§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, this Bill is to supply a defect which has been found to exist in the Act with reference to persons exercising the franchise. By a particular. decision it has been adjudicated that persons absent, although away on public duties, during the qualifying period, were deprived of their franchise. That has been considered to be unjust, and therefore the object of this Bill, which has passed the other House, is to remove that difficulty by providing that persons absent in the performance of public duties during the qualifying period, not exceeding four months, should not on that account be deprived of the franchise. Your Lordships will no doubt consider that they should be permitted to exercise their right of franchise notwithstanding their absence for that period.
§ Read 2a (according to order), and committed to Committee of the Whole House on Monday next.