[Report on the Belfast Election Compromise, 1842]

1842. Disbound. [Report from the Select Committee on the Belfast Election Compromise; together with the Minutes of Evidence] In 1842 a Select Committee was appointed to inquire whether corrupt Compromise has been entered into, for the purposes of avoiding an investigation into gross and extensive bribery, and gross and corrupt Personation of Voters, and consequent Perjury, alleged to have taken place at the late election in Belfast, They were instructed to inquire whether such bribery and Personation had actually taken place, and were empowered to Report the Minutes of Evidence taken before to the House. The Committee determined: -That it should be admitted that the last Election was avoid Election; -That gross bribery and extensive Corruption prevailed at the last Election for Belfast; -That there also existed gross and corrupt Personation of Voters, whose names appear upon the Registry as entitled to vote, though they had lost heir qualifications by death, removal or otherwise; -That four individuals of bad character were brought into Belfast from monaghan, a distance of about 40 m9iles, to personate on the part of the conservatives, disqualified persons, and that they were furnished with clothes, liquor and money for their guilt and that they consummated their guilt by awful perjury; -That the Compromise had the effect of excluding the from the Committee evidence of such bribery and Personation, and consequent Perjury. Although the Sitting Members were not connected with or Participant in that compromise; -There was no Evidence to connect the late sitting Members, or either of them, with knowledge of the existence of such personation, nor of the Bribery practices in their behalf, nor is their any evidence to connect the Defeated Candidates with knowledge of such bribery committed on their behalf; -That the present state of the Registry of Electors in Belfast was most objectionable, the state of the Register induced the practice of a system of Bribery, Perjury and.…