The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-22 00:00:00

BRIBERY BILL.

The committee on this bill was then resumed.
The original bill having been got through,
Lord J. RUSSELL moved the insertion of the fol-
lowing clause, viz. :—" And whereas doubts have arisen
as to whether the payment of the expenses of conveying
voters to and from the poll, as also the giving of re-
freshment to voters on the day of nomination or day of
polling, be or be not according to law, and it is expedient
that such doubts should be removed, and that the law should
be settled in these particulars, be it declared and enacted,
that from and after the passing of this act, it shall be
lawful for any candidate or other person, subject always
to the provisions of this act as to the payment of election
expenses, to pay or cause to be paid the actual and rea-
sonable expenses of bringing any voters to the poll."
Lord R. GROSVENOR opposed the clause on prin-
ciple, and declared his intention to take the sense of the
committee upon it.
Mr. L. HEYWORTH objected to the clause as open-
ing a door to bribery and corruption of the worst kind.
Mr. V. SMITH was afraid this clause, like the whole
bill, would only have the effect of legalising wholesale
bribery, and severely punishing retail bribery.
Mr. CRAUFURD moved as an amendment, to insert
in the clause, after the word " shall," the word "not,"
so as to make travelling expenses illegal. If the com-
mittee assented to this amendment he should then move
the omission of the words "actual" and "reasonable."

After some discussion, in the course of which it was
contented that this clause would make the payment of
these expenses compulsory where it was now optional,
Mr. FITZGERALD agreed that the preamble was
untrue, because there could be no doubt that, under the
existing law, a candidate could legally pay the reason-
able expenses of bringing voters to the poll if he so
thought fit.

CAYLEY said he believed it would ultimately
be discovered that the real solution of this question was
to have the votes collected at the residences of the elec-
tors.

After some further discussion, it was agreed to strike
out of the clause the words " as also the giving of refresh-
ments to voters ou the day of nomination and on the day
of polling."
The committee then divided on Mr. Cranfurd's amend-
ment, when there appeared—
For the amendment
Against it
Majority --61
The amendment was consequently rejected.
The clause was then agreed to.
Mr. HEADLAM then moved the following proviso
to the clause :—" Provided always that it shall only be
lawful at elections for boroughs for the candidate to pay
the expenses of bringing up to the poll from their resi-
dences within the borough, or, with respect to freemen,
from their residences within seven miles from the
borough, of aged or infirm voters, and reasonable pay-
ments for the purpose shall be legal."
After some discussion the committee divided, when
there appeared—
For the proviso
Against it
Majority .

51
95
-44

-
On the question that the clause be added to the bill,
the committee again divided, when there appeared—
For the clause
Against it
Majority
The clause was accordingly added to the bill.
Lord J. RUSSELL then moved the insertion of a
clause to the effect, that the giving, or causing to be
given, to any voter-on the day of nosoiaatioa or darof
_ _