The petition against the return of Captain Morrison, the Unionist
Member for East Nottingham, was dismissed yester- day week after a trial lasting eleven days. It was not denied that
Captain Morrison had disbursed considerable sums in gifts to a large number of cases of distress in his constituency through
his agent. These gifts were discontinued when the General Election was pending, and " hold-over " letters were issued.
The vital question, according to Mr. Justice Bucknill, who delivered judgment, was whether these gifts were real charity or came within the definition of bribery, and he decided that the governing motive of Captain Morrison was charity.
"Captain Morrison's popularity seemed to be enormous, but the law said that the Judges had to do with intention and not with effect, except in so far as they ought to infer intention from the contemplated effect. If candidates ought not to be allowed to gain popularity by gifts in their constituency, it was for the Legis- lature to say so, and not for the Judges."
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