^1*-=— , &V. V A . /6 C5c '<«/ • I IN, y^, 6 JUN.93 S*E THE CONDUCT AND MANAGEMENT OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. THE CONDUCT AND MANAGEMENT PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. rl A PRACTICA WILLIAM (WOODINGS, Assistant Secretary of the Liberal Central Association, London. SOUTH COUNTIES PRESS LIMITED, LEWES, SUSSEX. 1892. m% CONTENTS >- < ca Election Time Table. COUNTI ES General The Candidate The Election Agent Election Expenses ... Election Committees Committee-Rooms .. Sub- Agents Clerks and Messengers Personation Agents Counting Agents ... Nomination Outvoters and Removals ... Conveyances Public Meetings Canvassers and Unpaid Agents ... BOROUGHS General The Election Agent ... ■ Joint Candidature ... Election Expenses... Committee- Rooms Election Committees Canvassers and Unpaid Agents ... Clerks Messengers... ... ... Personation and Counting Agents Nomination APPENDIX. Prohibited Voting ... H| Police Disabilities Removal Act, 1887 q Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act, 1883 ^Summary of Election Offences Index 107 109 1 12 "3 116 IiO 129 131 143 ■43 143 '47 '49 '50 179 181 386739 ELECTION TIME TABLE. MATTERS TO BE ATTENDED TO BY THE CANDIDATE. Immediately vacancy is declared and selection confirmed. Appoint Election Agent. Provide funds for Election expenses, and instruct Agent to open account. Prepare address to Electors. On or before nomination day. Give notice in writing to Returning Officer of name and address of Election Agent. On nomination day. Attend and deliver nomination papers to the Returning Officer. Before the opening of the poll. Make declaration of secrecy before the Returning Officer or a Justice of the Peace. Within 14 days after the day on which the result of the Election is declared. Prepare and forward to Election Agent a statement of the amount of his personal expenses as paid by himself; and if his personal expenses exceed ^"ioo, all bills in respect of such excess, and money to enable the Election Agent to pay the claims. Vlil ELECTION TIME TABLE. Within 35 days after the declaration of the result or within 7 days after the Election Agent has made his return and declaration as to expenses. Transmit to the Returning Officer a declaration as to Election expenses made by himself before a justice of the Peace; or, if abroad, transmit the same with- in fourteen days after his return to the United Kingdom. MATTERS TO BE ATTENDED TO BY THE ELECTION AGENT. On receiving his appointment. Open an " Election Expenses Account " at a Bank. Print and circulate Candidate's address to the Electors. Secure committee-rooms. Appoint sub-agents (in counties), clerks, and messengers. Prepare canvass books and district registers. Arrange for special canvass of outvoters and removals. Form Election Committee. Prepare scheme of meetings, and secure speakers. Obtain nomination papers and see that they are filled up and signed. On day of nomination. Attend with the Candidate at place of nomination, and tender security (if required) for Returning Officer's charges. At or immediately after delivery of nomination pa,pers. Object (if it is intended to do so) to any nomination open to objection on the ground of description of candidate being insufficient or not in compliance ELECTION TIME TABLE. IX with Rule 6 of the Ballot Act within the two hours appointed for the nomination, or within one hour afterwards. Object to nomination papers on other valid grounds. Immediately the polling stations are fixed by the Returning Officer. Print polling cards, Direct envelopes for the same, and Prepare any enclosures that are to be sent with the cards. Arrange with postmaster as to time of posting cards, or with local committees for delivery if they are not to be sent by post. One clear day at least before the polling day. Give notice in writing to the Returning Officer of the names and addresses of sub-agents. Appoint counting agents, and give notice in writing to the Returning Officer of their names and addresses. At the same time appoint personation agents, and send to the Returning Officer their names and ad- dresses, and particulars as to the polling stations to which they are appointed. Before the opening of the poll. Make declaration of secrecy before the Returning Officer or a Justice of the Peace, and see that the Candidate and all personation agents and counting agents do the same. See that outvoters and removals canvass is completed, and that the marked lists for personation agents are prepared, and, with their instructions, delivered to them. Also, that canvass cards are ready, vehicles allotted to X ' ELECTION TIME TABLE. their districts, and all other arrangements com- pleted for bringing voters to the poll. Issue final instructions to sub-agents or clerks. Immediately after the day on which the result of the Election is declared. Publish notice to creditors to send in claims. Within 14 days after the day on which the result of the Election is declared. Receive all claims, including statements by sub-agents or others authorized to incur expenditure on ac- count of petty expenses, and statement by Candi- date as to his personal expenses. Prepare and deposit his own claim for remuneration. Within 21 days after the day on which the return of Election is made. Receive detailed account of Returning Officer's charges. Within 28 days after the day on which the result of the Election is declared. Pay ,all claims not disputed. Within 35 days after the day on which the result of the Election is declared. Transmit to the Returning Officer the return of Election expenses, and declaration respecting the same. Also see that the Candidate transmits his declaration in due course. COUNTIES. GENERAL. ONLY those who have been practically engaged changes, in election work, and who have had a varied experience, can appreciate the great changes which have taken place during the last few years in the method of conducting Parliamentary elec- tions. The Corrupt Practices Act of 1883 intro- duced many legal changes ; but these were hardly more important in their effect than the general changes involved in the extension of Household Suffrage to the Counties and the accompanying Redistribution erf Srats. The principle of popular representative organi- R zation, with which Mr. Schnadhorst is so closely * ative . J Associa- identified, and which, under the nickname of tl0ns - " The Caucus,'' greatlv alarmed a section of the community a few years ago, had already made some progress in the county constituencies ; but its adoption after the passing of the Acts of 1884 was recognized as an imperative necessitv. In the six years which followed the first General Election under the extended franchise, the popular organizations have played an in- B CKNKRAL tion. creasingly important part, with the result that considerable alterations have been made in pro- cedure, both before and during an election. Educa- Previous to the contest the local associations undertake a vast amount of work in connection with the political education of the electorate by means of public meetings, the distribution of literature on the questions of the day, and by various other methods of a semi-political, semi- social character, which it would be beyond the purpose of the present book to describe. All this work may be, and often is, done without any candidate being before the constituency, and it cannot therefore be wondered at that those who, in the interests of their party, have devoted time, labour, and money to political work should be more exacting when a candidate for Parlia- mentary honours appears before them than was formerly the case. They want a champion who is both willing and able to throw himself into the fight with the persistence and industry which go so far to secure a triumph at the poll. On the other hand, a well-organized consti- Coristitu? tuency with good local committees in every polling district offers a much more alluring pros- pect to a candidate than was the case under a restricted franchise with unlimited expenditure. Then, the party strings were pulled by small and often interested cliques, whose so-called " knowledge of the constituency" was often the merest conjecture ; while the candidate seldom Candi- GENERAL. 3 knew what his expenses would be till the election was over and the bills were presented for pay- ment. Now, in spite of defects which are in- separable from all human schemes, a candidate has the means of testing his prospects by the educational work done, and by the information collected through the central organization ; and he has the further advantage of being able to fix with certainty the amount of his expendi- ture. One or two of the more important points which Prior to U1 j r , ,, ,. • Election. should receive careful attention prior to an election may perhaps be enumerated with advan- vantage. i. Immediately the new registers can be obtained a complete set of wrappers or en- velopes should be addressed, and the canvass books and district registers prepared in proper street or walking order. 2. The Polling District Committees should be called together, and each member of a Committee should be allotted a street, road, or group of houses, for which he will thereafter be held responsible. 3. The Polling District Committee should meet at regular intervals, when the register should be checked, and information on the following points reported and marked up : — (a) The death of any voter. (b) The removal of an elector, with the address to which he has removed. 4 GENKKAL. (c) The name and address of any new- comer, with such particulars as to his politics, and the place from whence he has come, as it may be possible to ascertain. (d) Additional information as to the politics of electors in the Polling District. Cart- should be taken not to mark the registers in tin's respect unless absolutely positive information can be given, as it is much better in all doubtful cases to rely upon a thorough canvass during the election. 4. The Chairman or Secretary of the Polling District should ascertain where Committee Rooms for the election may be had, and upon what terms. // should be remembered that the use as Com- mittee Rooms of premises where refreshment of any kind is ordinarily sold for consumption on the premises, of clubs other than permanent political clubs, and of Public Elementary Schools is prohibited. 5. The Chairman or Secretary should also find out suitable places for holding public meet- ings, and the terms on which they are available. There is no legal restriction as to the premises whereon public meetings may be held. 6. The Polling District Committees should ascertain and report at their meetings the names and addresses of all persons — (a) Who are willing to lend vehicles or horses on the polling day. GENERAL. 5 Horses or vehicles ordinarily let for hire are not to be used for the conveyance of voters to the poll, (b) Who will without payment exhibit placards or other bills in their windows, or allow them to be posted on their premises during the election. It is beyond doubt desirable that this work should be done systematically, whether a candi- date is before the constituency or not ; but it is imperative that it should be put in hand vigorously, when an early dissolution of Par- liament is expected and may be announced at any moment. Of course, it will sometimes happen in rural districts that Working Com- mittees cannot be formed, but it is generally possible to find one or two active men who will render much valuable assistance to the Central Executive. In considering the steps which should be taken Pariia- by those responsible in case of a Parliamentary vacancies. vacancy, it is obvious that the circumstances under which the vacancy occurs will largely determine the character of the proceedings. This is especially the case in the initial stages. Elections usually occur from one of the following causes : — (a) Resignation (which is accomplished by applying for the stewardship of the Chil- tern Hundreds). D GENERAL. (b) Acceptance of an office of profit under the Crown. (c) Death. (d) Succession to the Peerage. (e) Dissolution of Parliament: — i. On the advice of the Cabinet. 2. On the death of the reigning Monarch. When a vacancy from anyone of these causes is announced or expected, it is the duty of the local Liberal Association to put itself into com- munication with its candidate without delay. If from any cause no candidate has been adopted, the officers of the Association ought imme- diately to institute inquiries, with a view to securing, if possible, a local representative. At the same time it would be well for them to invite the co-operation of the central organization of the party in London. Bye Bye-elections are now contested with a spirit ' and determination quite unknown in the days of a limited franchise. The highest organizing talent and the fullest resources of both the great political parties are called into the arena, and all concerned are compelled by the heat of party strife to work with a zeal and energy which ensure that nothing is left undone which by an}" chance can secure advantage to either side. It is not contended that the boldest and most skilful agents can win elections against the will of the electors ; but it is generally admitted that in a modern bye-election, especially when the GENERAL. 7 voting strength of a constituency is pretty evenly divided, that party which is best led and best organized is most likely to win. The function, in fact, of skilful agents is to see that no advantage is lost to their party through neglect or bad management. In a general election it is, of course, impossible a General that the same forces can be brought into play on either side. The professional agents will then be occupied each in his own constituency, and the sub-districts will perforce be manned, as heretofore, by less practised hands. Although in bye-elections it is necessary to Necessity carry out all the operations described with greater o°rgf ° ( precision, and usually at much higher pressure, than is the case at a general election, it may be taken for granted that good organization always tells, and as many seats are won or lost by small majorities, no pains should be spared, even in a general election, to attain as nearly as possible to perfection in matters of detail. Above all it should never be forgotten by those concerned in electoral work that energy and close attention to the business of the contest rank equally with enthusiasm as winning qualities in all elections. amza- tion. THE CANDIDATE. Quaiifica- ^ T ' s hardly within the scope of a work of this Candi- a s ' ze to deal fully with the various matters affecting the fitness or unfitness of a person in the eyes of the law to represent a constituency in Parliament ; but it appears desirable to indi- cate briefly who are and who are not eligible for election. There are two essential qualifications which a candidate must fulfil :— i. He must be a natural born subject; and 2. Of the full age of 21 years. Disquaii- As regards disqualifications, it will be most fications . ... , . . _ . . classified, convenient to lollow the classification adopted by Parker, namely : — A. Incapacity by reason of infirmity or mental imbecility. B. Incapacity by reason of circumstances, character, or conduct. C. Incapacity by reason of holding certain offices or positions. (Election Agent and Returning Officer. Parker, 2nd edition, p. 63.) THE CANDIDATE. 9 The following is a list of persons disqualified in their different classes : — Class A. Idiots, lunatics, infants, infirm persons (deaf and dumb persons are disqualified, but not those who are blind only), women. Class B. Aliens, bankrupts, any person re- ported by an Election Court as guilty of corrupt practices by himself or his agents in a Parlia- mentary Election ; or if convicted on indictment or information of a corrupt practice at any Parliamentary Election ; or a candidate or other person convicted of corrupt practices at a Municipal Election. A candidate reported by an Election Court to have been personally guilty of illegal practices is disqualified for the particular county or borough for a period of seven years after the date of the report ; or if guilty by his agents, during the Parliament for which the election was held. Outlaws, traitors, felons, and misdemeanants convicted of fraud or gross breach of trust. Class C. Priests or deacons of the Church of England, ministers of the Church of Scotland, persons in holy orders in the Church of Rome, contractors for or on account of the public ser- vice Permanent paid officers of a County Council. Governors and Deputy-Governors of Colonies. Judges of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal ; the Court of Session and the io the candidate: Court of Exchequer in Scotland ; the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal in Ireland ; the Court of Bankruptcy and Insolvency in Ire- land ; the Landed Estates Court, Ireland ; the Irish Land Commission ; and the County Courts. A paid Chairman or Deputy-Chairman of the London Quarter Sessions during his term of office. Stipendiary Magistrates appointed for the Staffordshire Potteries, or Wolverhampton, or for the Manchester Division,* or for the Borough of Sal ford. A Justice of the Peace or Receiver appointed under the Metropolitan Police Act, 1829; or a Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police ; the Commissioner of the City of London Police ; also any Justice of the Peace, Receiver, or person holding office in or under the City of Dublin Police ; and the Inspectors, Receivers, and Magistrates of the Irish Constabulary. Persons holding new offices or places of profit under the Crown created since the 25th October, i7°5- Peers (excepting Irish Peers who have not * No similar disqualification is imposed upon Stipendiary Magistrates appointed for the Borough of Manchester, or for Chatham and Sheerness, or under the Stipendiary Magistrates' Act, 1863. Parker, p. 8.;. THE CANDIDATE. I I been elected as representative Peers in the House of Lords). Persons holding pensions from the Crown during pleasure, or for any term of years.* The Registrar and Deputy-Registrar of Deeds in Middlesex, and every person receiving profit out of the office. Certain public officers in the Civil Service ex- pressly disqualified. (For list see Parker, 2nd edition, p. 91.) The disqualification in the following cases is only partial : — Returning Officers are ineligible within their own shires or boroughs except that a Sheriff may stand for a borough within his shire pro- vided the writ is directed to some other Returning Officer. Recorders are ineligible for their own boroughs. A Revising Barrister is not eligible in any place for which he has been appointed for a period of 18 months from the time of his appoint- ment. It will be the business of the Election Agent to assure himself that the candidate for whom he is acting cannot be objected to on any of the foregoing grounds ; and per contra he should ascertain whether the opposing candidate is open to valid objection. * Pensions granted for Civil Services, and pensions under the Diplomatic Salaries, etc., Act, 1869, do not disqualify. 12 THE CANDIDATE. Appoint- The first matter which claims the attention of ment of ... . ... . . . Election a candidate when an election is expected is the Asent. . . , • i i appointment ot an election agent, unless indeed he intends to act as his own agent. The objec- tions to this alternative are, however, so obvious that it is seldom adopted. The election agent plays so important and responsible a part that very great care should be exercised in his selec- tion. The election agent's appointment should be signed by the candidate, and should be in the form given below. APPOINTMENT OP ELECTION A&ENT. Parliamentary Election for the . . . Division of the . . . of . . . I . . . a Candidate at the above Election, hereby appoint . . . of . . . I I > act as my Election Agent from this date until the return and declara- tion respecting election expenses have been duly made, and I agree to pay the Baid . . . the sum of £ . . . for his services as such Election .Agent. . . . Dated this . . . day of . . . 189 . (Signed) From the moment the election agent is ap- pointed the candidate's responsibility for the numerous details of the election practically ceases, and is transferred to the agent. The candidate should refer all matters relating to the conduct and management of the election to his agent. He may also find it desirable to con- sult his agent from time to time upon ques- tions of policy, but of course such questions, strictly speaking, are no concern of the election agent, except in so far as they affect the prospect of a successful termination of the contest. THE CANDIDATE. 13 On or before the day of election {i.e., of Notice to \ 1 !• i , 1 a i , Return- nomination) the candidate is required to send to ing- officer the returning officer notice of the appointment Appoint- . . ' l ment of of his election a^ent, or, in case he elects to be Election . . . . Agent. his own agent, notice of such intention. A form for this purpose is here suggested. DECLARATION TO THE RETURNING OFFICER OF NAME AND ADDRESS OF ELECTION AGENT. Parliamentary Election for the . . . Division of the . . . of . . . I . . . a Candidate at the above-named Election, do hereby give you notice that my Election Agent is . . . of . . . anil that the address of his office, to which all notices, etc., with regard to the said Election may be sent, is . . . Dated this . . . day of . . . 