Remarks on Treating and Other Matters, Relating to the Election of Members of Parliament and on Some Recent Decisions of Committees of the House of Commons

Remarks On Treating And Other Matters Relating To The Election Of Members Of Parliament And On Some Recent Decisions Of Committees Of The House Of Commons by Percival Andree Pickering is a critical survey of the English electoral law governing controverted elections, bribery, and treatings. Written in 1849, it reviews the statutes 7 Wm. III, C. 4 and 5 & 6 Vict. C. 102, s. 22, and traces how Committees of the House of Commons have construed them to discipline candidates and electors. The author dissects cases such as Horsham, Cheshire, Cheltenham, Norwich, Thetford, and Norwich, showing contradictory outcomes and arguing that the punishment extends beyond the specific election to future contests, punishing electors and constituencies alike. He condemns the overbroad interpretation that makes hospitality and refreshments automatic grounds for disqualification, and he advocates a reform that limits parliamentary inquiry to established law, or alternately places the decision in a judicial framework with a judge presiding. The volume serves as a historical appraisal of electoral integrity and parliamentary process in mid-19th-century Britain.