SECOND READING. (Hansard, 18 February 1878)

§ EARL CADOGAN,
in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, that the Bill, which had come up from the other House, was not a Government measure; but it was thought desirable that some one connected with the metropolis should take charge of it in their Lordships' House, and he had agreed to do so with the consent of his Colleagues. The object of the Bill was to extend the hours of polling in metropolitan boroughs at Parliamentary' Elections. If the Bill should become law, the hours of polling in those boroughs would be from 8 A.M. in the forenoon till 8 P.M. in the afternoon. The question of an extension of the hours of polling was first raised by Sir Charles Dilke in the House of Commons in 1871. In the following year, during a discussion of the Ballot Bill, there was a division upon an Amendment of the hon. Baronet in favour of a general extension of the hours of polling from 8 to 8, and the proposal was rejected. In 1872 Mr. Gladstone's Administration, through Mr W. E. Forster), opposed a general extension of hours, but they promised to propose a compromise. Their compromise, however, was rejected, and the Ballot Bill came up to the Lords leaving the hours as they stood. On June 17, 1872, the noble Earl opposite (the Earl of Shaftesbury) carried a proposal for a general extension similar to that which had been rejected by the Commons; but, on a subsequent stage of the Bill, the 1845 Government induced their Lordships' House to accept a compromise instead of the from 8 to 8 extension. This compromise was again rejected by the House of Commons, and the Ballot Bill when it became law left matters as they had stood. A general Bill, introduced by Sir Charles Dilke, was thrown out in 1874. In 1877 the hon. Baronet moved a Resolution in less sweeping terms, and was seconded by his Conservative Colleague in the representation of Chelsea (Mr. Gordon). Ultimately, on the Motion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Resolution of the hon. Baronet was negatived, and a Resolution agreed to to refer to a Select Committee the Question— Whether any and what alteration can without inconvenienee he made in the hours of polling at Parliamentary and Municipal Elections in the Metropolis and towns so as to afford greater facilities to electors desiring to record their votes. The Chairmanship of the Committee was offered to and declined by Sir Charles Dilke, who wished the Committee to be a Government Committe, and after some delay a Government Chairman was obtained. The Committee decided to consider the case of the metropolis first, and evidence was taken from the whole of the metropolitan boroughs. The Bill now before their Lordships was introduced by one Liberal and four Conservative metropolitan Members; it was assented to by Mr. Cross on behalf of the Government, and passed through all its stages without opposition or Amendment. The Bill simply proposed to enact that at every Election held after the passing of this Act to return a Member or Members to serve in any of the boroughs named in the Schedule—namely, London, Westminster, Chelsea, Finsbury, Greenwich, Hackney, Lambeth, Marylebone, Southwark, and the Tower Hamlets— the poll should commence at 8 o'clock in the forenoon and be kept open until 8 o'clock of the afternoon of the same day.

VISCOUNT ENFIELD
asked his noble Friend who had charge of the Bill whether before the next stage he would not consider the propriety of extending its provisions to the case of other large towns, where the working population 1846 was in considerable numbers, such as Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, &c, and whose position did not vary much from those in London, to whom the additional hours for polling would prove a great boon?

§ EARL CADOGAN
said, he could not undertake to do what his noble Friend suggested. The Committee of last Session reported in favour of immediate legislation in the case of the metropolis, and inquiry during the present Session by a new Committee in the case of towns. That inquiry was now proceeding, and it would not be advisable to attempt legislation for the towns until the Committee of the present Session had reported.

§ THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY
said, he was in favour of a general extension of the hours of polling in all large cities and towns. It was much needed by industrious workmen in the towns.