189 . (Signed) To the Returning Officer Having appointed his election agent, and being Address thus assured that the detail business and organi- Electors. zation will proceed forthwith, the next matter which will occupy the candidate's attention is the preparation of his address to the electors. Too much attention cannot be given to this subject. The convictions of the candidate upon matters of public policy should be stated in the briefest form compatible with plain and vigorous expres- sion. With reference to subjects having a pecu- liar interest to the bulk of the electorate in the constituency he seeks to represent, or having an entirely local significance, the candidate would do well to seek the advice of his election a^ent and of the leading men of his party in the locality. No delay, except such as is demanded by decency in case of death, should be permitted in getting the candidate's address written out and printed. A keen interest is generallv taken bvthe electors 14 THE CANDIDATE. in political contests, and the candidate who delays issuing his address may suffer therefrom to an irreparable extent. Personal There is one other matter which the candidate xpenses. gj-jQyjj attend to with some care, namely, the record of his personal expenses. These will include his own travelling and hotel expenses, and, within reasonable limits, the entertainment of friends who come at their own cost to assist in the election. There must not, however, be the slightest doubt as to the bond-fides of the candidate's friends. They must not be paid agents either of the candidate or of any Associa- tion acting in his interests, but must be voluntary helpers in the strictest sense. For example, a candidate may entertain for the night at an hotel (or at his own house) any Member of Parliament or other friend who may come to speak in sup- port of his candidature. Any person may, of course, assist in this way at an election at his own cost. The candidate's personal expenses are alto- gether independent of the ordinary election ex- penses, and need not be taken into account in connection with the maximum expenditure allowed under the Corrupt Practices Act, 1883. They are not limited to any particular amount ; and up to £. 100 it would appear that the candi- date is not called upon to render any detailed account. It would, however, be well for the THE CANDIDATE. I 5 candidate to keep a memorandum of his expenses lor his private use and information. If the candidate's personal expenses exceed £100, the excess above such £100 must be paid by the election agent, and a detailed account sent with the return of election expenses to the returning officer. The candidate must within fourteen days after the date of the election inform his election agent in writing of the total amount of his personal expenses as paid by himself. The candidate is required to make a statutorv Candidate ... .... T to make declaration respecting the election expenses. It deciara- is best that this should accompany the return election 1 / expenses. sent in by the election agent ; but it may be for- warded any time within seven days of the lodging of such return, or, if the candidate is then abroad, within fourteen days after his return to the United Kingdom (C. P. A., 1883, Sec. 33). It is of the greatest importance that the re- quirements of this section should be fulfilled, as the member cannot sit or vote in Parliament unless the return and declarations are lodged within the specified time. Certain provision is made under Section 34 of the Act for relief in case of failure to comply with the requirements of the Act; but as it is only in very rare cases that such failure can be deemed excusable, no candidate or agent should rely upon this pro- vision. l6 THE CANDIDATE. The following is the form of declaration by a candidate : — DECLARATION AS TO EXPENSES BY CANDIDATE. Parliamentary Election for the ... of ... I ... having been a candidate at the election for the county [or borough] of . . . on the . . . day of . . . do hereb}' solemnly and sincerely declare that I have examined the return of election expenses [about to be] transmitted by my election agent [or if the candidate is his own election agent, " by me "] to the returning officer at the said election, a copy of which is now shown to me and marked . . . and to the best of my knowledge and belief that return is correct. And 1 further solemnly and sincerely declare that, except as appears from that return, I have not, and to the best of my knowledge and belief no person, nor any club, society, or association, has, on my behalf, made any payment, or given, promised, or offered any reward, office, employment, or valuable consideration, or incurred any liability on account of or in respect of the conduct or management of the said election. And I further solemnly and sin- cerely declare that 1 have paid to my election agent [if the candidate is also his own election agent, leave out " to my election agent "] the sum of . . . pounds and no more for the purpose of the said election, and that, except as specified in the said return, no money, security, or equivalent for money has to my knowledge or belief been paid, advanced, given, or deposited by anyone to or in the hands of my election agent [or if the candidate is hi? own election agent, "myself"] or any other person for the purpose of defraying any expenses incurred on my behalf on account of or iu respect of the conduct or management of the said election. And I further solemnly and sincerely declare that I will not, except so far as I may be permitted by law, at any future time make or be party to the making or giving of any payment, reward, office, employment, or valuable consideration for the purpose of defraying any such expenses as last mentioned, or provide or be party to the providing of any money, security, or equivalent for money for the purpose of defraying any such expenses. Signature of declarant . . . Signed and declared by the above-named declarant on the . . . day of . . . before me. (Signed) . . . Justice of the Peace lor . . . It sometimes happens that a candidate, or Candidate some person whom it is considered desirable to is abroad. . .. , . . , . . nominate as a candidate, is abroad at the time a vacancy occurs, and cannot be communicated with before the date fixed for the election. In such a case he may be nominated in the ordinary way, but it is provided that " if he is so nomi- natfd or declared as a candidate without his THE CANDIDATE. I 7 consent, nothing in this Act shall be construed to impose any liability upon such person, unless he has afterwards given his assent to such nomi- nation or declaration or has been elected " (C. P. A., Sec. 63). If the candidate should not approve the nomination, the persons signing his nomina- tion paper would be liable for the Returning Officer's charges (38 and 39 Vict., c. 84, Sec. 2). If a candidate is going abroad and a disso- lution or election is expected to take place during his absence, it is desirable that he should leave, in the hands of some responsible person, a written authority for his nomination. THE ELECTION AGENT. Personal Under the conditions created by the Corrupt tions. ° a " Practices Act, 1883, the election agent occupies a position of the gravest responsibility. It is not sufficient that he should have a thorough knowledge of election law, but he must be a man of ability and character ; he must combine tact with firmness ; he ought to have a thorough knowledge of current politics, and should be intimately acquainted with the practical details of electoral work. Nothing can legally be done without his sanction, and where large and en- thusiastic committees exist, there is great danger of conflict and confusion, unless the agent is a man of ability and even temper. He will constantly be urged by irresponsible and over- zealous partisans to resort to questionable, if not absolutely illegal, methods ; and he must, therefore, be a man possessing the necessary firmness of character, not only to resist such importunities, but to prevent others from resort- ing to improper practices. To the qualities already named should be added the very desirable ones of energy and force of character sufficient to make his personal influence effective in con- THE ELECTION AGENT. 19 nection with the minutest details of the work and the smallest actions of his many helpers. It is not, of course, contended that the most perfect election agent can ensure victory under all conditions ; but in a closely-contested elec- tion a good agent may win, while an indifferent or inexperienced man would most probably lose. There are certain legal requirements and Legal • • 1 ■ 1 1 ^ i-i require- restrictions which must be observed in the case ments. of the election agent, and which may be set forth here. 1. A paid election agent cannot vote in the county or borough where the election in which he is acting is being held. 2. No person who has, within seven years, previously been declared by any com- petent tribunal guilty of any corrupt prac- tice can be engaged as election agent. If such a person were appointed by the candidate personally, with a knowledge of such disqualification, the election of the latter would be voided. 3. On or before the nomination day the name and address of the election agent must be declared in writing to the return- ing officer. At the same time the address of an office where claims, notices, and other documents may be sent, and which must be within the borough or county in which the election is proceeding (or within any county of a city or town 20 ELECTION AGENT adjoining thereto), must be declared to the returning officer. Central In beginning the business of the election, the tee room, election agent should establish himself in a con- veniently situated central committee-foom ; and it is of importance that this central committee- room in counties should be in the town which is best adapted as a centre for working the elec- tion, regard being had, amongst other important matters, to geographical considerations, railway, postal, and telegraphic communications, etc. It too often happens that the election is worked from a central office in some out-of-the-way corner of a constituency, whence it is impossible for a proper supervision to be exercised, and with which it is difficult for the remoter parts of the division to maintain communication. The election agent should take care not to burden himself with any detail work that he tendence. can avoid. There are certain matters, such as the organization of committees ; the hiring of committee-rooms and halls for public meetings; the appointment of sub-agents, clerks, mes- sengers, and personation agents; the preparation and examination of nomination papers ; the issuing of orders for printing, etc. ; and watch- ing the expenditure, for which he must in the main be responsible ; but while acquainting himself minutely with everything that is going on in the election, he should keep his mind clear for the general superintendence of the work,. Election Agent's duty is superin THE ELECTION AGENT. 21 and should not himself undertake the sole responsibility for any one branch of it. Where the party organization has been con- ducted in the most perfect manner, the local political association will have made many pre- parations for an election, and the election agent will simply have to take over the work which has been done. In such a case there will be ready : — i. Envelopes addressed to every elector on the Parliamentary register. By the new Post Office regulation which came into force on the ist January, 1892, envelopes, if left open for inspection by the officials, may be used instead of halfpenny wrappers. Care should be taken that the register number of each elector is put on the envelope, as this will be found a great convenience when identifying the returned letters. 2. Polling district registers, containing, in street order, the name, address, and register number of every elector in each polling district. 3. Canvass books, also made out in street order, each book having about twenty names in it. 4. Lists of voluntary helpers in each polling district. 5. A record of the names and addresses of persons in each polling district who are willing to let or lend committee-rooms, and also of friends who will lend vehicles on the polling day. 6. There should also be a list of the places 22 THE ELECTION AGENT. Matters needing immedi- ate atten- tion : — 1. Prepar- ation of Canvass Books, &c, where public meetings may be held, with an estimate of the number of persons who can be accommodated. Where these things are not already prepared the election agent must at once put them in hand. He will require a large staff to get the envelopes addressed, but very frequently a number of voluntary helpers can be found. Ladies' aid is especially valuable at this stage, and they are usually eager to undertake the work. The canvass books and district registers should be prepared under the supervision of the election agent, or some person deputed by him. Where the register is in street order this will be a comparatively simple matter, but where the lists are made out in alphabetical order great care must be exercised. The simplest plan is to address a set of envelopes, and have them sorted in proper order by persons who know the streets or roads intimately. The district registers and canvass books can then be written up from these. Specimen headings of district registers and canvass books supplied by the publishers of this book are given below. DISTRICT REGISTER. Name of Voter. i- . "w • 3 <|5 gfc g SB eS =S w » «] f*( Remarks. the election agent. CANVASS BOOK. c u , a" T3 O Name of Voter. a '3 5 * S — £> o s Remarks. Ol K h J o sub-agents. It is desirable, generally speaking, that these appointments should be made in writing by the election agent himself. Forms of appointment and of notice to the returning officer are given on p. 32. Notice must be given by the election agent to the returning officer of the names and addresses of the personation agents appointed. If this is not done the returning officer may refuse to admit any agent to the polling station. There is no provision in the Act that this notice shall be delivered before the opening of the poll ; but it is, for obvious reasons, convenient to do so. One personation agent for each polling station and no more may be engaged for payment. As regards agents to attend the counting of THE ELECTION AGENT. 3 I the votes, they must, if employed for payment, be appointed by the election agent or his sub- agents ; and as the number allowed in the count- ing room is regulated by the returning officer, the election agent should always reserve to himself the right of making these appointments. The agents, in so far as paid agents are employed, must be chosen from amongst the sub-agents, polling agents, clerks, or messengers, since there is no provision in the Corrupt Practices Act for payment of counting agents as distinct officials. In the case of counting agents acting gratuitously the candidate may make the ap- pointments. In any case the election agent should consult the returning officer or his deputy with regard to the number of counting agents who will be admitted ; and the appointments must be made and notice of such appointments given to the returning officer at least one clear day before the opening of the poll. For example, if the poll be fixed for the 3rd of the month notice of the appointments must reach the returning officer on the 1st. The election agent should take care that the personation and counting agents make the necessary declaration of secrecy before a magistrate. Any magistrate, whether acting within the county or not, may attest the declara- tion. Forms of appointment and of notice to the 2,2 THE ELECTION AGENT. returning officer follow. The declaration in both cases is the same. APPOINTMENT OF POLLING OR PERSONATION AGENT. Parliamentary Election for the . . . Division of the ... of ... To . . . of . . . You are hereby appointed as an Agent on behalf of . . . a Candidate in the above Election, to detect personation, and you are- reqnired to attend at Polling Station No. . . . on . . . the . . . day of . . . from 8 a.m. to S p.m. . . . (Signed) . . . Agent. Refore proceeding to the Polling Station you must make the following declaration before a Justice of the Peace. DECLARATION. I solemnly promise and declare that I will not at this Election for the . . . Division of the ... of ... do anything forbidden by Section 4 of the Eallot Act, 187-, which has been read to me . . . (Signed) . . . This declaration was made b?fore me, a. Justice of the Peace for the . . . of . . . this . . . diyof . . . 189 . . . (Signed) . . . NOTICE TO RE GIVEN TO THE RETURNING OFFICER OF NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF POLLING OR PERSONATION AGENTS. Parliamentary Election for the . . . Division of the ... of ... I .. . being the Election Agent for ... a Candidate at the above Election, do hereby give you notice that I have appointed the persons whose names and addresses here follow to attend at the Polling Stations indicated opposite their names and to act on behalf of the said Candidate as Agents to detect Personation. Name. To attend at Polling Station. NOTICE TO RE GIVEN TO THE RETURNING OFFICER OF NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF AGENTS APPOINTED TO ATTEND THE COUNTING. Parliamentary Election for the . . . Division of the ... of ... I .. . being the Election Agent for ... a Candidate at the above Election, do hereby give you notice that the persons whose names here follow have been appointed as Agents to attend the Counting on behalf of the said candidate. Name. Address. THE ELECTION AGENT. The election agent must see that nomination Nomina- papers are filled up on behalf of the candidate papers, he represents. Further information on this point will be found on p. 80. The election agent should ascertain at the Polling: mi 1 , Cards. earliest possible moment what arrangements the returning officer intends to make for the taking of the poll; and as soon as he knows where the polling stations are to be, he must, with the utmost possible despatch, prepare the voters' instruction card, or polling card, as it is usually called, indeed, it will be advisable to have this card set up beforehand, in readiness for the insertion of the address of the polling place. The instructions on the card should be brief, and care must be taken in wording it that no statement is made which will mislead the voter, or which could be construed as an infringement of the laws protecting electors. The form given below would be suitable: — . . . Parliamentary Election, 189 . Mr. . . . begs to inform yon that the poll will take place on* . . . from eight o'clock in the morning till eight in the evening. You are thus described on the liegister. No. . . . Name . . . You must vote at . . . On the reverse side : — Your attention is respectfully requested to the following points : — On entering the polling station you will receive fiom the presid- ing officer a ballot-paper ; please fill it up by making a dis- tinct X >n the space opposite the name of ... ; thus — 1. A. i X 2. B. * State the dav of the week and date. 34 THE ELECTION AGENT. Make no other mark than the X, as shown above, or your vote will be lost to Mr. . . . When you have marked the paper, fold it up. so that no one can see for whom you have voted, show the official mark on the back to the presiding officer, and then put the paper in the ballot-box. Poll as early as possible. The ballot is absolutely secret, and you need not tell anyone how you have voted. In printing these cards the name of the candi- date for whom it is desired that the elector should vote is sometimes shown in larger type than that of his opponent. It is submitted that this is a mistake, and is calculated to mislead some voters, inasmuch as on the ballot-paper itself both names are printed the same size. This is a small point, but it is well worthy of consideration. It is also submitted that it is undesirable to ask electors to report at the committee-room after they have voted. The election agent's arrangements should enable him to ascertain when an elector has been to the poll without subjecting him to inconvenience, and possibly to injury, through his visit to the committee-room. Occasionally the polling instructions are printed on the back of ordinary post-cards. This ex- pedient, of course, lessens the expense ; but it prevents the enclosure of leaflets or other litera- ture bearing on the election, and is to this extent less effective. Distribu- In a perfectly organized constituency it will Polling probably be considered desirable to distribute the poll cards through the local committees. The advantage of this plan is that it enables the THE ELECTION AGENT 35 ■canvassers to have a last word with the electors on the eve of the poll. In such cases it is abso- lutely necessary that the cards should be in the hands of the sub-agents at least four days before the opening of the poll, and more time should be given, if possible. Generally, however, the cards are sent out by post, and, under these circumstances, the sub- agents (if they send them out) should have the cards early enough to enable them to be des- patched not less than two days before the poll. It may even be necessary, in some districts, that the cards should be posted earlier than this, in order to secure their delivery in due time. It is obvious that there are disadvantages in sending out the cards too early, and the agents should take care that no error is made on either side. Arrangements should be made with the local postmaster to receive the cards at a time agreed upon. Care should be taken that the envelopes are prepared in readiness, and that all needful cor- rection of addresses is made before posting the poll cards. It has become a practice for a portrait of the Portrait candidate to be circulated amongst the electors, Candi- ii • iii i • • • date, and there is no doubt that this is sometimes an effective electioneering move ; but, if done at all, it is essential that the workmanship should be the best obtainable. The difference of cost be- tween a bad portrait and a good one is so trifling 3t> THE ELECTION AGENT. that it is not worth while to send out a mere smudge or caricature. The back of the portrait card, which should be of the cabinet size, may be utilized to give a short account of the mea- sures or policy supported by the candidate ; or it may be made to serve the purpose of a poll card. Day of Before the polling day the election agent must issue notices to all his principal officials instruct- ing them as to their duties on the polling day and afterwards. The election agent should make the declara- tion of secrecy, and should see that the candi- date and all other persons of whom it is required do the same. It will be necessary also that the election agent should arrange for the candidate to make a tour of the constituency, or as much of it as he can cover, on the polling day. The com- mittee-rooms and polling stations should be visited. A carriage, relays of horses, and other matters must be duly arranged for ; a time-table should be drawn up and as far as possible adhered to. Notice should be given to the sub- agents of the time at which they may expect the candidate to arrive. The election agent's movements on the polling day will depend to a great extent upon circum- ' stances. If he has a competent man not other- wise occupied whom he can leave in charge of the central committee-room, it will probably be THE ELECTION AGENT. 