill provides that a duly nominated candidate at a county council election shall deposit with the returning officer the sum of £20, and a duly nominated candidate at a borough council or urban district council election shall deposit with the returning officer the sum of £10. This deposit shall be forfeited in the event of the candidate failing to poll one-eighth of the total number of votes polled; in the case of a division, ward or district returning more than one member, one-eighth of the total number of votes polled divided by the number of members to be elected. It is also provided that where a candidate is nominated at an election in more than one division, ward or district, he shall in no case recover his deposit more than once, that is, if he gets votes in one ward to entitle him to get the money back, he shall not be
§ entitled to get more than the one deposit back, and shall forfeit the other deposits.
§ Mr. BATEYI want to oppose the introduction of this Bill. In my opinion, it is one of the most reactionary proposals that have been brought before the House. To say that a candidate at a county council election must be prepared to deposit £20 means that working-class candidates will be unable to stand. It is clear that the object of this Bill is in the interests of the rich, to make it impossible for working men to come forward as candidates. If this Bill were in operation in the county of Durham, we could not put up candidates for the county council or the local elections. It is clear, on the face of it, that the object of the Bill is to make it impossible for working men to run as candidates in local elections. If the object is, as the hon. Member says, to prevent a candidate standing for a number of seats, let him bring in a Bill to that effect, and we may support it; but it is one thing to prevent a person from standing for four, five or six seats, and another thing to bring forward a proposal such as is contained in this Bill, to which I am strongly opposed.
§
Question put,
That leave be given to bring in a Bill to require candidates at local government elections to deposit a sum of money to he forfeited under certain conditions.
§ The House divided: Ayes, 212; Noes, 64.
259| Division No. 280.] | AYES. | [4.9 p.m. |
| Adams, Samuel Vyvyan T. (Leeds,W.) | Castlereagh, Viscount | Donner, P. W. |
| Altchison, Rt. Hon. Cralgle M. | Cautley, Sir Henry S. | Eady, George H. |
| Allen, Lt.-Col. J.Sandeman (B'k'nh'd) | Cayzer, Sir Charles (Chester, City) | Edmondson, Major A. J. |
| Anstruther-Gray, W. J. | Cayzer, Maj. Sir H. R. (Prtsmth., S.) | Elliston, Captain George Sampson |
| Applin, Lieut.-Col. Reginald V. K. | Cazalet, Thelma (Islington, E.) | Emmott, Charles E. G. C. |
| Astor, Maj. Hn. John J. (Kent, Dover) | Cazalet, Capt. V. A. (Chippenham) | Entwistle, Cyril Fullard |
| Atholl, Duchess of | Chalmers, John Rutherford | Erskine, Lord (Weston-super-Mare) |
| Balley, Eric Alfred George | Chapman, Col. R. (Houghton-le-Spring) | Essenhigh, Reginald Clare |
| Baillie, Sir Adrian W. M. | Chorlton, Alan Ernest Leofric | Falle, Sir Bertram G. |
| Baldwin-Webb, Colonel J. | Chotzner, Alfred James | Fermoy, Lord |
| Barclay-Harvey, C. M. | Christie, James Archibald | Fraser, Captain Ian |
| Beauchamp, Sir Brograve Campbell | Clarry, Reginald George | Fremantle, Sir Francis |
| Beaumont, Hon. R.E.B. (Portsm'th,C.) | Clayton, Dr. George C. | Ganzonl, Sir John |
