§ Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee, read.
§ THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (EARL BEAUCHAMP)With your Lordships' permission I suggest that the Committee stage of this Bill should be taken purely formally to-day, in order that the new Clause 1 standing in my name on the Paper may be inserted on Report this afternoon. Your Lordships will then see the Bill reprinted in its new shape and be able to consider it in Committee upon a subsequent occasion.
§ Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(Earl Beauchamp.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ House in Committee accordingly.
§ [The EARL OF DONOEGHMORE in the Chair.]
§ Bill reported without amendment.
§ Clause 1:
§ Extension of polling hours.
§ 1.—(1) When a duly nominated candidate or his agent at any parliamentary election has given notice in writing on the day of and immediately after his nomination to the returning officer that he wishes this Act to apply at such election, then the poll (if any) shall commence at seven o'clock in the forenoon and be kept open till nine o'clock in the afternoon of the same day and no longer.
§ (2) The expression "parliamentary election" in this Act means an election for a county, city, borough, place, or combination of counties, cities, boroughs, and places (not being any university or universities) which returns any knight of the shire or member to serve in Parliament, and where the same is divided for the purpose of such return includes an election for such division.
§ EARL BEAUCHAMPI now move the Amendment standing in my name, which is to insert a new clause in place of the present Clause 1.
§
Amendment Moved—
Leave out clause 1 and insert the following new clause:
§ ".—(1) The Elections (Hours of Poll) Act, 1885, shall, as respects any parliamentary election to which this Act applies, be construed as if seven o'clock in the forenoon were substituted for eight o'clock in the forenoon, and nine o'clock in the afternoon were substituted for eight o'clock in the afternoon; and accordingly the poll (if any) at any such election shall commence at seven o'clock in the forenoon and be kept open till nine o'clock in the afternoon of the same day, and no longer.
§ (2) This Act shall apply to a parliamentary election, if any candidate at the election or a candidate's agent on his behalf gives notice to the returning officer during the nomination time or within one hour afterwards that he wishes this Act to apply to the poll at that election.
§ (3) For the purpose of giving public notice of an extension of the hours of polling under this Act, paragraph 9 of the First Schedule to the Ballot Act, 1872, shall, as respects any election to which this Act applies, be construed as if references to the day on which the poll will be or is to be taken included references to the hours at which the poll commences and up to which it will be kept open.
§ (4) A notice given by a candidate under this section shall not be of any effect for the purposes of this Act if the candidate is withdrawn or deemed to be withdrawn under the provisions of the Ballot Act, 1872.
§
(5) In this section—
The expression 'agent' means an election agent within the meaning of the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act, 1883:
The expression 'nomination time' means the time appointed for the election within the meaning of the Ballot Act, 1872."—(Earl Beauchamp.)
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
§ EARL BEAUCHAMPI now move that the Bill be re-committed to a Committee of the Whole House; and I should like to consult the convenience of noble Lords opposite with regard to the date on which we should consider it in Committee.
Bill re-committed to a Committee of the Whole House accordingly, and to be printed as amended. (No. 96.)
§ House adjourned at five minutes before Five o'clock, till Tomorrow, half-past Eleven o'clock.