37 desirable that he should himself visit all his committee-rooms. He will thus be able to assure himself that every man is at his post and that all is in good order ; or on the other hand he may be able to remedy defects, supply omissions, or give advice and assistance on the spot in matters of difficulty. On no account, however, should he leave the central committee-room unless he can place some qualified substitute in charge ; and under any circumstances he should leave at the central rooms an address or addresses to which com- munications may be sent in case of need. At the close of the poll he should require from his sub-agents a full report as to the number of electors polled in each district. The election agent should attend the counting of the votes, and should be in time to see the boxes opened and the ballot papers verified. C86739 ELECTION EXPENSES. In making his arrangements for the contest the election agent will of necessity be guided by the amount of money placed at his disposal by the candidate ; and in any case he is, of course, limited absolutely to the maximum scale allowed under the Corrupt Practices Act. Many changes have taken place since the passing of this Act. The Redistribution Act of 1885 made sweeping changes as regards area, and the increase and shifting of population have largely altered in many constituencies the conditions then created. It might be thought that a maximum expenditure designed to meet the case of half a county would be beyond the requirements of a Division considerably less in size ; but two important points must be borne in mind, namely (1), that the basis of the calculations in the Corrupt Prac- tices Act is the electorate of the district dealt with, and (2) that before the Redistribution Act it was usual to arrange joint candidatures, when the maximum expenditure was increased by one- half. At the present time it may therefore be considered that the maximum scale is not on the ELECTION EXPENSES. 39 average in excess of the amount necessary for efficiently working an election. In considerinsf what items of expenditure in- Expendi- • r 1 tUre curred in preparation for a contest he must before 11 . Election adopt and account for as part of his election which 1 * must be expenses, the election agent must decide whether adopted r ° by Elec- such expenditure has reference to the " conduct t ion or management of the election " (C. P. A., Sec. 8). There are many instances in which it will be found very difficult to decide what should be included, and it is, of course, impossible to offer suggestions here which would cover every con- ceivable case. I am, however, permitted to quote counsel's opinion upon the following points: — "The Act, unfortunately, does not define what ^o| istra ~ is meant by the ' conduct or management ' of an Expenses. election, but it was decided by Day and Field, J.J., in the Kennington case that those words do not refer to registration expenses. It was pointed out in the judgment in that case that although registration expenses are incurred on account of an expected election, yet they are no part of the expense of conducting or managing the election itself." The words italicised appear to afford guidance as to the principle which must govern an election agent's decision in other matters than registration expenses. It would follow therefrom that any expense " in- curred on account of an expected election," and yet forming no part of the necessary prepara- 40 ELECTION EXPENSES. tions for the "conduct or management " of the election, may be excluded from the return of election expenses. On the other hand, all work done before the election, which work, or the outcome of it, the election agent takes under his own control for the purposes of the election, must, of course, be paid for by him and included in his return. Public The question of how far the cost of public Meetings . , . , ..... f . and Liter- meetings and ot the distribution of literature, ature. , prior to an election, form part of the "conduct or management of the election " is admittedly more difficult. There is no definite authority on the point. Counsel says — " It was decided in the Kennington case that the cost of a newspaper, which had been started by the candidate substantially for the purpose of supporting his candidature, need not be returned as pari of his expenses, and if the candidate is at liberty to prepare the voters for an election by means of newspapers, it might fairly be argued that he is at liberty to do so by means of public meetings and leaflets. But there is this impor- tant difference between the cost of registration or of starting newspapers and the cost of meetings and leaflets, viz., that the Act makes no mention of the former, while it expressly includes the latter expense (at all events during the actual period of the election) in the per- mitted maximum of expenditure. Public meet- ings and leaflets are, therefore, part of the ELECTION EXPENSES. 4 1 ' conduct or management ' of an election, and the Act says if money is expended in respect ot the 'conduct or management' of an election, whether before, during, or after such election, it should be included in the return. It must not, however, be inferred from this that all public meetings and leaflets, prior to an election, are part of its 'conduct or management,' simply because they form part of the candidate's political propaganda. To educate the voters in anticipation of an election is one thing; to 4 conduct or manage ' the actual election itself is another. The words ' conduct or management ' are limited to the ' election,' and apply only to the period of the election, but the candidate must not evade the Act by defraying the expenses of that period BEFORE the period itself begins, nor after it is over. The object of the words 'before, during, or after an election ' is only to prevent evasion, and to bring within the scope of the Act all payments which, but for the Act, would be made during the actual period of the election {i.e., after the issue of the writ.)" . . . ''Thus ... if a candidate held all, or practically all his public meetings before the seat was actually vacant, in order to save that expense afterwards, and thereby enable himself to devote the maxi- mum expenditure to other matters, the judges would consider that he was evading the Act, and that he had paid before the election an expense which ordinarily and properly belonged to the 4-2 ELECTION EXPENSES. period of the election. But money spent on the political education of voters, whether by the candidate or anybody else, before the legal election begins, is, in my opinion, outside the scope of the Act." Another point which may assist candidates and election agents to determine what expendi- ture should be adopted is the definition in Section 63 of what constitutes a candidate. A " candi- date at an election " is defined to be one who is nominated as candidate or declared to be such after the seat is vacant. Counsel's opinion is that— " For practical purposes, therefore, the period of the vacancy may be treated as the period of the election." The election agent should, at the outset, make an approximate calculation of the amount that he can afford to spend under each heading named in the form contained in Schedule II. of the Corrupt Practices Act. scaAe mum Section 8 of the Corrupt Practices Act lays down the rule that — "No sum shall be paid and no expense shall be incurred by a candidate at an election , or his election agent, whether be/ore, during, or after an election, on account of or in respect of the conduct or ?nanavcme?it of such election, in excess of any max i muni amount in that behalf specified in the first schedule to this Act." ELECTION EXPENSES. 43 Any candidate or agent who knowingly acts in contravention of this section will be guilty of an illegal practice. The maximum scale for England and Scotland is as shown in the following table : — IN A COUNTY. Constituency. For one Candidate. Not exceeding — 2,000 electors. £650 3,000 £710 4.000 £770 5,000 £8.30 6,000 £890 7,000 £950 8,000 £1,010 9,000 £1,070 10,000 £1,130 11,000 £1,190 12,000 £1.250 13,000 £1,310 14 000 £1,370 15,000 £1,430 And so on, adding £6o for every complete 1,000 electors. The following three heads of expenditure are Expendi- not included in the maximum scale, and expenses incfuded falling under them may be incurred in addition mum* 3 " to the maximum: — i. Returning officer's charges. 2. Personal expenses of the candidate. 3. Expenses of conveying voters by sea in certain excepted cases. As regards the personal expenses of the candi- Personal date a misapprehension is sometimes found to xpensei exist with reference to the meaning of Sub-Section 1, Section 31 of the Corrupt Practices Act. It may be desirable, therefore, to quote the Sub-Section : — 44 ELECTION EXPENSES. " The candidate at an election may pay any personal expenses incurred bv him on account of, or in connection with, or inci- dental to such election to an amount not exceeding one hundred pounds, but any further personal expenses so incurred by him shall be paid by his election agent." Part IV. of Schedule I, C. P. A., 1883, ex- pressly states that the maximum excludes " per- sonal expenses ; " and the form of return of election expenses prescribed for the use of the election agent by Schedule II. contains the fol- lowing headings : — Personal expenses of the said C. D., paid by himself. ,, ,, „ paid by me. These provisions are held to indicate clearly that the intention of Parliament was to prevent any abuse arising in connection with the personal expenditure of candidates, and not to limit legitimate outlay under this heading. Personal expenses have been defined as " all the money he spends in travelling to, from, and about the constituency, and the cost of his board and lodging there, together with payments for food, comforts or luxuries, which can be fairly included in the cost of living, whether bought in the constituency or elsewhere, if consumed in the constituency." a surges- ^ * s > °^ course > impossible to lay down any estimate 11 absolute rule on the subject, but it may be useful to indicate the amounts which, in practical ex- ELECTION EXPENSES. 45 perience, have been found sufficient to cover each class of expenditure in a county con- stituency with 10,500 electors on the register, the maximum allowed being £1,1 go, and the contest extending over a period of three weeks. It should be noted that the number of electors is to be taken according to the enumeration in the register, i.e., the duplicate entries need not be deducted in calculating the maximum. Election agent Sub-agents Polling agents Clerks Messengers Printing" Advertising Stationery Postage Telegrams Hire of rooms for public meetings. . . ,, for committee-rooms Miscellaneous £150 157 20 15° 68 180 47 20 92 17 78 24 179 (Expenditure under this head is absolutely limited to an amount not exceeding ,(.'200). Having made his estimate, always allowing a strict good margin to meet contingencies, the agent n°cessai should exercise the strictest control over the orders given and do his best to keep the amounts within the limit he has allowed himself. Sub-agents should be required to render state- ments from time to time of the expenses they 46 ELECTION EXPENSES. have incurred in their districts, and in no case should they be allowed to exceed the sum they have been authorized to expend, unless a further authority is given them in writing. All orders issued from the central committee-room should be signed by the election agent, and invoices of all goods delivered should be insisted upon, and the amounts of the same entered under their proper heading on the expenses sheet each day. In this way only can the agent see how his expenditure is progressing and control it. Further, this plan will immensely simplify the task of preparing the final return to be made to the returning officer. When payments made, or claims for payment, amount to 40s. or upwards, the bill must state particulars, and a receipt must be attached to the return of election expenses. Claims As soon as possible after the election, the received election agent should collect all outstanding Fourteen accounts. If there is sufficient money in hand Days after ,, . . r , . . . Election, to allow of advertisements tor claims, without exceeding the maximum, it may be desirable to give notice in this way to creditors. All claims must be received by the election agent, or the sub-agent within whose district the claim was incurred, within lourteen days after the day on which the candidates returned are declared elected, otherwise the claims will be barred. If the claims are sent to any other person than those named, the sending in will be; Receipts to be taken. ELECTION EXPENSES. 47 bad. They should be sent to the address of the election agent or sub-agent stated in the public notice given by the returning officer. The provisions as to claims apply also to the election agent's remuneration ; to the candidate's statement of personal expenses paid by himself and the particulars of expenditure, if any, above the limit of ^100; and to the statements of petty expenses paid by any persons under written authority from the election agent. These latter must be vouched for by a receipted bill giving particulars of the expenditure. The returning officer is allowed twenty-one days after the day on which the candidates returned are declared elected in which to make his claim. He must render a detailed account showing the amounts of his charges, ana his claim must be transmitted to the election agent within the time specified. The election agent must pay all claims which Payment i- f , . • • 1 • • , l ot Claims are not disputed by him within twenty- eight days after the day on which the candidates returned are declared elected. Disputed claims fall under two heads : — Disputed r t Claims. (1) Where the liability is admitted, but the amount is disputed, and (2) Where liability is altogether disputed. In each case the election agent must state, in his return of election expenses, particulars of such disputed claims, and give the names of the persons claiming. He must await 4< s ELECTION EXPENSES. the action of claimant in respect of any dis- puted claim. Return The election agent must, within thirty-five and De- & . J ciaration days after the candidates returned are declared as to Ex- J penses. elected, transmit to the returning officer a return and declaration of the election expenses in the form prescribed by Schedule II., Part I., of the Corrupt Practices Act. The declaration must be made before a Justice of the Peace. DECLARATION AS TO EXPENSES BY ELECTION AGENT. Parliamentary Election for the ... of ... I .. . being Election Agent to . . . candidate at the election for the county [or borough] of ... on the . . . day of ... do hereby solemnly and sincerely declare that I have examined the return of election expenses about to be transmitted by me to the Returning Officer at the said election, and now shown to me and marked . . . and to the best of my knowledge and belief that return is correct ; And I hereby further solemnly and sincerely declare that, except as ap- pears from that return, I have not and to the best of my knowledge and belief no other person, nor any c!ub, society, or association has on behalf of the said Candidate made any payment, or given, promised, or offered any reward, office, employment, or valuable consideration, or incurred any liability on account of or in respect of the conduct or management of the said Election ; And I further solemnly and sincerely declare that I have received from the said Candidate . . . pounds and no more [or nothing] for the purpose of the said Election, aud that, except as specified in the said return sent by me, no money, security, or equivalent for mouey has been paid, advanced, given, or deposited by anyone to me or in my hands, or, to the best of my knowledge and belief, to or in the hands of any other person for the pur- pose of defraying any expenses incurred on behalf of the said Candidate on account of, or in respect of, the conduct or management of the said election. Signature of Declarant . . . Signed and declared by the above-named declarant on the . . • day of . . . before me. . . . (Signed) . . . Justice of the Peace for . . . In computing the time allowed for sending in claims in respect of the election by persons other than the returning officer; for the pay- ment of such claims ; and also for transmitting ELECTION' EXPENSES. 49 the return and declaration respecting election expenses, it would appear that Sundays, Christ- mas Day, Good Friday, etc., must not be ex- cluded. For example, if the declaration of the result of the election were made on Saturday, the ist ot the month, the last day for sending in claims to the election agent would be the 15th. On the other hand, assuming the return to be made i.e. to have reached the Clerk of the Crown on Monday, the 3rd, the last day on which the returning officer may transmit his account to the election agent would be the 27th (Sundays, etc., being excluded in comput- ing time in all matters in which the returning officer is concerned). As the candidate is required to examine the accounts relating to the election before making his declaration in respect thereof, it would be well for the election agent to arrange, if possible, that the candidate's declaration should be sent in at the same time as he transmits the return and his own declaration. ELECTION COMMITTEES. The formation of special election committees is attended by some risk, and is not free from other disadvantages arising out of the circumstance that every member of an election committee may be held to be an agent of the candidate. On the other hand, it is certain that the aid of a willing and deeply interested committee is of the greatest value ; and the influence of such a committee, if it be fully representative of all classes, will undoubtedly have a powerful effect upon the electorate. The election agent should, therefore, at an early stage of the proceedings, consider whether the formation of such a committee is desirable, and, if desirable, possible. In connection with the first of these considera- tions, the main point to be determined is whether the committee, if formed, is likely to render active assistance. A committee which exists only on paper is seldom of much use ; at all events, the dangers in connection with such a committee are greater than the advantages. ELECTION COMMITTEES. 5 1 The desirability of a committee having: been Formation 1 -i 1 , , , , of a Cen - determined upon, the election a^ent should at trai Com- .... ...... mittee. once test the possibility of forming it by inviting all the leading men of his party in the division to .1 preliminary meeting. It is not desirable that the election committee should be a very large body ; but it is essential that it should be thoroughly representative of every shade of opinion. Probably it will be best in most cases to summon to the first meeting the officers of the district committees, i.e., the chairmen and secre- taries. At this meeting the election committee may be formally constituted, and its functions defined. The committee should have power to add to its number. The election agent should submit to the meet- ing a brief outline of such schemes as he may have formulated, and should invite the co-operation of those present. He may also invite suggestions as to other matters, and a properly constituted committee can render invaluable assistance in connection with the organization of the campaign. The election agent should, however, make it clear to the committee at the outset that the acceptance of any suggestions made must depend not only upon their fitness, but upon their practicability in view of the general arrange- ments, and especially in regard to the expense involved. It is a good plan to appoint the chairman and a small secretary of the election committee, an executive 52 ELECTION COMMITTEES. to consult with the election agent upon all matters of urgency. Frequent meetings of the whole committee are very undesirable, as great waste of time is occa- sioned thereby. Limita- It has been pointed out that an election com- tion of l . functions mittee may render very important services ; but it appears necessary to add that the committee should be impressed with the fact that it has no right under the existing" law to assume any ad- ministrative function. It should confine itself strictly to the organization of the district com- mittees, and to deliberation and recommendation. The election agent alone is responsible for ad- ministration and for the organization of his staff, and on no account should the election committee attempt to interfere. If in the opinion of the committee the election agent is negligent or incompetent, it may. of course, make any representation it thinks fit to the candidate, and, if he agrees with the committee, he may cancel the appointment of his agent. Above all, the election committee must avoid incurring expenditure of any kind. The election agent is bound to keep strict control of financial matters, and it is illegal for a committee, or any member of it, to incur any expenditure on ac- count of the election. Organiza- The first and most important duty of an elec- tion of ... . . , Local tion committee is to organize committees for the Com- . .. . , . . mittees. polling districts, or where committees exist m ELECTION COMMITTEES. 