§ Order of the Day for the Third Reading read.
§ Moved, "That the Bill be now read 3a."—(The Earl of Northbrook.)
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYsaid, he wished to ask the noble Earl in charge of the Bill (the Earl of Northbrook), whether it would not be possible to restore the Bill in one particular to the state in which it was when it was originally presented to the House of Commons? As amended, no candidate would be entitled to employ more than one agent, though the borough which he desired to represent was composed of groups of boroughs, each with a certain amount of independent life. He thought such candidates ought to be permitted to employ a separate agent for each separate portion of the borough. The Government were of opinion that that should be allowed when the Bill was introduced; but, upon the Motion of an independent Member, they had agreed to the present form of the Bill.
§ THE EARL OF NORTHBROOK, in reply, said, that, in the House of Commons, 1605 those Members who represented such boroughs had expressed their wish to be placed on the same footing, in this respect, as other Members, and that wish was acceded to. They were the best judges of their own case, and he was, therefore, sorry that the alteration desired by the noble Marquess could not be made.
LORD DENMANsaid, that, although the Bill would be a Continuance Bill, it might, as the noble Marquess proposed, be altered next year, and not stereotyped in its present form.
§ Motion agreed to; Bill read 3a accordingly, with the Amendments, and passed, and sent to the Commons.