The Election Law will have to be revised, and that
in this Session. A petition had been lodged against the return of Mr. Praed, the Conservative Member for the wretched little borough of St. Ives, in Cornwall, on the ground of treating, and the Judge delivered judgment on Tuesday. It was proved that treating had
Aileen carried on on a large scale, and proved so clearly that Mr. awkins declared himself unable to go on with the defence, but .i was also proved that neither Mr. Praed nor his agents had any- thing to do with the matter. He had absolutely refused to authorise the spending of sixpence in treating. The Judge (Mr. Justice Lush) therefore decided that the respondent and his agents were entirely innocent, but that the election, according to law, was void. It comes, therefore, to this,—that anybody who likes to distribute beer to electors to induce them to vote for the man he hates can vitiate that man's election. Mr. Praed is to stand again, as the decision does not disqualify him, and will probably be elected, but such a condition of the law cannot be suffered to endure. If unauthorised treating can unseat a member, no member's seat is safe. The best remedy is probably the one sug- gested by Mr. Hawkins, to throw the whole costs of the petition upon the guilty parties.
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