53 some districts and not in others to strengthen the weak places. The polling district committees will act under the direction of the sub-agent, and will conduct the canvass on behalf of their can- didate. They should meet every night to report results and to decide upon methods of reaching doubtful voters. The election committee may also form sub- sub-com- committees to assist the election agent in arranging public meetings, and another sub- committee to assist in the preparation of leaflets, etc., etc., while yet another might usefully devote itself to securing promises of vehicles for use on the polling day. Occasionally it may be found desirable to appoint a detective committee to collect evidence with reference to corrupt or illegal practices suspected or discovered. This committee should be small, and one member of it at least should be a lawyer who has a good knowledge of the locality and the people. COMMITTEE-ROOMS. Number The number of committee-rooms that mav be that may , . . . be hired, hired tor payment in a county is limited as follows : — One central committee-room ; One committee-room for each polling dis- trict, and if the number of electors in a polling district exceeds 500, one additional committee-room for every complete 500 electors over and above the first 500. There is no limit to the number of committee- rooms that may be used if they are gratuitously placed at the disposal of the candidate. The prohibited premises may not, however, be used under any circumstances. The minimum number of committee-rooms required in a county election will be : — (1.) A central committee-room, which will be the election agent's address for the time being ; (2.) A committee-room for each sub-agent, which shall be the central office for COMMITTEE-ROOMS. 55 each group of polling districts, and must therefore afford sufficient ac- commodation for transacting all necessary business, holding meetings of the district committees, etc. ; and (3.) A committee-room in each polling dis- trict not already provided for under No. 2. These latter committee-rooms need not necessarily be open all day, but it is of the greatest importance that they should be open for a stated time every evening in the week, and that a responsible person should be in charge to answer inquiries and give information to all comers. It is quite impossible to indicate with any cost of approach to accuracy what should be paid for tee-rooms, committee-rooms, but a word of caution may with advantage be given against paying the extortionate prices sometimes demanded during elections. It is undoubtedly desirable to ob- tain committee-rooms in a central and easily accessible position, but there is nearly always a second-best situation which may be made to serve the purposes of the agent almost equally well, and it is'seldom that the whereabouts of the committee-room cannot by the exercise of a little ingenuity be made sufficiently clear. In selecting a central committee-room it is, ^i^A 1 ^ o ' 01 Central however, of first importance that it should be in Pfi^ 1 ?*™ the town most easily accessible from all parts of 56 COMMITTEE-ROOMS. the division, and the premises should be suffi- ciently commodious to afford facilities for the holding of committee meetings, and, if possible, to accommodate, in addition to the election agent's own staff, one of the sub-agents with his assistants. Rooms re- The election agent will require the following quired at 01 o Central rooms : — Office. A large room for the use of canvassers and for committee meetings ; A room for the out-voters' and removals' clerk and his assistants ; A general clerk's room ; and on the ground floor — An inquiry office and literature store-room. Committee-rooms are prohibited on the fol- lowing premises : — Pro- Premises licensed for the sale, wholesale or Premises. retail, of intoxicating liquors ; or on which intoxicating liquors or refreshments of any kind , whether food or drink, are supplied for consumption on the premises. [An exception is made in favour of permanent politic.il clubs, but it is best, as a rule, to avoid establishing committee-rooms in a club. The reasons are now pretty generally understood, and it is unnecessary to repeat them here.] The premises which are prohibited, therefore, may be taken to include : — Public-houses and hotels ; Grocers' and other shops having licenses ; The premises of brewers, wine and spirit merchants ; COMMITTEE-ROOMS. 57 Coffee and tea houses ; and certain Confectioners' shops where refreshments are supplied for consumption on the premises. Any part of such premises may, however, be used for a committee-room if such part is ordinarily let for chambers, offices, etc., and provided it has a separate entrance and no direct communication with any part where liquor is sold or refreshments supplied. It is, however, very unusual for such condi- tions to exist, and it is doubtful whether the temporary closing and sealing of any passage or other means of communication generally existing would meet the requirements of the Act. An agent will, therefore, be well advised if he avoid all risks in this matter. Public elementary schools are also in the list of places prohibited. SUB-AGENTS. Great care should be exercised in the selection of sub-agents. It should be remembered that they are deputy election agents, and that any indiscretion or illegal act committed by them will have the same effect as if committed by the election agent himself. Casual at- It has been the custom in the past to appoint tention to * duties an as sub-agents persons who have thought it evil. . . sufficient to attend to the work of the election during the brief intervals when their own busi- ness or profession did not press for their attention. It cannot be too strongly urged that in the future this practice should be abandoned, except in very special cases ; and that every man who receives an appointment as sub-agent should enter into an agreement to devote his whole time and thoughts to the duties of his office during a period specified by the election agent, impor- The sub-agent's functions are only second in sub- importance to those of the election agent him- work. self. He is responsible for the proper working SIB-AGENTS. 59 of the districts assigned to him. Where there are good local committees to assist him his work will, of course, be comparatively light ; but even under the most favourable circumstances he has opportunity for the display of energy and ability, which may have an important effect upon the result. In most county divisions the number of polling Grouping ... . . . ^ of Polling districts has been considerably increased or late. Districts. These additions, while a great convenience to voters, necessitate a slight alteration in the organization of an election staff — an alteration which has, however, been adopted for some time past by the most experienced agents in county elections. Instead of a sub-agent having charge of one polling district only, two or three dis- tricts are grouped together, and a man of ex- perience put in charge of the group. Eight to ten sub-agents can efficiently work a division containing twenty to thirty polling districts. Assuming, therefore, that a sub-aofent is ap- Matters ° . ° l requiring pointed to work three polling districts, his first immediate 1 _ . attention. business will be to secure, if that has not already been done, a committee - room conveniently' situated as a centre from which the work of the three districts can be directed, and also com- mittee-rooms in each of the other polling districts. He will then summon committee meetings for the earliest possible date in each of his districts- If the canvass books and street lists have 60 SUB-AGENTS. not been made out, he must at once put this work in hand, and will proceed according to the instructions previously given in this manual. He should also find out what places are avail- able for public meetings, and arrange terms with the proprietors. He cannot, of course, fix definitely the dates for meetings without instruc- tions from the election agent ; but he should ascertain not only when the buildings are free, but the days on which it is desirable to hold meetings. The number of meetings to be held will depend upon the speakers available, and, to some extent, upon the conditions under which the election is being held. The meetings of the local committees will, of course, afford him an opportunity for obtaining much information on this and other points. Having obtained full particulars, he should at once report them to the election agent. Copies of Prior to the meeting of the committees the required, sub-agent should be provided with one complete register of electors in the division, and also with the portion of the register applying to each of the districts under his control. The complete register he should keep at his own committee-room for reference and for marking up for the use of the personation agent. The district lists he will, of course, hand over to the secretary of the local committee or other person in charge of the committee-room. SUB-AGENTS. 6 1 The sub-agent should invariably attend the first meeting of the local committees, and he should be prepared to allot to each member of the committee as much work as it will be in his power to do during the next two or three days. What this work will be will, of course, depend upon the state of preparedness for an election existing in the constituency. But assuming that the canvass books are ready, as they ought to be, they should be distributed and the canvass begun forthwith. In many districts an objection to canvassing canvass- prevails amongst the members of the committee, mg ' but it is quite certain that this objection is not shared by the majority of the voters, excepting, perhaps, in some very few districts where the system has become obnoxious through the tyranny, or persecution, resorted to in connection with it by some misguided partisans. In these exceptional cases, however, it may be taken for granted that the bulk of the inhabitants will take revenge on those who have sought to interfere with their freedom by voting for the opposite party. In ordinary cases it cannot be too strongly impressed on the local committee that the prospects of their candidate will be improved or impaired, according to the efficiency, or other- wise, of the canvass. It must always be borne in mind that nine out of every ten Englishmen will keep a promise once definitely made. This is 62 SUB-AGENTS. not a random statement, but is founded upon the experience afforded by many elections. It follows from this that a further advantage may be gained by promptness in beginning and energy in prosecuting the canvass. The committee-men should be asked to use every effort to see voters personally — never to be satisfied, in fact, until they have done so — and at least twice a week the committee should meet for the purpose of reporting progress in the canvass. It is not necessary, or even desirable, that all the members of the committee should be present while the canvass report is being made. It is much better that the proceedings should commence, say, at eight o'clock, with such members as happen to be present, and be conducted in an informal manner. In this way there is the minimum of interference with the progress of the canvass. When a full meeting is held doubtful names can be called over and allotted to those members of the committee who are considered best qualified to deal with them. Special attention should be directed by the sub-agent to these doubtful voters, and also to removed voters. A plan of dealing with the latter is discussed later on. All particulars of the canvass should be entered in the district canvass registers, or street lists, as they are sometimes called, and the sub-agent ought to be in a position to send in daily to the SUB-AGENTS. 63 election agent a summary of the results showing some progress. The following is a useful form for this purpose : — CANVASS RETURN FOR . . . POLLING DISTRICT. For . . . day . . . — th, 189 . This return to be sent regularly to Mr. , . . Central Committee Rooms. m j5 2 -d . 4^ . a si » ■— *» a a "S _a ,0 -5 — a KZa 9*3 g to > fc §? «S E=i < fa P |Z5 Q M J > 1 but, at the very least, for some hours in the evening, and the chairman or some person of authority and experience should be in charge to give advice and information to all needing them. Advertis- Upon the sub-agent will rest the responsibilitv ing Meet- L ° > r ings. f 01 - the meetings within his districts. He must take care that all arrangements are properly made, and that the meetings are well advertised. Usually at a general election there is ample time to get out bills and distribute them, and it is not necessarv to detail the arrangements necessary in a bve-election when the pressure is much greater and all movements must be accele- rated. As a rule it is absolutelv useless, and, there- lore, a waste of money, to advertise meetings in the newspapers in counties. Large posters also should be very sparingly used for this purpose ; they are expensive, and the places where they may be posted up are very few in number. In fact, as a rule, they an- entirely unnecessary. The best way of proclaiming meetings in most SUB-AGENTS. 65 places is by the distribution from house to house of small handbills stating — (a) The town or village where the meeting is to be held ; (d) The place of assembly ; (c) The date of the meeting [giving both day of week and day of month] ; (tl) The time of beginning ; (e) The names of the chairman and principal speakers ; and ( /) A bold announcement of the name of the candidate in whose support the meet- ing is to be held. These matters are mentioned because hand- bills and posters are so frequently spoiled and rendered useless when drawn up by inexperienced persons owing to the omission of one or other point of importance. The sub-agent should examine a proof of every bill issued, and take particular notice that each one bears the imprint of the printer and pub- lisher. The handbills should be distributed three or four days, but not more than a week, beforehand, unless very special circumstances demand longer notice. If necessary the services of the crier may be requisitioned to supplement the other plan of advertisement, and on an emergency this func- tionary may be entrusted with the whole burden of spreading the news. F 66 SUB-AGENTS. Arrange- ments at place of meeting'. Sub- agents and atten- dance at meetings. Poll Cards. The arrangements in connection with the room in which the meeting is to be held should be care- fully attended to. Everything, from the door- keeper to the waterbottle, should be in position some time before the hour announced for the chairman to take his place ; nothing should be left to chance, and no one should be in a state of uncertainty. It is on small matters that the success or failure of meetings in villages and the lesser towns mainly depends. While the sub-agent should master every detail in connection with meetings, and should per- sonally see that everything is in order, it is very undesirable that he should, except in an emergency, devote any great portion of his time to attend- ing them. There is so much detail work to attend to that he can seldom spare the time ; and as the same may be said of most members of the local committees, it is very necessary that the sub-agent should, by example as well as precept, do all in his power to secure the strict attention of all to the committee-room and canvassing work. There will, of course, be exceptions to this rule ; but in the main it may be taken as desirable to adhere to it with some strictness. Usually in counties the candidate's poll cards are sent to the sub-agents to be filled up and distributed. In such cases if the sub-agent has not received his share of the cards within 24 hours of the time when he knows the necessary information as to the polling stations fixed by SUB-AGENTS. 67 the returning officer must have reached the flection agent, he should at once make inquiry about the cards. He will have to arrange fo r members of the committee or other voluntary- assistants to fill up the cards, and sometimes to address envelopes. In any case it will be necessary to carefully correct addresses accord- ing to information obtained during the canvass. If this is not done, or is done carelessly, it is ■obvious that many voters will never receive their poll cards, much trouble and some waste of votes thereby arising. All this requires time, and it is important, therefore, that the sub-agent should be able to get the work in hand early. Sometimes the poll cards are handed over to the canvassers for distribution, and where there are strong committees, the members of which can be relied upon to do the work thoroughly and without delay, no better plan can be adopted. It has the advantage of enabling the canvassers to have a last word with the electors on the eve of the poll, besides reducing the postage ac- count. If, however, the committees are weak and could not cover the ground thoroughly, it is far better to send the cards, or the bulk of them, by post. It is safe to say that in the latter case the cards should be posted in counties never less than two days before the opening of the poll, and in some exceptional instances even three days should be allowed. When they are delivered 68 SUB-AGENTS. by the canvassers the same rule as to time may generally be applied with advantage. The election agent will have directed what enclosures shall go with the poll card, and should have sent a full supply in good time. Clerks, Probablv the sub-agent will be required to IVtCSSBU - gers, and engage his own clerks and messengers, and to Persona- to & . ° tion mid personation agents for the clay of poll. In Agents. t & j r this case he must take care that the latter make the statutory declaration before the opening of the poll, and that they receive in due time their appointments, marked lists, and instructions, and also that notice of their appointment is duly forwarded to the returning officer or to the elec- tion agent for him to send on. If the sub-agent is required to attend the counting he must alsu remember that he has to make the declaration before a Justice of the Peace. Prior to the polling day the sub-agent must prepare marked lists for his personation agent's use. These lists should be marked up as far as possible under his own supervision, and should contain information carefully verified as to all persons reported "dead," " gone abroad," "too ill to vote," " cannot be traced." Duplicate entries should also be carefully marked, other pre- He should also prepare lists of voluntary assis- parations , . . , i i_ 1 j n for Day of tants, and carriages promised, and should allot them to their various stations. Checkers should also be appointed to stand near the entrance to the polling stations and report from time to time,. Persona tion Agent's Lists. SUB-AGENTS. 69 on slips provided for the purpose, the names of voters who have polled. The checkers, if paid, should be selected from the staff of clerks or messengers already engaged. Cards for can- vassers' use should also be written up in readi- ness. These cards should contain the names and addresses of all those who have promised their support or who are believed to be favourable, and should be used instead of the canvass books. If there are any voters who have not been seen their names should be put on separate cards. Each card should contain six or eight names. In some places the plan is still followed of posting the register on large card-boards and marking the names of those who have promised support ; but it is suggested that this plan not only involves a lot of unnecessary trouble, but is also undesirable in other ways. For instance, the sheet is a conspicuous object, and is almost of necessity open to the inspection of any person who enters the committee-room. In this way an opponent may obtain information which can be used to the prejudice of electors. All this trouble and risk may be obviated by the use of the district register or street list already mentioned, which should be placed in the hands of the clerk or other person in charge of the committee-room, and by him marked up as the reports are re- ceived from canvassers and checkers. The work can be got through quite as expeditiously in this 70 SUB-AGENTS. way as in any other, and there are none of the disadvantages attendant upon the wall-sheet method. Carriages Particular care should be taken in the organiza- tion of the vehicular service, not to waste the resources at the disposal of the agent. A plan of working the vehicles is suggested under a separate heading. This plan should be ex- plained beforehand to the committees, and strictly adhered to on the polling day. Close of At the close of the poll the sub-agent should obtain the books from the district committee- room, and the lists from his personation agents, and having cast up the results should forward the totals immediately by telegram or messenger to the election agent. It is impossible to go into further detail with regard to a sub-agent's duties without unduly extending this chapter. The main points have been dealt with, and for the rest a sub-agent should acquaint himself with the provisions of the Corrupt Practices Act affecting those matters with which he is concerned, and should also study the instructions which in a previous chapter it is suggested should be issued by the election agent. If a sub-agent is in doubt at any time upon any subject, he should consult the election agent. Special The things he should speciallv bear in mind points to be remem- are bered. (i.) That neither he himself nor any clerk, messenger, or personation agent SUB-AGENTS. 