LORD BROUGHAM, seeing his noble Friend the President of the Council, whose recent indisposition he, in common with all their Lordships, greatly lamented, once more in his place, would take the liberty of recommending the subject of bribery at elections to his consideration, and that of the Government. It was a subject which he had brought before Parliament at various times, and many attempts had been made by himself, as well as by others, to extirpate this grievous evil. All these Motions had failed in effect, and one which he had introduced some Sessions ago, and which had been sent to the other House of Parliament, where it was dropped, had been justly complained of, because it did not go far enough. There was no provision to compel the parties themselves to be examined. But this defect he had completely cured by the Evidence Bill of last Session; for now both the sitting Member and the unsuccessful candidate for a scat were liable to be examined on oath, subject, no doubt, to their refusal to answer any question which might criminate themselves, but also to the consequences criminatory of themselves which might result from their silence, and which would be fatal before an Election Committee. Unquestionably, however, something more than the Evidence Bill was wanted to render the law for the prevention of bribery perfect, sanguine as his hopes were of the effects of that Bill. He therefore trusted that Her Majesty's Ministers would take the subject under their consideration, as the instances which had occurred of late confirmed rather than weakened the belief in the existence of great bribery and corruption at elections. He had a very confident opinion that a Bill might now easily be formed, which, with the Evidence Act, would put a stop to these corrupt practices. The true course to be taken in order to extirpate bribery would be to exact from every Member of Parliament, on taking his seat, a solemn declaration either on oath or honour—he should prefer the latter—that he had not, by himself or his agents, directly or indirectly, given or promised money, or any other valuable thing, to, or had used, 236 or promised to use, any influence, to procure a place or pension for, any voter who had voted at his election, and that he was wholly ignorant of any gift or promise made on his behalf by any person to such voter, and that he wholly disbelieved that any such thing had been done on his behalf by any persons for him, or pretending to act for him, whether with or without his authority; and, furthermore, to bind him by a solemn promise not to pay, or cause to be paid, any thing, or to fulfil any one promise, or to do anything whatsoever to carry into execution the promise or engagement of his agents, or of any other persons authorised or unauthorised in his behalf. The same declaration would of course also be exacted from the unsuccessful candidate at the election for the seat, in case he succeeded in ousting the sitting Member. That was a declaration which he thought that no man would dare to make if he were not thoroughly and perfectly conscious, in his own mind, that he had not, either by himself or by another in his behalf, done anything, or was cognisant of anything, like bribery being done in the course of his election. If his declaration was in any particular false, he would be, as he must know, in the hands of worthless persons, and his character was gone for ever.
§ The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEcould assure his noble and learned Friend, that he should be glad if any effectual remedy could be provided against those corrupt practices at elections. The noble and learned Lord and other distinguished persons had given their attention to this subject at various times; but he feared it must, unfortunately, be admitted that no effectual remedy could be provided against them. It might be satisfactory, however, to his noble and learned Friend to know that the subject had occupied the attention of Her Majesty's Government, and a notice either had been given already, or would be given that very night, in the other House of Parliament, of their intention to bring in a measure on the subject; and he was sure the subject was taken up with a strong determination to bring it to an effectual issue.
LORD BROUGHAMwas exceedingly happy to hear the statement of his noble Friend, that notice had been given, or was about to be given, on this subject, not having been aware that such an intention existed. Much would depend upon the form of the Bill; and he hoped and trusted 237 there was sufficient virtue in the other House of Parliament, to prevent them from any longer avoiding this necessary and efficacious measure for extirpating bribery.