WORCESTER ELECTION. (Hansard, 28 June 1906)

THE LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord LOREBOKN)

My Lords, your Lordships will have observed that a message has come from the Commons that they have agreed to an Address to be presented to His Majesty, in which they desire the concurrence of this House, viz.:— Worcester Election,— "Most Gracious Sovereign, We, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled, beg leave humbly to represent to Your Majesty that Sir John Compton Lawrence, knight, one of the Justices of the High Court of Justice, and Sir Joseph Walton, knight, one of the Justices of the High Court of Justice, being two of the Judges 1091 appointed for the trial of Election Petitions, pursuant to The Parliamentary Elections Acts, 1868, and The Parliamentary Elections and Corrupt Practices Act, 1879, have reported to the House of Commons that there was reason to believe extensive corrupt practices had taken place at the last Election for the City of Worcester. We therefore humbly pray Your Majesty that Your Majesty will be graciously pleased to cause inquiry to be made, pursuant to the powers of the Act of Parliament passed in the sixteenth year of the reign of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria, intituled 'An Act to provide for more effectual inquiry into the existence of Corrupt Practices at Elections for Members to serve in Parliament,' by the appointing of Edward Tindal Atkinson, esquire, one of Your Majesty's Counsel, Attorney-General for Your Majesty's Palatine of Durham, and Recorder of Leeds; Horace Edmund Avory, esquire, also one of Your Majesty's Counsel and Recorder of Kingston-upon-Thames; and Charles Willie Matthews, esquire, Barrister-at-law and Recorder of Salisbury, as Commissioners for the purpose of making inquiry into the existence of such corrupt practices. I have therefore to move that this House agree with the Commons in the proposed Address.