7 1 being an elector and receiving pay- ment for his services, may vote in the election. (2.) That any act or default of a sub-agent within his district will be deemed to be the act or default of the election ao-ent and will entail the same con- sequences. (3.) That he is bound, not only to avoid all illegal and corrupt practices himself, but to take all means in his power to prevent others from committing them. He should, therefore, cause to be displayed in every committee-room under his control a list of corrupt and illegal practices with thepenalties attending them, and, whenever it appears necessary, take other steps to warn those who appear to need it. (4.) That all the information he collects with reference to the canvass should be kept secret ; and he should be par- ticularly careful not to disclose to anyone the names of persons who have promised to vote for the can- didate in whose interest he is acting. He would also do well to counsel discretion in this respect by his can- vassers. (5.) That he must on no account incur ex- pense beyond the amount authorized by the election agent in writing; and 72 SUB-AGENTS. that no member of the eommittee or other person, except a clerk acting under his instructions, may make any payment whatever. (6.) That all books, lists, and other papers relating to the election must be collected immediately the election is over and forwarded by him to the election agent. (7.) That all accounts outstanding within his district must be collected within 14 days after the candidate returned is declared elected. It is best that the sub-agent should pay all these accounts himself, but if from any cause this cannot be done, they should be forwarded immediately to the election agent. The sub-agent's claim for remuneration must be sent in within the 14 days allowed. (8). That a detailed account and a receipt are necessary for all bills amounting to 40s. and upwards. CLERKS AND MESSENGERS. For the number who may be employed, see p. 28. The functions of clerks and messengers are of a general character. They may be employed in any polling district where their services are required. No elector employed in either capacity for payment may vote. This provision extends to employment within six months of the election ; violation of it is a misdemeanour. As regards messengers, it may be desirable to call attention to the great saving of time and labour that may be made by the employment of expert bicycle riders. Rapid communication may be effected in this way with distant parts of the county at a very small cost as compared with that incurred when a horse and trap are used. PERSONATION AGENTS. greatest import- ance. Efficiency NOTHING is more difficult, as a rule, than to get efficient personation agents, and yet few persons engaged in an election occupy a more important position. The polling agent is the only person on the day of the poll who has the opportunity of watching, on behalf of a candidate, the pro- ceedings within the polling station. It is his duty not only to see that personation is pre- vented ; but to see that the provisions of the Ballot Act are enforced by the presiding officer. One personation agent, and no more, may be appointed to a polling station on behalf of each candidate ; and he must make a declaration of secrecy before entering the booth. He should have a knowledge of the Ballot Act and should carefully study the instructions handed to him by or on behalf of the election agent. If possible a man in whom the voters have con- fidence should be selected, and it is of import- ance that he should himself possess an intimate knowledge of the electors individually. While it is his duty to prevent personation and fraud, it is What is required of a Per- sonation Agent. PERSONATION AGENTS. 75 no less incumbent upon him to secure the observ- ance of the provisions of the Ballot Act intended for the protection of the voters against intimida- tion and interference. It is essential, therefore, that he should be a man of firmness and decision If he has occasion to call the attention of the presiding officer to illegalities or irregularities of any kind, or to remonstrate with him, and if his representations are without effect, he should at once communicate with the returning officer requesting his intervention. If the returning officer is not within his reach he should com- municate with the election agent or the candidate on whose behalf he is acting. Forms of declaration and notice to returning officers will be found on page 32. COUNTING AGENTS. THESE must be selected from amongst the sub- agents or other officials employed, and their number may, if desired, be augmented by volun- teers nominated by the candidate. Their duties vary in detail according to the system of count- ing adopted by the returning officer; but their function is to watch the ballot papers on behalf of the candidate in whose interest they are acting. They must make the declaration of secrecy, and their appointment must be made and notified to the returning officer one clear day before the poll. Should They should be instructed by the. election tatie e to e agent to take their places at particular tables, 7igned. as ~ and on no account to move from their places until the counting is finished. In some cases the returning officer insists upon this course being followed ; but in any case the rule should be strictly observed. COUNTING AGENTS. 77 Counting agents should bear in mind the The Veri- • i i re • i Acation of following points, and should see that the officials Papers & ^ . . and in no wav violate the rules laid down bv the Counting- J , ' of Votes. Ballot Act in relation to them : — (i.) Before proceeding" with the counting of the votes the returning officer must, in the presence of the agents of the candidate, open each ballot box and count and record the number of voting papers contained in it. All the papers should be accounted for. (2.) The papers should be counted face upwards. This is a provision ex- pressly made by Rule 34 of the Ballot Act, and is designed to pre- vent any person from seeing the number on the back of the ballot paper. It is usual for returning officers to provide an official stamp for the marking of the ballot papers, which perforates the paper, and this to a great extent obviates the necessity for examining the back. Where a perforating stamp is not used of course all duly appointed persons are entitled to see that the official mark is on the back of each paper ; but no one is permitted under any circumstances to take note of the number. The official presiding at the table should take such precau- 7'S COUNTING AGENTS. tions as may seem necessary to pre- vent this. (3.) When the papers have been thus verified the contents of all the ballot boxes must be mixed together, and the counting of the votes will then be proceeded with. (4). Ballot papers are void and are not to be counted : — (a) Which have not on the back the official mark. (b) On which votes are recorded for more candidates than the voter is entitled to vote for. (c) On which any mark or writing is made by which it would be possible for the voter to be identified. Disputed When a counting agent detects any infringe- ment of these rules, or sees a paper so marked that it is doubtful for which candidate the elector intended to vote, he must at once challenge the paper, which will then be put aside for the consideration of the returning officer. a simple Very often the candidate's counting agent has Counting, no part in the actual recording of the number of votes ; but in a very admirable system adopted by some returning officers he is furnished with a book containing parallel slips with the name of each candidate at the top. These slips have each 100 lines or spaces, and, as the official COUNTING AGENTS. 79 presiding at the table opens the ballot paper and calls out the name of the candidate voted for, each person at the table makes a mark in one of the spaces until the bottom of the slip is reached, when " check " is called and the slip (which is perforated) is turned over. When all the votes have been counted it is easy to cast up the totals at each table ; and as the count has been checked during its progress it is almost im- possible for any error to have occurred. When other methods are adopted the ballot papers are usually put together in fifties and passed up to the returning officer's table. Counting agents should bear in mind that they are bound to aid in maintaining the secrecy of the ballot, and they must not, therefore, attempt to ascertain how any voter has voted, nor must they, if they can prevent it, allow any other person to do so. There is no provision for the payment of counting agents, but if they are selected from the paid staff they must not vote. NOMINATION. Notice of Election. Nomina- tion Papers to be pro- vided by Return- ing Officer. Number of nomin- ations that may- be made. The notice of election must be given by the returning officer in a county within two days after the day on which he receives the writ ; and during two hours, fixed by the returning officer, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on each day inter- vening between the notice of election and the day fixed for the nomination, forms of nomina- tion must be given by the returning officer, free of charge, to any registered elector applying for the same. The place at which the forms are obtainable is notified by the returning officer, and should be a place convenient for the electors. The election agent should see that a sufficient number of forms is obtained. There is no limit to the number of nominations that may be handed in, and it is very desirable that more than one paper should be filled up # But, on the other hand, it is often the case NOMINATION. 8 1 that an excessive number of nominations is made. A good rule to make in connection with this matter is that nominations should be handed in on behalf of such important classes of electors as may exist within the division. Where this rule is observed five or six forms will usually be found ample. There is no object in sending in more, and any excess only causes needless trouble and waste of time. The candidate must be described in such a candi- manner as, in the opinion of the returning officer, scription, is sufficient to identify him. His surname must come first, and his other names must be given in full. A candidate being an Irish peer, or bearing a courtesv title, may be described by his title as if it were his surname. In the case of a candi- date bearing a compound surname, it would appear to be correct to insert his surname in the way he ordinarily writes it, i.e., the first name of the compound first. The candidate's description shall include his names, his abode, and his rank, profession, or calling. The following suggestions are offered as to the sugges- method of filling up nomination papers in certain miing for cases : — up papers. Parliamentary Election for the . . . Division of the County of . . . 189 . We, the undersigned ... of ... in the County of . . . and . . . of . . . in the County of . . . bf-ing registered electors of the said County, do hereby nominate the following person as a proper person to serv:- :i< Men berforthe said Division of the County of . . . in Parlia- ment. $2 NOMINATION. Signa- tures of Nomina- tors and Assen- tors. Surname. Otber Names. Rank Pro- Abode, fession.or 1 Occupation. BROWN John •52, GeorgeSt., Bristol Merchant JONES 1 or William David ! High Elms, Wilts Esquire MERTON or Hon. George Travis, com- monlycalled Viscount Swanworth, Berks Viscount SMIT3 or Henry Sydney 72, High St., Bath Attorney (Signed) A. B. CD. We, the undersigned, being registered electors of the County of . . . do hereby assent to the nomination of the above-mentioned ... as a proper person to serve as Member for the said . . . Division of the County of ... in Parliament. (Signed) Edward Franks, of Holly brook, Rainham — and seven other persons, making eight assentors in all. The nominators and assentors should sign their names and give their addresses as they appear in the register of electors, or if the address on the register is not at the time correct, the present address should be stated and the words ''late of," etc., added, and the election agent should carefully check all the papers with the register before allowing them to be handed in to the returning officer. It will be found a convenience to the officials and will save time if he writes with a pencil the register number of each nomi- nator and assentor against his name. NOMINATION. 83 The election agent must bear in mind that the •electors signing the nomination paper should not only be on the register, but should be clearly qualified to be thereon ; otherwise the nomina- tion may be bad. The nomination is not bad if one of the persons signing has not written his name in full. The ordinary signature is sufficient ; but it is desirable that the names should be written in full and as given in the register. The nomination paper must be filled up before any signature is attached, and the nominators must sign first and the eight assentors after- wards. The same elector may not sign more nomina- tion papers than there are vacancies to be filled. The candidate, his proposer and seconder, and Who are 11 ' entitled one other person to be named by the candidate, to attend are entitled to attend the nomination. tions. Nomination papers must be handed to the returning officer by the candidate himself, or by his proposer or seconder, and not by an agent. Objections to nomination papers may be made objections before the expiration of the time appointed for ation the election, or within one hour afterwards ; but no objection to a nomination paper on the ground of the description of the candidate therein being insufficient or not being in compli- ance with Rule 6 of the Ballot Act, shall be allowed or deemed valid unless such objection is made by the returning officer, or by some other 84 NOMINATION. person, at or immediately after the time of the delivery of the nomination paper. The following are examples of the grounds on which objection may be^made to a nomination paper : — (1.) Insufficient or inaccurate description of the candidate. Objections on this ground must be made immediately after the de- livery of the nomination paper to the returning officer. (2.) That the candidate is not a natural born subject. (3.) That he is not of full age. (4.) That he is ineligible for Parliament, being subject to one of the disqualifi- cations mentioned in the chapter on candidates. (5.) That one or more of the nominators or assentors is not on, or entitled to be on the register of electors. Who may ^ e objection may be made either by the ject. returning officer or one of the persons entitled to be present at the nomination. It is not clear whether any other person has a right to object before the expiration of the time fixed for thr election ; but it would appear that during thr one hour after that time during which the return- ing officer must sit to hear objections any elector may object on any ground except the first- named. NOMINATION. 05 It is well to reserve objections on any ground Time except No. 1 until after the expiration of the time objection , . . c mav be for handing in nominations, as in the event of made. the objection being then sustained the objecting candidate might claim the seat. It has been held in some municipal cases that the returning officer has no power to deal with objections that attack the qualification of the candidate (see Pritchard v. Mayor of Bangor, 13 App. Cases, pp. 251, 257) ; but if there is good reason for raising objection on the ground of the ineligibility of the candidate, it would be desirable to object, even though the returning officer may decline to entertain it. Care should be taken not to object on any ground without good reason. Frivolous objec- tions not only waste time, but may entail even more serious consequences. If the returning officer disallows an objection his decision is final, and if he allows it his decision is only subject to reversal on petition questioning the election or return. The candidate or his election agent must be security prepared to give security for the returning Return- officer's charges, if required, in any legal tender officer's or otherwise as maybe decided by the returning - officer. The election agent should, therefore, ascertain beforehand in what form the required security will be desired, i.e., whether in gold, notes, or cheque. OUTVOTERS AND REMOVALS. THE proper working of this department is one of the most important matters claiming the atten- tion of the election agent. In many counties the outvoters form a very considerable proportion of the electorate, whilst in the case of an election on an old register the removals often number many hundreds. It is obvious, therefore, that much may depend upon the attention given to these classes of voters, and more especially the removals. The election agent will consequently appoint one of the most capable members of his staff to supervise this work ; and he may be assisted by a small committee. OUTVOTERS. CanvAss- In order that these may be canvassed it is neces- voters. sary to extract their names from the register. This should be done on sheets, a form of which is suggested below. Each sheet should contain the names of voters residing in the same Division, and the party agent responsible for the organi- zation of the Division should be requested to OUTVOTERS AND REMOVALS. 87 report upon every name. It is of course impera- tive that this canvass should be voluntary. The following form may be used : — Parliamentary Election for the . . . Division of the County of . . . Mr. . . . Central Committee Rooms. To Mr. . . . The persons whose names are given below reside in your district but are entitled to vote in this Division. You will greatly help us if you will canvass these Voters and report the result to me not later than . . . (Signed) . . . Situation of qualifying Property. Politics. Will Vote. Will not Vote. C. L. Remarks. The reports having been received, and the c mmuni . particulars extracted, the agent should as soon ^*^ Out- as possible send either the ordinary poll-card or XSJo™ aTa a letter similar to the one drafted below, with £up™ort d the form attached, to each voter reported as having promised his support, and it may be well to send also to those as to whom no report is made. Parliamentary Election for the . . . Division of the County of . . . Mr. . . . Central Committee Rooms. Dear Sir, — On behalf of the Liberal Candidate, Mr. ... I ven- ture to appeal for your vote at the present Election. The Polling Day is fixed for . . . day . . . and your Polling Station is at . . . If it would add to your convenience, I will endeavour to send a conveyance to meet you at your Station of arrival on receiving early information of your intention and wish. Further than this I have no power to go, as the Corrupt Practices Act of 1883 forbids, under serious penalties, any payment by a Candidate or liis Agents for railway fare or the conveyance of Electors to or from ihe Poll. I enclose form, with addressed and stamped envelope, for reply, and am, Dear Sir, yours faithfully . . . Election Agent. FORM OF REPLY. To Mr. . . . Dear Sir, it is my intention to vote for Mr. ... on ... I shall arrive at . . . Station at . . . *and shall be glad if you will send a conveyance to meet me. Yours truly (Sd.) . . . Address . . *Strike out these words if a carriage is not required. 88 OUTVOTERS AND REMOVALS. REMOVALS. Removals in a perfectly organized Division the work of Election, following up removals will be always kept well in hand. Each member of a Polling District Committee will have been furnished with a little book containing twenty or thirty slips similar to the one here shown : — No. 1.— REMOVALS TKACED PREVIOUS TO ELECTION. . . . Polling District. Name of outgoing tenant . . . removed from . . . to . . . Date of Removal . . . Politics . . . Name of in- coming tenant . . . removed from . . . to . . . Date of Removal . . . Politics . . . Signed . . . Canvasser. The particulars w'ul have been reported at the periodical meetings of the committees, and entered up in books kept for the purpose at the central office. In such a case whenever an election comes the task of dealing with removals will be compara- tively simple, however large the number may be. Assuming, however, that such preparations have not been made, it will be necessary to collect information with the utmost possible despatch. Two Removals may be divided into two classes: — ClaBses of Removals. (i.) I hose who have removed irom one polling district to another within the same County Division ; and (2.) Those who have removed outside the Division altogether. It will simplify the work if the first class is dealt with by the sub-agents themselves com- municating one with another, but all voters coming in the second should be dealt with at the central committee-room. OUTVOTERS AND REMOVALS. 