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The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. / From the Accession of George III. to the Twenty-Third Year of the Reign of Queen Victoria cover

The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. / From the Accession of George III. to the Twenty-Third Year of the Reign of Queen Victoria

Chapter 884: RESOLUTIONS AGAINST BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS.
By Edward Farr
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The volume traces British political, parliamentary, and military developments from the accession of George III through the early nineteenth century, chronicling changes of ministry and cabinet, debates over colonial taxation and the American conflict, parliamentary controversies involving figures such as Wilkes and Warren Hastings, questions of Catholic relief and slave-trade abolition, and responses to the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars, including major naval and continental campaigns, the union with Ireland, and domestic legislation on finance, civil liberties, and parliamentary reform.

RESOLUTIONS AGAINST BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS.

By the dissolution of parliament the resolutions of Lord John Russell for detecting bribery at elections, which had been carried on the last day of the session, had expired. Under these circumstances they were moved anew by Lord Althorp, in doing which he said that he hoped the new house of commons would not now, by rejecting them, afford a singular contrast between the last session of an old parliament and the first session of a new one. In reply, Mr. Peel said, that if this new jurisdiction was to be created at all, it had better be created by a bill than by resolutions; if there were to be any interference, it would be wiser to make that interference effective, than to adopt a measure so imperfect and inoperative as these resolutions presented. Was it not, he asked, a serious consideration that the committee forming the tribunal before which this offence was to be tried, was without the power of administering an oath? Here was an imperfection and an evil for which the resolutions made no provision; and it was vain to hope that any measure could be salutary or effective in its operations if deficient in so important a point. Mr. Wynn also objected to the resolutions, deeming them, with Mr. Peel, insufficient for the purpose designed. Mr. Scarlett observed, that the resolutions might possibly not meet the difficulties which it was desirable should be overcome; but at the same time he thought the right honourable secretary had taken a partial view of the question. The resolutions, he said, were not altogether unexceptionable; but he was persuaded that they might be so far modified as to remedy the evil without going the length of inflicting a penalty or imposing costs, as Mr. Peel suggested, and which could be accomplished only by means of a bill. He added, that he thought they might be withdrawn, and re-introduced in an amended form; and Lord Althorp adopted, this suggestion, and withdrew the resolutions for the present. Subsequently Mr. Littleton again proposed the resolutions for the regulation of committees on private bills which had been passed by the late parliament, and they were all adopted.