The Irish standard., 1886-08-28
SEXTON'S DOUBLE RETURN.
His Return for West Belfast Raises a Gu
rious Point Of Parliamentary
Practice.
IT HAS ONLY ONE PRECEDENT.
Fifty Years Ago Daniel O'Connell Was
Placed in a Similar Pre-
Gcanent.

Says the correspondent Of the Free
mans Journal, writing from London
recently, "The lodging Of the petition
against Mr.. Sections return for West
Belfast has raised q curious point of
parliamentary practice, one for which
only a solitary precedent exists, ana
that is nearly fifty years old. When
the speaker returned from the House OF
Lords to-day, having completed the
last stage Of his election by receiving
the approval of the Queen by Il royal
commission, Mr. Sexton's letter elect
ing to sit for West Belfast was handed
to him. 1t was in the following terms:
.sir: Having been returned for South Sligo
aud West Belfast, beg leaveto say that L elect
to sit for West Belfast. Yours, ETC.,
THOMAS SEXTON.
MIR. Sections object in taking this
step was to enable Mr.. Deasy to move
for a new writ for South Sligo when the
writs for the reelection Of ministers
were being moved at 4 o'clock. But
the authorities Of the House were evil
IDENTIFY in doubt as to the legality OF
per,nittiug the new writ to be moved,
although their minds were not very
clear as to what course they should
aaopt. When MI. Sexton presented
himself to take the oath the third clerk
raised some question as TO his ellgl-
biljCy. which, OF course. Was absurd
Mr.. Sexton pointed out he was entitled
TO be sworn in any case as member Tor
South Sligo, although no valid objection
could even be raised to his right to be
sworn for West Belfast. Doubtlngly
the clerk administered the oath to him,
and he passed on to sign the roll OF
Parliament. Here he met with q cues
.tion from thsz chief clerk, who tnough't. ugh't.
that hecUu}d not sign for either con-
stituency. The fact was that the clerks,
who were privately cognizant of Mi.
Sexton's letter electins to sit for West
Belfast, were actually endeayoring to
proceed upon that knowledge though
tile letter had not been communicated
10 the House, and had as yet no legal
effect.
THE DIFFICULTY ABOUT SIGNING
the roll for either constituency MI,
Sexton quickly solved by signing for
both, as he had Il perfect right to do.
The speaker informed him, when Mr..
Sexton was introduced to him in the
ordinary way. that there Was some diff
ficulty about permitting the New writ
for Sligo teiug moved until the petition
for West Belfast had been decided. lie
referred Nh. Sexton to the following
standing order of the House which
ruled the point. That all members
who are returned for two Or more
places in any part Of the United King
dom do make their selection for which
of the places they will serve within one
week after it shall appear that there Is
no question upon the return for that
place,' The late Sir Erkslne May, in
his parliamentary Practice.' gives the
following explanation OF this standing
order: The order regulates the man
ner Of choosing for which place mem
her will sit when he las been returned
for more than one. When the time
limited for presenting a petition to the
court against his return has expired,
and no petition has been presented, he
is required to make his election within
q week in or4er that his constituents
may no longer be deprived OF represen-
tation. When petition has been pre-
sented against his return for one place
only he cannot elect to serve tor either.
He cannot abandon the seat petitioned
against, which may beproved to belong
OF right to another, and thus render
void an election which may turn out to
have been good in favor OF some other
candidate, neither can abandon the
other seat, because it it should be
proved that he is only entitled to sit for
one there is no election to make, and
he cannot give up the seat without
having incurred some legal disqualih-
cation. such as the acceptance Of office
or bankruptcy Upon this principle
on NAV "a, 1912, Mr.. Daniel O'Connell,
who had been chosen for the counties
Of Cork and Meath, elected to sit for
the former directly after the report of
the election committee, by which he
had been duly declared to have been
,o4oa for that county 1t is interest,"
inc to know that O'C Connell endeayored
to do exactly what Mr.. Sexton at
tempted yesterday evening on the as
sembling of the new Parliament on
Sept. s, 1S4l. After the new
wR1rs FOR THE RE ELECTION
of ministers had been issued, as upon
yesterday, the speaker uniformed the
House that he had received the follow