8 9 The canvassers' reports will afford a large Post-office . . returns. amount ot information with reference to re- . movals, and sub-agents and clerks in charge of committee-rooms should make a daily return of all instances discovered. The returns through the Dead Letter Office when the candidate's address has been posted to the electors will also afford much valuable information. It will, perhaps, be most convenient if the Plan of _ , „ . working- WOrk to be done at the Central Committee-room at Central Com- is first described, and that to be performed by the mittee- 1 J rooni. sub-agents discussed later on. As the Post- office returns come in they should be carefully sorted over, and particulars forwarded to the sub- agents in whose districts the voter's qualification exists, with the following note and form : — No. 2.— REMOVALS— POST-OFFICE RETURNS. Parliamentary Election for the . . . Division of the County of . . Central Committee Room . . . 189 . The Election Address sent to the undermentioned Electors has been returned by the Post-office authorities marked "Left." Kindly have a special canvass made with the object of ascertaining whether any error has been made by the Post- office Officials, and of finding out as far as may be possible where the removed Voters are now residing. Reg. No. Name. Removed from. Where the voter's new address has been Removals ascertained and it is found to be outside the Pariia- Parliamentary Division the names should at once Divisfon. be forwarded to the party agents in the district to which the voters have removed. go OUTVOTERS AND REMOVALS. The following form may be used, and will, of course, apply also to the voters reported from time to time by the sub-agents as having removed into other Parliamentary Divisions : — No. 3 —REMOVALS. Parliamentary Election for the . . . Division of the County of . . . To . . . Central Committee-room. The undermentioned persons having a qualification in this Division are reported as having removed iuto your district. I should be greatly obliged if you would have them canvassed, and any information you are able to obtain as to the present address, politics, and intentions of the voter marked upon this form, which should bo returned to me at the earliest possible date._ No. on Register Name of Address on Elector. Removed Register. Politics. Remarks. (a) Whether Elector in- tends to vote. C. (6) Whether he desires to be met at station, (c) Time of his arrival, etc., etc., etc. Where the voter's new address is within the same Parliamentary Division particulars should be forwarded to the sub-agentfro?u whose district the voter has removed, and he will institute the necessary inquiries on a similar form. Traced The removals clerk will, of course, keep a emova s. recorc ] f a jj re plj es received to his inquiries, and also forward to the sub-agents from whose dis- tricts the voters have removed all information he is able to get concerning them. A traced re- movals form is shown below : — OUTVOTERS AND REMOVALS. 9 r Parliamentary Election for the . . . Division of the County of . . . No. 4— TRACED REMOVALS. POLLING DISTRICT . . . Reg. No. Name. Politics. 1 Present Address. Remarks. L. c. ! i He must also arrange with the party agents in the various Divisions where removed voters are residing, that on the polling day the said voters shall be canvassed in the same way as though they were still living within the constituency where they are entitled to vote. On the polling day he should keep up communications with the various agents until he learns that every voter is known to be on his way to the polling booth, or that from some unpreventable cause he is absolutely unable to record his vote. As regards removals from one polling district to Bemovals another within the same Parliamentary Division, ^e hin with which it is suggested the sub-agents should mentary deal direct between themselves, the following is Dlvl310n - a sketch of the plan that should be adopted: — In most cases of removal reported the can- vassers will have been able to make some state- ment as to the place where the voter has gone to reside. It will then be the business of the sub- agent to see that the name of the voter is at once sent on to the sub-agent within whose district the voter now lives, with a request that he shall be canvassed and reported on (see Removals Form, No. 3). When no information as to the new ad- 9-2 OUTVOTERS AND REMOVALS. dress is forthcoming at first the name should be sent to every sub-agent within the Parliamentary Division with a request that full inquiry shall be made as to whether such a person has come to reside in his district. At the same time, of course, no effort should be spared to find out some neighbour who can give information as to where the removed voter has gone. Where a canvass thus organized is thoroughly carried out, almost every removal can be traced ; any voter not found should be specially marked on the personation agent's list, and if he presents himself to vote the presiding officer should be asked to put the usual questions to him. Polling- I' 1 ^he case of removals reported upon as pledged to vote in favour of the candidate in whose interest he has been canvassed, pains should be taken to ascertain whether it is necessary to convey him to the poll ; and if so the sud-a^ent into whose district he has removed should, generally speaking, undertake the respon- sibility of sending a vehicle to take him to the polling place and bring him back again. This is obviously the best plan, as it saves one journey out and back again, as compared with an arrange- ment by which the voter is sent for by the agent tor the district where he is to poll and then driven back to his home. Of course it will be borne in mind that no railway, 'bus, or tram fares may be paid, and that no horse or vehicle ordinarily let for hire may be employed to convey voters to the poll. Removals. CONVEYANCES. The Corrupt Practices Act of 1883 makes it illegal (a) To make any payment or contract for m e gai payment before, during, or after an ture Sn election on account of the convey- ance of voters to or from the poll. The only exception is with regard to the very rare cases in which at a county election resident electors are unable to reach their polling place without crossing the sea. In these cases the can- didate may provide the means for conveying them by sea to record their votes ; but no vehicle may be hired for the purpose of completing the journey on land, nor, to all appearance, may boats be hired to convey them back again. Any payment made under this exception is in addition to the amount allowed by the maximum scale. [b) To "let, lend, or employ/' or to "hire borrow, or use," for conveying elec- tors to the poll, any carriage, horse. 94 CONVEYANCES. Vehicles mav be lent. Use of Vehicles prior to Day of Poll. or other animal ordinarily kept or used for the purpose of letting out for hire. — C. P. A., Sec. 14. It is therefore illegal to use for the conveyance of voters to the poll any horse or carriage ordinarily let out for hire by any person, even if such horse or carriage is offered gratuitously by the owner. Any elector, or several electors, may hire for his or their own use, and at his sole or their joint cost, any vehicle in which to go to the poll ; but they may not take with them any elector who docs not bear his due share of th e expense. It is also illegal to pay the railway, omnibus, or tramway fares of any elector going to the poll. There is nothing, however, to prevent any person owning a vehicle or animal which is not ordinarily let out for hire, lending such vehicle or animal for use on the polling day, provided, of course, that no payment or promise of payment is made. Neither does the prohibition of the other vehicles mentioned affect their use pre- viously to the day of the poll for the purposes of the election. As regards the use of vehicles prior to the dav of election it is impossible to say much by way of guidance, owing to the widely differing cir- cumstances under which elections are fought. In some counties the railway facilities are good, CONVEYANCES. 95 while in others they scarcely exist; in some instances in the North of England there is a network of tramways and a frequent service of other public conveyances, rendering the employ- ment of special carriages almost unnecessary. Again, at bye-elections there is a much greater demand for carriages than at a general election, rendering it necessary in the former case to adopt a special system of dealing with the "vehicular service. Agents will, however, do well to bear in mind that carriage hire is expen- sive, and should, therefore, be closely watched. It should be intimated to all jobmasters and others hiring out carriages and horses that no claim made by them will be recognized or paid unless it can be vouched for by an order bearing the signature of the election agent or a sub-agent. As regards the procuring, allotting, and Manage - management of vehicles lent by friends of the callages candidate for use on the polling day it will be Poii >ayof desirable to make the arrangements with some care. There is often a painful wear and tear of horse-flesh and waste of energy in connection with the vehicular service, most of which might 'be obviated by the observance of a few simple rules. In the first place, the carriages sub-committee, if there be one, or the clerk in charge of the ■carriage department, should ascertain before- hand how many vehicles are likely to be placed 96 conveyances. at their disposal in each polling district. If there be an excess in any district or districts and a deficiency in others the needful steps should be taken to adjust the difference, so that every district will be fairly supplied. At each committee-room there should be one person whose sole duty it will be to regulate the service from that committee-room, and no one should be allowed to take away a carriage with- out instructions are given by that person. The clerk in charge of the committee-room should extract from his district register particu- lars as to those electors who have expressed a desire for a carriage to be sent for them. These particulars should be put on slips and arranged on an ordinary bill file in time order. Thus, those who are to be fetched at eight o'clock would come first, half-past eight following in order, and so on. The slips should be passed out at the proper time to the vehicle superin- tendent, who should then despatch a carriage for the voter, the driver or a canvasser accom- panying him being requested to report at the committee-room when the elector has polled. Should the voter not keep his appointment the slip should be passed back into the committee- room and placed on another file, to be dealt with at a fitting opportunity later in the day. Main \ svstem of this kind is, of course, subject to points to \ be ob : modifications in practice, but the main points to served. ' : be insisted upon are — CONVEYANCES. GJ i. That the vehicles shall be under the control of the sub-agent or his deputy in the committee-room, and of the carriage superintendent outside the committee-room ; 2. That voters known to require fetching at stated times shall receive first attention ; and 3. That irresponsible persons shall not be allowed to take vehicles on wild- goose chases after voters who do not desire a conveyance, or who, for aught the impetuous canvasser knows, may have polled hours pre- viously. The carriage superintendent should be care- polling fully instructed as to polling removals from other districts upon the plan described in a pre- vious chapter. The natural tendency of can- vassers is to go in search of voters whom they know have removed from their own district into some other, but it has been shown how great a waste of time and resources is involved in such a course. There is usually a slack time on every election day, and advantage should be taken of this to rest the horses in view of the heavy demands made on their strength during the latter part of the da\\ PUBLIC MEETINGS. Manage- It has already been suggested that a thoroughly ment of . , , Meetings, competent man must have charge ol the arrange- ments for public meetings. While such an arrangement is especially necessary in a bye- election, it is almost as essential at a general election. If he is assisted by a sub-committee so much the better. The central office should be the medium of communication with all speakers, excepting those who speak only within the district in which they live. It should see that every part of the division is properly served with speakers, and that a sufficient number of meetings is arranged for the campaign. Whether the meetings be few or many it is desirable that all arrangements should be carried out with close attention to detail. They should be fully advertised by handbills, and such other methods as may be deemed expedient. The speakers should be advised in good time of the place and hour of meeting, and it will be the duty of the central office to check, as far as PUBLIC MEETINGS. 99 possible, any tendency to overcrowd the plat- forms with speakers. At the same time it is, of course, desirable that the candidate should be well supported by the leading men of each place. Some of these matters will necessarily be dealt with through the sub-agents, but the central office ought to keep thoroughly in touch with each sub-district, ascertaining the local needs, and supplying them to the best of its ability, while, on the other hand, it should exercise an efficient control of all. In Parliamentary elections there is no limi- No re- J _ strictions tation, such as exists in the case of com- a ? t0 places mittee-rooms, as to the premises upon which p^ere^ public meetings may be held; but care should maybe 8 * be taken that no committee business is trans- held - acted in connection with meetings held on premises prohibited as committee-rooms. As all payments in connection with public meetings must be made by the election agent or a sub- agent, it is clear that all meetings must be authorized, and the arrangements made by one or other of such agents, otherwise the expendi- ture incurred would be illegal. The propriety of taking a vote at village meet- ings is often questioned. It is, however, entirely a matter to be dealt with according to local circumstances. When such a vote is asked for it is seldom that the great bulk of the people present fail to respond. CANVASSERS AND UNPAID AGENTS. Canvass- ONE of the most important changes effected bv the Corrupt Practices Act of 1883 was the abolition of paid canvassing in connection with elections. It is illegal to employ for payment any person in any capacity, or for any purpose, except such as are authorized by the first and second parts of Schedule I. It is sometimes asserted that a sub-agent, clerk, or messenger, bond-fide engaged in such capacity, would not be committing an illegal act by filling up his spare time in visiting or canvassing electors within his district. It is best, however, to avoid all doubtful prac- tices of the kind, and to rely entirely upon voluntary assistance for the canvass. If a clerk or other paid official spends the whole of his time in canvassing it is obvious that he must either be neglecting the duties he was engaged to perform, or that his services were not required in the capacity in which he was engaged, in CANVASSERS AND UNPAID AGENTS. 101 which case there would be an evident evasion of the Act. Even if a part only of his time were occupied in canvassing, the same doubt would exist as to the necessity for his employment. There are many risks to a candidate in con- Canvass- J m . ers are nection with canvassing. An authorized can- Agents vasser is an agent for whose acts the candidate is responsible. Every precaution should therefore be taken by the election agent and his subordi- nates to prevent illegal acts on the part of their canvassers. A list of illegal and corrupt prac- tices should be conspicuously displayed in the committee-rooms, and should also be printed in every canvass book, and the attention of can- vassers directed thereto. Besides this it is desirable that opportunity should be taken at the committee meetings to impress the members present with their responsibility in these matters. The most common form of error into which Treating i • i'ii r 11 • i r by Can- volunteer assistants are liable to tall is that ot vassers. treating. The temptation to discuss political differences over a glass of ale is in many cases very strong, and the consequences are not always apparent. But every canvasser should clearly understand that if he invites an elector to drink at his expense with the object of influencing the elector's mind in favour of a particular candidate or political party he is doing that which is illegal, and may void the election. Canvassing should not be carried on up to the Canvass- ° r ing should last moment before the polling. It is an illegal ° eaBe *??" r ° o fore poll. 102 CANVASSERS AND UNPAID AGENTS. practice, therefore, and a practice which may amount to undue influence, for persons to station themselves in the neighbourhood of a polling- booth and urge voters to vote for a particular candidate. In rural districts this practice is of frequent occurrence, and the offenders are gene- rally employers of labour or other persons of influence. In no case, however, should the election agent or sub-agent allow such persons to go unchecked. The policeman on duty should be requested to put a stop to any interference with the electors, and if he neglect to do so the returning officer or some person in authority under him should be asked to intervene. Care re- No person should be allowed to take out a selection canvass-book who is known to have been found of Can- ... . iiii vassers. guilty of corrupt practices, nor should such a per- son be allowed to take any part whatever in the election. The canvass-books should be numbered, and the name of the canvasser with the number of the book taken out by him should be recorded in the district register or some other book provided for the purpose. Agents. As regards agency, it is one of the most difficult questions in connection with electioneer- ing work. A person may be held to be an agent who has only taken a very slight part in the conduct of the election. What constitutes agency has never yet been exhaustively stated by any judge, and it would, therefore, be hopeless to CANVASSERS AND UNPAID AGENTS. 1 03 attempt to define it here; but it would be well to consider every person as an agent of the candidate who has taken any active part in promoting the return of such candidate. Any person, there- fore, who has attended committee meetings, who has assisted in the conduct of public meet- ings, who has introduced the candidate to elec- tors, canvassed on his behalf, or brought up voters on the polling day, should be regarded as an agent, and should be specially warned with reference to illegal acts and their consequences. BOROUGHS. GENERAL. ALTHOUGH the law relating to elections in boroughs is in the main the same as that govern- ing elections in counties, there are some varia- tions of which notice must be taken, and at the risk of considerable repetition they will be dealt with as fully as seems necessary. The organization of an election campaign in a borough differs materially from that in a county, and this also will be described in detail. As regards the candidate and the election agent the law is, with one exception, in all respects the same, and it will not be necessary, therefore, to repeat the chapters referring to them. Since the Redistribution Act, however, it is in boroughs only that the question of joint candidature has to be considered, and this subject will be dealt with in a separate chapter. 108 GENERAL. Varia- The following are matters in relation to benoted. which there is a difference in the law which must be noted : — i. In borough elections no sub-agents can be appointed. 2. There is no provision for a central com- mittee-room as such. 3. There may be one committee-room for each 500 electors, or fraction of Soo. 4. There is no central committee-room staff distinct from the polling district staff; but clerks and messengers may, as in counties, be employed wherever their services are most needed. 5. The maximum scale is lower than in counties. 6. The provision as to carrying voters by sea in certain cases does not apply to boroughs. 7. The question of joint candidature will arise in some instances. THE ELECTION AGENT. The election agent in a borough has a much better opportunity of exercising personal super- vision than he has in a county. At the same time there is usually a more active interest in political affairs, and the electors are more accus- tomed to organized action for a common object than is the case in rural districts. While there are many advantages in this habit of unity, and in the greater activity displayed, they are often modified by the development of personal differ- ences and the formation of cliques. It will be well for the candidate to keep himself clear of all such sectional difficulties ; the election agent, however, must acquaint himself with every under-current, and watch its movements as far as possible with the greatest vigilance. The following matters should receive atten- .... . Matters tion by the election agent in due course, and, needing- J & . ' Election where necessary, immediately after his appoint- Agent's J J rl attention ment : — i. The printing and circulation of the candidate's address. 