The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-24 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTART AND 21IUNICTPAL
ELECTIONS

The Select Committee of the House of Commons
charged with the inquiry into the manner in which par-
liamentary and municipal elections are conducted, met
again on Friday, the Marquis of Hartington in the
chair. The first witness called was the Mayor of Brad-
ford whose evidence was interrupted by the rising
of the committee on Tuesday. He said that
unless vigorous measures had been taken at the time of
the declaration of the poll at the last election the conse-
quences would have been of the most serious kind. The
practice of having a nomination and declaration of the
poll at such a place as Bradford was inadvisable. There
ought, witness thought, to be some means adopted to
prevent the fictitious nominations which now took place
with great frequency at muncipal elections. Persons were
often nominated merely for the purpose of obtaining the
money which was paid, Was in favour of two or three
days intervening between the day of nomination and
election, both in the case of municipal and parlia-
mentary elections. lie also complained of the
way in which auditors were elected. A voter
could vote for any persons he pleased between
the hours of nine and four, during which hours
the Mayor and Aldermen had to sit. If an hour passed
without a vote being tendered they could leave. If a vote
was tendered every fifty eight minutes they might
remain there all day. Witness went on to say that the
corruption at the parliamentary election in Bradford was
confined to treating. The last election was very pure.
At the general election in November he believed that
many messengers were employed at 10s. each per day.
Was in favour of the Ballot.

By Mr. Villiers : There was an inquiry before Baron
Martin against the return of Mr. Ripley, who was unseated
chiefly because the expenses were excessive. A large
portion of the money was spent at public-houses. It was
common in Bradford for the committees to be held at
public-houses. Voters were allowed to obtain beer
there before, and not at the time of, the election
without paying for it. The practice was a ♦ery
objectionable one, but proceedings were not taken against
it. Believed that the adoption of the Ballot would be
the best means of preventing bribery and treating at the
municipal elections. Gentlemen who had opposed the
opening of public-houses had been carried at the head of
the poll. With the exception of some amongst the most
uneducated class of the voters there was a growing feeling
against the practice of treating.

To Mr. Gathorne Hardy the witness said the legal
expenses of a candidate at a municipal election were
about 260 or £7O for the whole borough, in which there
were eight wards.
By Mr. Ward Hunt : The opening of public-houses at
elections was very popular amongst a certain class. At
the inns where the chief business of the committees was
conducted little drink was given away. There were,
however, many lower public-houses which were nominally
used as committee-rooms, but were really used for the
purposes of treating. Believed that in Bradford there
was a better feeling growing up against corrupt practices
at elections. People still thought they had a right to
influence voters, but public-house treating and bribery
were getting into disfavour. The Ballot would screen
voters from the consequences of undue influence. With SI
certain class of voters whose education was defective some
portion of the work necessary to vote by ballot (as in
vogue in Australia), would have to be done by other
persons.

By Mr. Cross : It was a common practice in Bradford
at municipal elections to have a number of fictitious
nominations. This had prevailed ever since he had been
connected with the borough. In some of the wards there
was more bribery and intimidation than in others. This
was owing to the lower condition of the residents. In
Bradford there were about 3,000 Irish voters. Believed that
at the last election, when Mr. Thompson was returned,
there were only a few public-houses opened as committee-
rooms, and the election taken altogether was exceedingly
free from corruption. This fact, he thought, proved that
the feeling against corruption and bribery was
increasing. There had been prosecutions for personating,
but none for bribery. Witness complained that at
municipal elections the number of voters at one polling
place was excessive. In one room 3,500 'votes had to be
taken. It was thought that it was not legal to have more
than one polling place in a ward. This caused great
inconvenience.

The next witness was Mr. Johnson, of Blackburn, who
said he believed 90 out of every 100 of the persona who
voted at the municipal elections had "substantial
reasons" for doing so. Bribery was exercised in
all wards, and by both political parties. Intimidation
was more frequent on the Tory side. Witness
proceeded to state that when the Blackburn election
petition was before the judge a much worse case might
have been made out. The practices adopted were so had
that bad they been fully brought to light the
franchise would have been taken from the borough.
He produced what was known as the" Screw Circular," a
document which was sent out by the Conservative Regis-
trati.m bocicty to employer.; of labour and overlookers,
asking them to influence those under them to vote for
"Constitutional candidates " at the municipal election
prior to th parliamentary election in November. At the
election in March a good deal of intimidation prevailed.
After taking some further evidence from PA ickburn (of
a similar kind to the above) and from Liverpool, the com-
mittee adjourned.