A BILE /NTITULED

An Act to provide for the taking of a Poll of the Parliamentary Electors of the United Kingdom with respect to certain Bills in Parliament ; and for other purposes connected therewith.

BE it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows :—

1. When any Bill for a public general Act of Parliament (in this Act referred to as a " rejected Bill ") is passed by the House of Commons and is sent up to the House of Lords before the first day of July in the session in which it is so passed, but the House of Lords rejects such Bill or fails to pass such Bill within forty days after it is so sent up to that House, or passes such Bill with any amendment to which the House of Commons will not agree, such Bill shall be, on the demand of either House of Parliament, submitted to a poll of the parliamentary electors of the United Kingdom (hereinafter referred to as " a poll of the parliamentary electors ") in manner provided in this Act, and in the form in which such Bill was passed by the House of Commons. 2. When any Bill for a public general Act of Parliament (herein- after referred to as a " carried Bill ") is passed by both Houses of Parliament, and a petition signed by not less than two hundred members of the House of Commons praying that such Bill may be submitted to a poll of the parliamentary electors in manner provided in this Act is presented to the Crown, such Bill shall be submitted to a poll of the parliamentary electors in manner provided in this Act and in the form in which such Bill was passed by both Houses of Parliament.

:3. A carried Bill to which the provisions of this Act relating to a carried Bill apply shall not be presented to His Majesty for assent until it shall have been submitted to the poll of the parliamentary electors in manner provided in this Act, and the result of such poll shall have been declared in manner provided in this Act.

4. In the event of the presentation to the Crown of such a petition as aforesaid with respect to a carried Bill, the Secretary of State for the Home Department shall forthwith certify to the Lord Chan- cellor and to the Speaker of the House of Commons that such petition has been presented to the Crown, and thereupon the Lord Chancellor and the Speaker of the House of Commons shall respec- tively communicate or cause to be communicated to the said Houses respectively at their next sitting the receipt and contents of such certificate.

5. Upon His Majesty in Council being pleased to issue his Royal Proclamation for the taking of a poll of the parliamentary, electors with respect to any rejected Bill or to any carried Bill to which the provisions of this Act relating to a carried Bill apply and to order that the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Keeper or Lords Com- missioners of the Great Seal for the time being and the Lord Chan- cellor of Ireland 'respectively shall cause writs to be issued for the taking of a poll of the parliamentary electors with respect to such Bill, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Keeper. or Lords Commis- sioners of the Great Seal for the time being and the Lord Chancellor of Ireland respectively shall forthwith issue out writs for the taking of the poll of the parliamentary electors, and one and the same day shall be named in every, one of the said writs for the taking of such poll, and such day shall not be less than seven days and not more than fourteen days after the day of issue of the writs. 0. The forms contained in the Schedule to this Act, or forms as nearly resembling the same as circumstances will admit, shall be used in all cases to which they refer and are applicable, and when so used shall be sufficient in law.

7. Subject to the provisions of this Act, the provisions of the law relating to parliamentary elections with respect to writs for counties or boroughs or other constituencies at a parliamentary election, the delivery of the same to the returning officer, the endorsing upon the same by such officer of the day on which he shall receive the same, the taking of a poll at a parliamentary election, the notice of such poll, and any other provisions of the law relating to parliamentary elections with respect to writs or a poll at a parliamentary election shall, so far as applicable, apply to a writ for a poll of the parliamentary electors and to such poll in like manner in nil respects as if they were herein re-enacted, and in terms made applicable to such writ and poll respectively. 8. As soon as the returning officer shall have ascertained the result of the poll of the parliamentary electors in any county or division of a county or borough or division of a borough or other parliamentary constituency by counting the votes given at such poll, he may declare the result of such poll at the place where such votes are counted, and shall forthwith return the result of the poll to the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, and shall, for that purpose, endorse on the writ and sign a certificate of such result in the form contained in the Schedule hereto.

9. Before the expiration of seven days after the day named in the writs for the taking of the poll of the parliamentary electors, the Clerk • of the Crown in Chancery shall, in accordance with regulations to be made for that purpose by the Lord Chancellor and the Speaker of the House of Commons, cause to be counted the total votes given at such poll in every parliamentary constitu- ency as appearing in the certificates of the results of such poll in each constituency endorsed upon the several writs, and shall certify 'tinder his band and seal to the Lend Chancellor and to the Speaker of the House of Commons, and to the Clerk to the Privy Council,

the total number of such votes given in favour of the Bill, to which such poll related, becoming law (hereinafter referred to as " the total affirmative vote ") in the United Kingdom, and the total number of such-votes given against such Bill becoming law (herel4W after referred to as " the total negative vote ") in the United King.' dom, and shall also cause such certificate to be published in tin( London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Gazettes.

• • • •

10. (1) If the total affirmative vote in the United Kingdom shall exceed the total negative vote therein by not less than two votes: per centum of the total negative vote, the Bill to which the poll of the parliamentary electors related shall forthwith be presented' to His Majesty for assent in the form in which it was submitted to the poll of the parliamentary electors and a rejected Bill shall,' upon the Royal Assent being signified thereto, become an Act of. Parliament in like manner as if it had been passed by both Houses of Parliament, notwithstanding that the House of Lords have not consented to such Bill.

(2) If the total affirmative vote in the United Kingdom shalt not exceed the total negative vote by more than two per centum of the total negative vote, the Bill to which the poll of the parliamentary electors related shall not be presented to His Majesty for assent.* a 3 15. The returning officer shall cause a copy of the Bill printed by the King's Printers in the form in which the same will be sub- mitted to the poll of the parliamentary electors to be deposited for public inspection at the office of—

(a) The clerk of the peace for any county, riding, or division' of a county in England, Wales, or Ireland, comprising any constituency or part of any constituency for which he is the returning officer; (b) The principal sheriff cerk in any county or district or division of a county in Scotland comprising any constituency or part of any constituency for which he is the returning officer ; not less than seven days before the day appointed for the taking of the poll of the parliamentary electors, and such copy shall be kept in the office in which it is so deposited until the poll has been taken, and shall be open to public inspection at all reasonable hours. The principal officer of the Public Bill Office of the House of Commons shall, on the request in writing of the returning officer, supply him free of charge with such number of copies of the Bill as he may require for the purpose of this section.

• • • • 18. This Act may be cited as the " Reference to the People Act, 1911."

19. This Act shall come into operation on the first day of January one thousand nine hundred and twelve.

FORM OF FRONT OF BALLOT PAPER.

Poll of the Parliamentary Electors of the United • Kingdom, 19 .

BALLOT PAPER.

(1) Counterfoil No.

If you wish the Bill the short title of which is " " to become law, place a cross under the word " Yes." If not, place a cross under the word ' No." I YES. NO.

FORM OF DIRECTIONS FOR THE GUIDANCE OF THE VOTER IN VOTING WHICH SHALL BE PRINTED IN CONSPICUOUS CHARACTERS AND PLACARDED OUTSIDE EVERY POLLING STATION AND IN EVERI • COMPARTMENT OP ANY POLLING STATION.

The voter will go into one of the compartments and, with the• pencil provided in the compartment, place a cross on the right-hand, side, under the word " Yes " or " No," according as he desires to vote, thus X.

The voter will then fold up the paper so as to show the official' mark on the back, and leaving the compartment will, without

showing the front of the paper to any person, show the official mark on the back to the presiding officer, and then, in the presence of the presiding officer, put the paper into the ballot box and forth- with quit the polling station.