2. The engagement of suitable committee- rooms in the various polling districts. I 10 THE ELECTION AGENT. The appointment of clerks and mes- sengers. The preparation of canvass books and district registers. The formation of an election committee and sub-committees. The organization of the ward or polling district committees. The arrangement of a plan of public meetings to cover the borough, and the securing of the necessary rooms in which to hold such meetings. 8. The filling up of nomination papers. 9. The appointment of polling or persona- tion agents, and of counting agents. The giving of notice to the returning officer — (n) By the candidate, of the ap- pointment of an election agent and of the address of his office ; (b) By the election agent, of the appointment of personation agents and counting agents. The taking of the declaration of secrecy by the candidate, by the election agent, and by the personation and counting agents. 12.°; The payment of claims, and making of return and declaration of election expenses within the prescribed time. 10. 1 1 THE ELECTION AGENT. Ill The issuing of the candidate's address to the electors and the preparation of the canvass books, etc., are matters which demand the im- mediate attention of the election agent. In boroughs the register is generally made up in street order, and the task of preparing canvass books is, therefore, much more simple than in counties. It is recommended that not more than twenty or twenty -five names should be put in each book. No time should be lost before issuing the books to the ward committees. JOINT CANDIDATURE. Who are Joint Candi- dates. It would appear that joint candidature is not assumed to exist prior to such period as the candidates, in view of an impending election, enter into certain contracts or engagements which in themselves establish joint candidature. Up to this time each candidate is apparently liable only for his own acts and for those of his personal agents or supporters, provided he had no knowledge at the time of entering upon the joint candidature of any corrupt or illegal practices previously committed by or on behalf of the other party to the coalition. Candidates are treated as joint who either — (a) Appoint the same election agents ; (b) Hire or use the same committee-rooms by themselves or any agent ; (c) Employ the same sub-agents, clerks, messengers, or polling agents ; {d) Publish a joint address, or joint circular or notice. In cases (/;) and (c) the candidature will not be deemed joint if the hire or employment be acci- dental or trivial. The joint candidature may be entered upon or dissolved at any time. ELECTION EXPENSES. The maximum scale in boroughs, as in counties, Maxi- is exclusive of the returning officer's charges, and of the candidate's personal expenses. There is no provision in the case of boroughs for convey- ing voters by sea. The following is the scale in England and Wales :— BOROUGHS. Constituency. For one Candidate. £ For two Joint Candi- dates. Not excpeding- — £ 2, electors 950 525 3,000 380 570 4,000 410 615 5,000 440 660 6.000 ., 470 705 7,000 500 750 8,000 530 795 9,000 ,, 560 840 10.000 590 885 11, ,, 620 930 12,000 650 975 13,000 ,, 680 1,020 14.000 ,, 710 1,065 15,000 " 740 1,110 and so on, adding £30 for every complete 1,000 electors in the case of single candidates, and £45 for every complete 1,000 electors in the 114 ELECTION EXPENSES. case of two joint candidates. Two joint candi- dates may spend one-and-a-half times as much,. and three joint candidates twice as natch as a single candidate. Responsi- In other respects the same duties and responsi- Candi- ° bilities are cast upon candidates and agents in dates and , , . ■ » Agents, in boroughs as in counties, i.e. : — tion with i. The candidate (or candidates) must Expenses. ... , , . ... deliver to the election agent within fourteen days of the day of election a statement of the amount of personal expenses paid by himself, and must examine the accounts and make the declaration as to election expenses. 2. (a) The election agent must collect all outstanding accounts (including his own claim) within fourteen days after the day on which the candidates re- turned are declared elected, except- ing only the returning officer's claim, which must be received within twenty-one days after the clay on which the return is made. (/;) Must pay all claims within twenty- eight days of the date on which the result of the election is declared. (c) Must give particulars and file a receipt for all sums amounting to 40s. and upwards. (<■/) Must make the declaration as to election expenses. ELECTION EXPENSES. 115 (e) Must transmit within thirty-five days to the returning officer the return and declaration respecting election ex- penses. Any claim not paid within the stipulated time must be returned as a disputed claim. Any violation of the rules laid down by the Act is an illegal practice, and may render the election- void, and failure to transmit the return and declarations within the time named also disables the candidate from sitting or voting" as Member in the House of Commons under a penalty of £ 100 for every clay on which he so sits and* votes. A false declaration renders the person making it liable to indictment for perjury, and to the 'penalty for that offence, namely, seven years' penal servitude. COMMITTEE-ROOMS. Pro- In boroughs, as in counties, committee-rooms hibited ..... . r ., Premises, arc prohibited on the iollowing premises : — Premises licensed for the sale, wholesale or retail, of intoxicating liquors ; or on which intoxicating liquors or refreshments of any kind, whether food or drink, are supplied for consumption on the premises. [An exception is made in favour of permanent political clubs, but it is best, as a rule, to avoid establishing- committee-rooms in a club. The reasons are now pretty generally understood, and it is unnecessary to repeat them here.] The premises which are prohibited, therefore, may be taken to include : — Public-houses and hotels ; Grocers' and other shops having licen- ses ; The premises of brewers, wine and spirit merchants ; Coffee and tea houses ; and certain Confectioners' shops where refresh- ments are supplied for consumption on the premises. COMMITTEE-ROOMS. I I 7 Any part of such premises may, however, be used for a committee-room if such part is ordinarily let for chambers, offices, etc., and provided it has a separate entrance and no direct communication with any part where liquor is sold or refreshments supplied. It is, however, very unusual for such condi- tions to exist, and it is doubtful whether the temporary closing and sealing of any passage or other means of communication generally existing would meet the re- quirements of the Act. An agent will, therefore, be well advised if he avoid all risks in this matter. Public elementary schools are also in the list of places prohibited. It must be borne in mind that in the case of Number borough elections the Act makes no provision for ^fittee^" a central committee-room : hence the election which agent must use one of his ward or polling district hired? 8 committee-rooms for his central office, and he must take care that there is sufficient room in the premises to accommodate his own staff as well as that of the polling district. The number of committee-rooms for which payment may be made is as follows : — One committee-room in any case, and if there are more than 500 electors on the register one extra committee-room for each additional 500 or fraction of 500. Il8 COMMITTEE-ROOMS. No. of Com- Electors. mittee-rooms. Thus, in a borough or division of a borough having 500 (or less) 1 501 to 1,000 2 1,001 to 1,500 3 1,501 to 2,000 4 and so on. There is no limit to the number of rooms which may be used, provided — (a) That no payment or promise of payment is made for any room in excess of the legal number. (6) That they are not on prohibited premises. Number The number of committee-rooms required required. w jj^ f course> vary according to the size of the borough. In the smaller constituencies two or three may be sufficient for all purposes ; but in bigger places it will be necessary to arrange for a greater number. There should be at least one committee-room in each ward ; and it is a good plan in boroughs of the largest size, where a single ward will often contain 4,000 or 5,000 electors, to open a room in every polling district for an hour or two each evening prior to the day of election, in order that electors who are at work late, and, perhaps, have neither time nor inclination to visit the ward committee-room, may have a place within easy reach of home where they may call to wive or receive information. There should COMMITTEE-ROOMS. 119 be a complete register for the borough in every ward committee-room, and the list of electors for the polling district in each polling district committee-room. Committee-rooms must be hired by the elec- tion agent, and the following form may be used : — MEMORANDUM OF AGREE- Q MEMORANDUM OF AGREE- MENT FOR HIRE OF COM- Q MENT FOR HIRE OF COM- MITTEE-ROOM. Q MJTTEE-ROOM. I . . . agree to let to ... Q I . . . election agent for ... a agent for ... at the Parliamen- Q candidate in the Parliamentary elec- tary election for the . . . division ** tion now being held for the . . . of the . . . of . . . the room or X Divi-ion of the ... of ... hereby premises described in the memor- J^ agree to hire . . . for use as a com- andum signed by the said auent ^ ruittee-rooni for the said candidate and now hauded to me, for the 5c from the present day until the consideration and on the condi- 5£ dec aration of the poll, and I agree tions named therein. Price : . . . ** to pay for the same the sum of £ . . . inclusive of firing, lighting, and ^ which sum shall include the cost of cleaning. . . . Dated this . . . day V firing, lighting, and cleaning for the of . . . 189 . (Signed) ... @ said room or premises. Dated this & . . . day of . . . 1S9 . (Signed) ELECTION COMMITTEES. MOST of what has been said with reference to election committees in counties applies with at least equal force to the same bodies in boroughs. The borough election committee will, however, be able to meet more often and with less waste of time than the county committee. It is desir- able that it should meet frequently to receive reports from the different wards, to take measures for strengthening weak places, and to devise methods of counteracting the tactics of oppo- nents. The committee should not be too large a body — two representatives from each of the wards would be sufficient, and in order that any person whose help would be valuable could afterwards be invited to join, power might be taken to add a limited number to the committee. It is particularly necessary in boroughs to should be bear in mind that the election committee should consti- tuted, consist only of the most trusted and influential men in the party. Although no doubt the bulk of the committee would be selected from the ELECTION COMMITTEES. 121 executive of the party association, it is not necessary, and it is indeed undesirable that it should be limited to such members. It has to be borne in mind that the doctrine of agency may be extended almost indefinitely, and that, conse- quently, if an election committee consisted exclusively of the members of one association, everv person belonging to that association might be reasonably held to be an agent of the candidate. It would appear, therefore, that the safer plan is so to constitute the election committee that it shall represent every section of the electorate, while it is in itself a body entirely independent of any other organization. Having appointed a chairman and secretary, Their the committee would turn its attention to the and re- organization of the wards. In co-operation with bilities. the election agent, it should inquire into the strength and resources of the various local com- mittees, their methods of working, and their state of preparedness. Sub-committees to assist in arranging for meetings, speakers, literature, etc., may be appointed, and if necessary a small committee to detect corrupt practices may be formed. In all cases the maximum number on a sub-com- mittee should be three. As soon as the canvass books are written up ward and ready for distribution the ward committees te'es.™ 1 *" should be convened. There is sometimes a 122 ELECTION COMMITTEES. difference of opinion as to who should convene them. It is submitted that the election agent is the proper person to do this, mainly for the reason that he alone has legal authority to incur the necessary expenditure ; but also because he is responsible for the acts of every person summoned to any committee meetings on behalf of the candidate he represents. The responsi- bility thus resting upon him is so great that he ought to guard jealously his right to control the appointment of "agents," whether they be paid or unpaid. He should, in company with the chairman and secretary of the election committee,, carefully examine the lists of persons whom it is proposed to invite to join the ward or district committees, and under no circumstances should an invitation be allowed to go out to any person about whose loyalty or antecedents there is any shadow of doubt. The election agent should keep the lists of the ward committees in his own possession, and the notices summoning meetings of the committees should all bear his name and be sent out from his office. Precau- Care should also be taken to keep a record of be°taken. tne names of those attending the committee meetings, and any person attending uninvited should be asked to retire, unless it is considered desirable to add his name to the committee. Every member of the central and district committees should receive a memorandum of illegal and corrupt practices and the penalties attending them. ELECTION COMMITTEES. 123 The election assent should endeavour to attend Agent and r 1 1 ■ , j Candi- the first meetine ot each ward committee, and as date to & ... attend far as possible all subsequent formal meetings, Ward r r a Meetings. which need not, of course, be very frequent. At the first meeting he should explain in detail to the members his plan of operations and the part he desires the committee to take in carrying it out. He should take special pains to impress the members with their responsibility as agents of the candidate, and the obligation resting upon every individual to avoid doing anvthing himself which may imperil the election, and also, as far as he can, to prevent others from committing illegal acts. It is very desirable that the candidate should also attend the committee meetings whenever his other engagements leave him an opportunity. His presence and a few words of encourage- ment will stimulate the workers to renewed exertions. In giving out the canvass books it is very im- Recordof portant to keep an accurate record of the name ^ e ^J as " and address of each canvasser and of the number S ai kept of the book he takes. There should be space in the district registers for such entries ; and the canvasser's name should also be written on the canvass book itself. The clerk in charge of the ward committee- room, or some other person, should take a report of the canvass every evening from those holding the books. On no account should any canvasser 124 ELECTION COM M ITT E E S . be allowed to keep a book in his possession without reporting what he has done. If he fails to put in an appearance for two consecutive evenings, he should be looked up without hesita- tion, and if he can offer no satisfactory explana- tion, or if he has done no work, the book should be demanded of him and given to someone else, or a new book made out and put in the hands of a more diligent worker. Daily A daily report of the canvass should be made Report of / . Canvass to the election agent. to be & made. All removals should be entered up on the sheets provided for the purpose, and reported daily to the election agent ; and a special can- vass should be made of removals into the ward reported from the central office. Poii If the poll cards are to be sent out from the district committee-room, a set of envelopes should be addressed as early as possible in the contest, and corrections of addresses made from time to time as required. If the cards are to be sent from the central office, this work must of course be done there; and as, in this case, they would probably be sent through the post, the election agent should arrange beforehand with the post-office officials when to hand them in. Two days before the opening of the poll may be considered as the proper time for posting in boroughs, and by giving notice to the post- master of his intention to post on a certain date, the agent will not only assist the officials, but Cards. ELECTION COMMITTEES. 1 25 will do much to secure the prompt and efficient delivery of the cards. Where it is desired that the district com- mittees shall arrange for the delivery of the cards by hand, it will be essential that they should be able to begin the distribution at least two days before the poll opens. A full meeting of the whole of the ward committees should therefore be held not less than three days before the day of election, when the plan of distribution should be arranged, and each member should receive his proportion of cards and enclosures, with instructions to commence delivery on the following evening, and to finish absolutely on the evening before the opening of the poll. Of the merits of the different methods of dis- tribution here discussed, the local committees will be in the best position to judge, and they will naturally be guided by circumstances in deciding which course it will be most advan- tageous to adopt ; but, generally speaking, it is deemed advisable to send the cards by post. The clerk in charge of the ward must see that Final Pre- the personation agent's list is marked up in good for Poi°i nS time, and every effort should be made to ensure accuracy in the notes. He must also have written up canvassing cards for the election day, containing the names of all electors who have promised their vote. Before the polling day, and usually on the eve of the poll, the whole of the committees should 126 ELECTION COMMITTEES. Commit- tee-room Station- ery. be called together in their several wards to receive final instructions as to their duties. It may not be possible for the election agent to attend all these meetings, and he should there- fore arrange for some other competent person to share the task with him. At these meetings the final report of the canvass should be entered in the district registers, and the can- vass books called in. It is the usual, and ought to be the invariable, plan to open a committee-room in every polling district on the day of the poll. It will, therefore, be necessary to appoint at least one person to take charge of each room, and be responsible for the polling of the promises in that district. The canvassers must be informed of the situation of the room and the time they are expected to be present, which should not be less than half-an-hour before the opening of the poll. Vehicles should also be allotted, and a list handed to the clerks. It will not, of course, be possible for the election agent to remain while all these details are gone into. He should therefore open the proceedings by whatever words of encourage- ment the circumstances will admit of, give such instructions as he deems necessary, and proceed to the other meetings. At each ward committee-room he should leave a parcel containing the following lists and stationery : — ■ A copy of the register for the whole borough, to be kept at the ward committee-room. ELECTION COMMITTEES. I 27 A copy of the register of electors in each polling district in the ward. Extra canvassing cards (blank). Extra poll cards (blank). Lists of vehicles at command of the district committee-rooms. Numbers for carriages. Lists of authorized canvassers and volunteer helpers. Lists of corrupt and illegal practices and penalties for display in committee-room. Instructions to personation agents. Foolscap paper. Note paper and envelopes. Blotting paper. Pens, pencils, and ink. Red and blue pencils. Paper fasteners. Perforated slips for checkers. On the polling day the district committees 0n Da f should assemble at their respective committee- Po11 - rooms at 7.30. The secretary, or other person in charge of the room, should take the names of all in attendance, and then proceed to distribute the " fetching up cards." The outside carriage superintendent will meanwhile see that the vehicles as they arrive are checked off on his list, and that each carriage has a number at- tached. If there are any voters to be fetched so early, he will also see that this is attended to. If the personation agents have not already received the marked lists, these must, of course, 128 ELECTION COMMITTEES. be delivered now. It will be necessary, in any case, for the committee-room superintendent to ascertain whether the personation agent is in his place at eight o'clock ; if he is not, inquiry as to his whereabouts should immediately be made. Voters who have polled must be marked off in the district register, and at the close of the poll this book, together with other books and docu- ments, must be made up into a parcel and sent to the election a^ent. CANVASSERS AND UNPAID AGENTS. THE same rules applv in boroughs as in counties, principal , . , r Hi, points to It is, theretore, unnecessary to repeat all that observe. has been said on the subject, but it may be useful to recapitulate the principal points to be observed. i. No canvasser may be engaged for pay- ment or promise of payment. 2. No person should be allowed to take out a canvass book who is known to have been found guilty of corrupt prac- tices, nor should such a person be allowed to take any part whatever in the election. 