Mr. C. Lewis moved on Tuesday night that no new
writ be issued for the election of a new Member for Stroud in the place of Mr. H. R. Brand, whose election had been declared void. He commented on the worst scandals of the last four elections, all taken within seven months, and contended that a certain delay in issuing a new writ for Stroud, which it was quite within the com- petence of the Howse of Commons to cause, would be a politi- cal sedative to the borough, and likely to lead to much purer elections for the future. Sir William Harcourt resisted the motion, on the ground that it was quite contrary to precedent to delay the issue of a new writ, except with a view to give time for an inquiry into the extent of the corruption. Now in this case there could be no inquiry under the Election Petitions Act of 1888, as the Judge had not reported that corrupt practices "extensively prevailed" at the last election. Hence to delay the issue of the writ would be to take the power of punishment into the hands of the House in a fashion unheard of as yet. And this was the argument which prevailed, in spite of a most amusing and rattling speech from Sir Wilfrid Lawson, in favour of the delay of the writ, a speech in which he denounced "musty pre- cedents," and drew a most ludicrous picture of the fatal result to the "holy calm" of the Liberal party likely to be caused by the return of Mr. Bouverie as M.P. for Stroud. Mr. Lewis's motion was rejected by a majority of 181 (225 to 44).
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