| Belt, Sir Alfred L. | Clydesdale, Marquess of | Gault, Lieut.-Col. A. Hamilton |
| Betterton, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry B. | Conant, R. J. E. | Gluckstein, Louis Halle |
| Birchall, Major Sir John Dearman | Cook, Thomas A. | Goff, Sir Park |
| Blaker, Sir Reginald | Cooke, Douglas | Goldle, Noel B. |
| Bossom, A. C. | Copeland, Ida | Goodman, Colonel Albert W. |
| Bowater, Col. Sir T. Vansittart | Cowan, D. M. | Gower, Sir Robert |
| Bower, Lieut.-Com. Robert Tatton | Craddock, Sir Reginald Henry | Grattan-Doyle, Sir Nicholas |
| Bowyer, Capt. Sir George E. W. | Crooke, J. Smedley | Greene, William P. C. |
| Boyd-Carpenter, Sir Archibald | Crookshank, Col. C. de Windt (Bootle) | Gretton, Colonel Rt. Hon. John |
| Broadbent, Colonel John | Crossley, A. C. | Grimston. R. V. |
| Browne, Captain A. C. | Cruddas, Lieut.-Colonel Bernard | Guest, Capt. Rt. Hon. F. E. |
| Buchan, John | Cuiverwell, Cyril Tom | Guy, J. C. Morrison |
| Buchan-Hepburn, P. G. T. | Davies, Maj. Geo. F.(Somerset, Yeovil) | Hacking, Rt. on. Douglas H. |
| Burnett, John George | Denville, Alfred | Hales, Harold K. |
| Cadogan, Hon. Edward | Despencer-Robertson, Major J. A. F. | Hamilton, Sir George (Ilford) |
| Caporn, Arthur Cecil | Dixon, Rt. Hon. Herbert | Hammersley, Samuel S. |
| Hanley, Dennis A. | Mayhew, Lieut.-Colonel John | Sanderson, Sir Frank Barnard |
| Hannon, Patrick Joseph Henry | Mills, Sir Frederick (Leyton, E.) | Savery, Samuel Servington |
| Harbord, Arthur | Mills, Major J. D. (New Forest) | Scone, Lord |
| Hartland, George A. | Milne, Charles | Shaw, Helen B. (Lanark, Bothwell) |
| Haslam, Henry (Lindsay, H'ncastle) | Mitchell, Sir W. Lane (Streatham) | ShepperSon, Sir Ernest W. |
| Hellgers, Captain F. F. A. | Mitcheson, G. G. | Simmonds, Oliver Edwin |
| Hepworth, Joseph | Molson, A. Hugh Elsdale | Slater, John |
| Hope, Capt. Arthur O. J. (Aston) | Morris, John Patrick (Salford, N.) | Smith-Carington, Neville W. |
| Hope, Sydney (Chester, Stalybridge) | Nation, Brigadier-General J. J. H. | Somerset, Thomas |
| Hornby, Frank | Nicholson, Godfrey (Morpeth) | Sotheron-Estcourt, Captain T. E. |
| Howitt, Dr. Alfred B. | Nicholson, Rt. H n. W. G. (Petersf'd) | Spears, Brigadier-General Edward L. |
| Hunter, Capt. M. J. (Brigg) | North, Captain Edward T. | Spencer, Captain Richard A. |
| Hurst, Sir Gerald B. | Nunn, William | Spender-Clay, Rt. Hon. Herbert H. |
| James, Wing-Com. A. W. H. | Oman, Sir Charles William C. | Stevenson, James |
| Jesson, Major Thomas E. | Ormiston, Thomas | Stewart, William J. |
| Joel, Dudley J. Barnato | Penny, Sir George | Strickland, Captain W. F. |
| Kerr, Hamilton W. | Petherick, M. | Stuart, Lord C. Crichton- |
| Kimball, Lawrence | Peto, Sir Basil E. (Devon, B'nstaple) | Sueter, Rear-Admiral Murray F. |
| Kirkpatrick, William M. | Peto, Geoffrey K. (W'verh'pt'n, Bilst'n) | Sugden, Sir Wilfrid Hart |
| Law, Sir Alfred | Potter, John | Summersby, Charles H. |
| Law, Richard K. (Hull, S.W.) | Pownall, Sir Assheton | Tate, Mavis Constance |
| Leech, Dr. J. W. | Pybus, Percy John | Thomson, Sir Frederick Charles |
| Lees-Jones, John | Raikes. Henry V. A. M. | Titchfield, Major the Marquess of |
| Leigh, Sir John | Ramsay, Capt. A. H. M. (Midlothian) | Todd, Capt. A. J. K. (B'wick-on-T.) |
| Leighton, Major B. E. P. | Ramsay, T. B. W. (Western Isles) | Todd, A. L. S. (Kingswinford) |
| Lennox-Boyd, A. T. | Ramsden, E. | Tryon, Rt. Hon. George Clement |
