Page:Electoral purity and economy.djvu/20

 The "between whiles" expenditure is difficult to touch or define as illegal and corrupt, and is best prevented by the above penalty of' perpetual disqualification to stand for the same seat.

For the smaller offences the penalties must be also severe; entailing loss of seat—though not necessarily perpetual disqualification—imprisonment, and a fine.

IV. On the question of disqualification, arises that of "Agency" — whether it should not be defined, so that a candidate shall really be able to tell who are the agents for whose conduct he is responsible and for whose evil deeds he may be made to suffer; instead of, as it is assumed, being at the mercy of any self-constituted agent who may risk the seat through over-zeal or even; spite. I believe, however, that it would be a fatal mistake to define "agency." If it could be defined, which would not be an easy matter, and if it were defined, no briber would ever be an "agent" in the legal sense of the word, and it would become: increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to make the candidate responsible for the conduct of those who in spirit were his agents, but who had carefully avoided being so in letter.

V. Many other points arise in the discussion of the important questions of bribery and expense, but space will not here permit even of their mention.

Municipal elections might very well be made to fall under the same laws relating to bribery and expenses as Parliamentary elections.

VI. Briefly to sum up the suggestions made,—marking with an asterisk those which are wholly, and with a dagger those which are but partially incorporated in the Corrupt Practices Bill—we have:—

(i.) † All conveying of voters, paid or voluntary, in counties as well as boroughs, to be prohibited; while, at the same time, a greater number of polling places should be provided.

(ii.) * One paid agent only to be allowed to each candidate.

(iii.) † One clerk and one messenger to be allowed to each single candidate for every 500 electors, up to two days before the day of poll, the numbers to be then increased to one for each 350 electors.

(iv.) In the case of joint candidatures, the proportionate numbers to be 400 and 300.