| Liddall, Walter S. | Rankin, Robert | Vaughan-Morgan, Sir Kenyon |
| Lindsay, Noel Ker | Rathbone, Eleanor | Wallace, Captain D. E. (Hornsey) |
| Liewellyn-Jones, Frederick | Reid, James S. C. (Stirling) | Ward, Irene Mary Bewick (Wallsend) |
| Lumley, Captain Lawrence R. | Reid, William Allan (Derby) | Warrender, Sir Victor A. G. |
| MacAndrew. Lt.-Col C. G. (Partick) | Remer, John R. | Watt, Captain George Steven H. |
| MacAndrew, Capt. J. O. (Ayr) | Reynolds, Col. Sir James Philip | Wedderburn, Henry James Scrymgeour- |
| McConnell, Sir Joseph | Robinson, John Roland | Weymouth, Viscount |
| Macdonald, Capt. P. D. (I. of W.) | Rosbotham, S. T. | Williams, Herbert G. (Croydon, S.) |
| McEwen, Captain J. H. F. | Ross Taylor, Walter (Woodbridge) | Windsor-Clive, Lieut.-Colonel George |
| McKie, John Hamilton | Runge, Norah Cecil | Womersley, Walter James |
| McLean, Major Alan | Russell, Albert (Kirkcaldy) | Worthington, Dr. John V. |
| McLean, Dr. W. H. (Tradeston) | Russell, Alexander West (Tynemouth) | Wragg, Herbert |
| Maitland, Adam | Rutherford, Sir John Hugo | Young, Rt. Hon. Sir Hilton (S'v'noaks) |
| Makins, Brigadier-General Ernest | Salmon, Major Isidore | |
| Margesson, Capt. Henry David R. | Salt, Edward W. | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Marsden, Commander Arthur | Samuel, Sir Arthur Michael (F'nham) | Sir William Davison and Mr. James |
| Martin. Thomas B. | Sandeman, Sir A. N. Stewart | Duncan. |
| NOES. | ||
| Adams, D. M. (Poplar, South) | Grundy, Thomas W. | Mason, David M. (Edinburgh, E.) |
| Attlee, Clement Richard | Hall, George H. (Merthyr Tydvil) | Maxton, James |
| Batey, Joseph | Headlam, Lieut.-Col. Cuthbert M. | Milner, Major James |
| Brown, C. W. E. (Notts., Mansfield) | Healy, Cahir | Parkinson, John Allen |
| Buchanan, George | Hirst, George Henry | Peake, Captain Osbert |
| Cape, Thomas | Hudson, Capt. A. U. M. (Hackney, N.) | Pickering, Ernest H. |
| Cocks, Frederick Seymour | Hunter, Dr. Joseph (Dumfries) | Price. Gabriel |
| Colville, John | Hurd, Sir Percy | Roberts, Aled (Wrexham) |
| Cripps, Sir Stafford | Jenkins, Sir William | Salter, Dr. Alfred |
| Crookshank, Capt. H. C. (Gainsb'ro) | John, William | Tinker, John Joseph |
| Curry, A. C. | Jones, Henry Haydn (Merioneth) | Ward, Lt.-Col. Sir A. L. (Hall) |
| Daggar, George | Jones, Lewis (Swansea, West) | Watts-Morgan, Lieut.-Col. David |
| Davies, Rhys John (Westhoughton) | Jones, Morgan (Caerphilly) | Williams. David (Swansea, East) |
| Denman, Hon. R. D. | Kirkwood, David | Williams. Edward John (Ogmore) |
| Dickie, John P. | Knight, Holford | Williams. Dr. John H. (Lianelly) |
| Duggan, Hubert John | Lansbury, Rt. Hon. George | Williams, Thomas (York, Don Valley) |
| Edwards, Charles | Logan, David Gilbert | Wood. Sir Murdoch McKenzie (Banff) |
| Eimley, Viscount | Lunn, William | Young, Ernest J. (Middlesbrough, E.) |
| Foot. Dingle (Dundee) | Macdonald, Gordon (Ince) | |
| Foot, Isaac (Cornwall, Bodmin) | McEntee, Valentine L. | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.— |
| Gibson, Charles Granville | McKeag, William | Mr. Duncan Graham and Mr. |
| Griffith, F. Kingsley (Middlesbro', W.) | Maclay, Hon. Joseph Paton | Groves. |
| Griffiths, T. (Monmouth, Pontypool) | Maclean, Neil (Glasgow, Govan) |
§ Bill ordered to be brought in by Sir William Davison, Lieut.-Colonel Applin, Mr. Campbell, Mr. James Duncan, Mr. Hannon, Sir Assheton Pownall, Sir William Ray and Sir Gervais Rentoul.