3. The canvass books should be numbered, and the name of the canvasser with the number of the book taken out by him should be recorded in the district register or some other book provided for the purpose. 4. An authorized canvasser is an agent for whose acts the candidate is rcspon- K 130 CANVASSERS AND UNPAID AGENTS. sible. Every precaution should there- fore be taken by the election agent and his subordinates to prevent illega acts on the part of their canvassers. 5. Canvassing should not be carried on up to the last moment before the polling. It is an illegal practice, therefore, and a practice which may amount to undue influence, for persons to station themselves in the neighbourhood of a polling-booth and urge voters to vote for a particular candidate. 6. A list of illegal and corrupt practices should be conspicuously displayed in the committee-rooms, and should also be printed in every canvass book, and the attention of canvassers directed thereto. CLERKS. The number of clerks who may be employed for payment in a borough election is — Electors. No. of Clerks. In a borough having 500 (or less) ... 1 ,, ,, 501 to 1,000 ... 2 „ 1,001 to 1,500 ... 3 „ 1,501 to 2,000 ... 4 and so on, adding one clerk for every 500 electors, or fraction of 500. The election agent will, as a rule, require in staff re- 1 • 02 ,, r 11 • rr quired at Jus office the following staff : — Central & Office. One clerk to assist with the correspondence, and to keep a record of expenses. One clerk to superintend arrangements for public meetings. One clerk to deal with removals. One clerk to arrange for vehicles on the polling day, and to distribute to the ward committee-rooms the literature used during the election. The expenses clerk should keep a daily record •of money paid and of orders given. He should Public Meetings. 132 CLERKS. see that an invoice is received with all goods delivered, and should endeavour to keep an accurate account of the expenditure incurred from day to day. The meetings clerk should immediately on his appointment consult with the ward committees as to the meetings to be held, and should ascer- tain what rooms are available, the dates on which they are free, and the terms on which they may be engaged. Having drawn up a scheme of meetings for a week or so in advance, he should at once obtain from the election agent a written order for every room wanted, and should forthwith secure the places. He will then have to arrange with the election agent for the speakers to attend each meeting, and these having been decided upon he should at once get the necessary handbills printed and forwarded to the ward committee-rooms for distribution. If posters are used in addition, they will, of course, be sent to the ordinary bill-poster or advertising agent. Every advertisement of a meeting should give the following particulars : — (a.) The place where the meeting will be held. {b.) The street or road in which the room is situated. (r.) The date (stating the day of the week as well as the day of the month). ((/.) The time of beginning. CLERKS. 133 (e.) The names of the chairman and principal speakers. (/".) A bold announcement of the name of the candidate. A proof of every bill and poster should be examined, and particular care must be taken that it bears the name and address of the printer and publisher. Everyone who is expected to speak at a meeting should be advised early and fully, and if he is coming from a distance the train by which he ought to travel should be stated, and someone should be appointed to meet that train on its arrival. There is no limitation, such as exists in the case of committee-rooms, as to the premises upon which public meetings may be held; but -care should be taken that no committee business is transacted in connection with meetings held on premises prohibited as committee-rooms. As all payments in connection with public meetings must be made by the election agent, it is clear that all meetings must be authorized by himj otherwise the expenditure incurred would be illegal. The removals clerk" in a borough will usually Removals, have a heavy task. Very often the removals will amount to a fifth, or even a fourth of the whole electorate. The best system of dealing with them is in the main the same as that already described in connection with county removals, but the 134 CLERKS. matter is of such importance that it may be well to repeat the main features of the plan. The work of following up removals ought to be well in hand before the beginning of the con- test. Where this is the case each member of a Polling District Committee will have been furnished with a little book containing twenty or thirty slips with blank spaces as follows : — No. 1.— REMOVALS TRACED PREVIOUS TO FLECTION. . . . Polliug District. Name of outgoing tenant . . . Removed from . . . to . . . Date of Removal . . . Politics . . . Name of in- coming" tenant . . . Removed from . . . to . . . Date of Removal . . . Politics . . . Signed . . . Canvasser. The particulars will have been reported at the periodical meetings of the committees, and entered up in books kept for the purpose at the central office. Assuming, however, that such preparations have not been made, it will be necessary to collect information with the utmost possible despatch. Two Removals may be divided into two classes: — Removals. (i) Those who have removed from one polling district to another within the same borough or division of a borough ; and (2) Those who have removed outside the borough or division altogether. It will simplify the work if the first class is dealt with by the ward or district clerks them- selves communicating one with another, but all voters coming in the second should be dealt with at the central committee-room. CLERKS. 135 The canvassers' reports will afford a large post-office r . c . . , r Returns. amount ot information with reterence to re- movals, and clerks in charge of committee-rooms should make a daily return of all instances dis- covered. The returns through the Dead Letter Office when the candidate's address has been posted to the electors will also afford much valu- able information. As the Post-Office returns come in they should be carefully sorted over, and particulars for- warded to the officials in whose districts the voter's qualification exists with the following note and form : — No. 2.— REMOVALS— POST-OFFICE RETURNS. Parliamentary Election for the . . . Division of the Borough of . . . Central Committee Room . . . 189 . The Election Address sent to the undermentioned Electors has been returned by the Post-office authorities marked " Left." Kindly have a special canvass made with the object of ascertaining whether any error has been made by the Post- office officials, and of finding out as far as may be possible where the removed voters are now residing. Reg. No. Name. Removed from. To. Where the voter's new address has been ascertained, and it is found to be outside the Parliamentary Division, the names should at once be forwarded to the party agents in the district to which the voters have removed. The following form may be used : — ■ No. 3— REMOVALS. Parliamentarv Election for the . . . Division of the Borough of . . . To . . . Central Committee-room. 136 CLERKS. The undermentioned persons having a qualification in this Division .are reported as having removed into your district. I should be greatly obliged if you would have them cauvussed and any information you are able to obtain as to the present address, politics, and intentions of the voter marked up on this form, which should be retirrned to me at the earliest possible date. No. on Reg. Name of Address on Elector. Register. Politico Removed I T to. I L - C. Remarks. (a) Whether Elector in- tends to vote. (b) Whether he desires to lie met at station. Time of his arrival, etc., etc., etc. Where the voter's new address is within the same Parliamentary Borough or Division of a Borough particulars should be forwarded to the ward or district clerk from whose district the voter has removed, and he will institute the necessary inquiries on a similar form. Traced ^ e remova ' s clerk will, of course, keep a Removals. recor d f a H replies received to his inquiries ; and will also forward to the ward or district clerks from whose districts the voters have removed all information he is able to get concerning them. A traced removals form is shown below : — Parliamentary Election for the . . . Division of the . . . of . . . 189 ■ No. 4.-TRACED REMOVALS.— POLLING DISTRICT . . . Reg No. Name. C. Removed from. Present Address. Remarks. He must also arrange with the party agents in CLERKS. 137 the various Divisions where removed voters are residing, that on the polling day the said voters shall be canvassed in the same way as though they were still living within the constituency where they are entitled to vote. On the polling day he should keep up communications with the various agents until he learns that every voter is known to be on his way to the polling booth, or that from some unpreventable cause he is absolutely unable to record his vote. As regards removals from one polling district to Removals another within the same Parliamentary Borough the same J & Borough. or Division, with which it is suggested the ward or district clerks should deal direct between themselves, the following is a sketch of the plan that should be adopted : — In most cases of removal reported the can- vassers will have been able to make some state- ment as to the place where the voter has gone to reside. It will then be the business of the clerk to see that the name of the voter is at once sent on to the clerk within whose district the voter now lives, with a request that he shall be can- vassed and reported on (see Removals Form No. 3). When no information as to the new address is forthcoming at first the name should be sent to every ward or district clerk within the Parliamentary Borough or Division with a re- quest that full inquiry shall be made as to whether such a person has come to reside in his district- At the same time, of course, no effort should be 138 CLERKS. spared to find out some neighbour who can give information as to where the removed voter has gone. Where a canvass thus organized is thoroughly carried out almost every removal can be traced ; any voter not found should be specially marked on the personation agent's list, and if he presents himself to vote the presiding officer should be asked to put the usual questions to him. In the case of removals reported upon as pledged to vote in favour of the candidate in whose interest he has been canvassed, pains should be taken to ascertain whether it is neces- sary to convey him to the poll ; and if so, the ward or district clerk into whose district he has removed should, generally speaking, undertake the responsibility of sending a vehicle to take him to the polling place and bring him back again. Of course it will be borne in mind that no railway, 'bus, or tram fares may be paid, and that no horse or vehicle ordinarily let for hire may be employed to convey voters to the poll. Convey- The vehicles clerk or superintendent should, without delay, send out a letter to every person in the neighbourhood who is at all likely to help- on the polling day by the loan of a horse and conveyance of any kind, asking whether a vehicle can be lent, and, if so, what kind it will be. He must remember that the Corrupt Practices Act makes it illegal — ances. CLERKS. 139 (a) To make any payment or contract for payment before, during, or after an election on account of the convey- ance of voters to or from the poll. (b) To " let, lend, or employ," or to " hire, borrow, or use,'' for conveying elec- tors to the poll, any carriage, horse or other animal ordinarily kept or used for the purpose of letting out for hire. — C. P. A., Sec. 14. It is therefore illegal to use for the conveyance of voters to the poll any horse or carriage ordinarily let out for hire by any person, even if such horse or carriage is offered gratuitously by the owner. There is nothing, however, to prevent any person owning a vehicle or an animal which is not ordinarily let out for hire, lending such vehicle or animal for use on the polling day, provided, of course, that no payment or promise of payment is made. Having ascertained what carriages will be Allotment available, he should, a day or two before the elec- Districtsf tion, consult with the agent and the committee as to the disposal of them. The allotment having been made, the ward or district clerks should be informed what vehicles they may expect on the polling day, and the owners of the conveyances should also be told the address of the committee- room to which their vehicles are to be sent, the name of the person in charge, and the time at 140 CLERKS. which they should arrive. It would be well also to send to each committee-room some such instructions as the following : — At each committee-room there should be one person whose sole duty it will be to regulate the service from that com- mittee-room, and no one should be allowed to take away a carriage with- out instructions are given by that person. The clerk in charge of the committee-room should extract from his district re- gister particulars as to those electors who have expressed a desire for a carriage to be sent for them. These particulars should be put on slips and arranged on an ordinary bill file in time order. Thus — those who are to be fetched at eight o'clock would come first, half-past eight following in order, and so on. The slips should be passed out at the proper time to the vehicle superintendent, who should then despatch a carriage for the voter, the driver or a canvasser accompanying him being requested to report at the committee-room when the elector has polled. Should the voter not keep his appointment the slip should be passed back into the committee- room and placed on another file, to CLERKS. 141 be dealt with at a fitting opportunity later in the day. The carriage superintendent should be care- fully instructed as to polling removals from other districts. The main points to be insisted upon are — 1. That the vehicles shall be under the control of the polling district clerk in the committee-room, and of the carriage superintendent outside the committee-room. 2. That voters known to require fetching at stated times shall receive first attention ; and 3 That no person shall be allowed to take vehicles away without an order from the carriage superintendent. There is usually a slack time on election day, and advantage should be taken of this to rest the horses in view of the heavy demands made on their strength during the latter part of the day. The carriage clerk at the central office pre- viously to the polling day will generally have Distribu- some time at his disposal, and he should there- Litera- fore be required to apportion the literature re- ceived at the office and see that it is despatch- ed to the various district committee-rooms. He should be assisted by one of the messengers as packer. 142 CLERKS. An experienced clerk should be put in charge at every ward committee- room, and he should be held responsible for the proper canvass of his ward, the arrangements in connection with public meetings, and for all other details in con- nection with the working of the election both before and on the day of the poll. Upon the clerks in charge of ward or district committee-rooms will devolve many of the duties performed by sub-agents in counties, although they are not invested by law with precisely the same responsibility. They must carry out the instructions of the election agent, and they must see that all details are carried out in accordance with the requirements of the law. They should, of course, be careful to work in harmony with the local committees. They should take care that all the matters alluded to in the chapter on election committees are duly attended to. It will be their duty to make a daily return of the canvass to the election agent. As they will be called upon to make many small payments in connection with the election, they should take care to obtain a written authority from the election agent to expend a specified sum on account of petty expenses. A strict account of all such expenditure must be kept and particulars furnished in due time to tin- election agent, together with receipts for all sums of 40s. and upwards. MESSENGERS. The duties of messengers need no special description. The same number of messengers as of clerks may be employed. PERSONATION AND COUNTING AGENTS. The same rules as in counties apply to these agents in boroughs, and reference should be made to the chapters on the subject in the first part of this manual. NOMINATION. Precisely the same rules must be observed as in counties. These have already been described in the iirst part of the manual, p. So. APPENDIX. PROHIBITED VOTING. It is an offence — (a) For any prohibited person to vote ; (£) To induce or procure any prohibited person to vote. Persons " prohibited from voting " are persons otherwise capable of voting, and who would be entitled to vote, were they not disqualified by statute. The rule, therefore, does not apply to persons who are prohibited from voting by the common law of Parliament. For example, if a peer, or a woman votes, no illegal practice is committed within the meaning of the Corrupt Practices Act. The following persons are prohibited by statute from voting in England and Wales : — i. Infants — i.e., persons who have not completed their 21st year on the polling day. 2. Persons convicted of treason or felony, who have not been pardoned, and whose term of punishment has not expired. 3. Electors who, within six months of the election, have been retained, hired, or employed for reward, for all or any of the purposes of the election, by, or on behalf of, any candidate at such election, as agent, clerk, messenger, or in other like employment. 4. Persons guilty of any corrupt or illegal practice, or of illegal employment, payment, or hiring at an election, 148 APPENDIX. may not vote at that election, and their votes are void. 5. Persons who have become incapable of voting by reason of offences at former elections, for which they have been convicted or reported, may not vote at any elec- tion while such incapacity lasts. [Persons convicted of corrupt practices are in- capable of voting for seven years ; persons con- victed of illegal practices are incapable of voting for five years from the date of conviction. Persons reported as having been guilty of corrupt or illegal practices, although receiving a certificate of indemnity, are subject to the same incapacity as if they had been convicted of the offence at the date of the election.] 6. Returning officers may not vote except in case of an equality of votes. Note. — The Police Disabilities Removal Act, 1887, has removed the prohibition formerly existing in the case of police constables, and special provision is made by Clause 2 to enable constables on duty at a distance from the polling station at which their qualification entitles them to vote, to record their votes at any booth in the electoral division. Clauses 2 and 3 of this Act are given on p. 149. The following persons are incapacitated from voting at Parliamentary elections, and their votes may be refused In the presiding officer : — Aliens. Women. Peers. Idiots. Lunatics. [The vote of a lunatic given in a lucid interval is good. J Drunkards. APPENDIX. 149 POLICE DISABILITIES REMOVAL ACT, 1887. 50 Vict., Sess. 2, Chapter 9. Clause 2. Where a constable is, or is likely to be, on the constable day of any election sent or employed in the discharge of his ££ ^en- duty so as to prevent him voting at the polling booth or vot| d a t° station at which he would otherwise be entitled bylaw to vote, f^fta-" the following enactments shall have effect : — tlon - (1.) Such constable may, at any time within seven days before the election, apply to the chief constable for a certificate, and the chief constable shall thereupon give a certificate under his hand, stating the name of the constable, his number in the police force, his number and description on the register of voters, and the fact that he is so sent or employed ; (2.) The presiding officer at any polling booth or station shall, on production by such constable of the said certificate, allow him to vote at that booth or station, and shall forthwith cancel the said certificate, and deal with the same in like manner as the counterfoils of voting papers are directed by law to be dealt with ; (3.) No such constable shall, under this section, be entitled to vote at any election at which he would not, but for this section, be entitled to vote, nor more than once in any election, and if he so votes, or attempts to vote, he shall be subject to all the penalties imposed by law on a person personating or attempting to personate a voter at such election; (4.) In this section — {a.) "' Constable " includes any person belonging to a police force ; (Jf.) " Chief constable " includes an assistant chief constable, a commissioner or assistant commis- sioner of police, a head constable, and any other 150 AFPKNDIX. person for the time being in command of a police force, or acting in that capacity ; (c.) " Register of voters " has the same meaning as in the Ballot Act, 1872. Registra- 3. A person otherwise entitled to be registered as a voter at tion in ,. ... ,. . . . case of parliamentary elections in respect or the occupation of a rary ab- dwelling-house shall be deemed an inhabitant occupier sence of * r • 1 t 1 ■ 1 Police thereof as tenant notwithstanding his temporary absence duty. ' * therefrom in the execution of duty as a police officer during a part of the qualifying period, not exceeding four consecu- tive months. CORRUPT AND ILLEGAL PRACTICES PREVENTION ACT, 1883- 46 and 47 Vict., Chapter 51. Co/ rupt Practices. What is X. Whereas under section four of the Corrupt Practices Treatin|r ? Prevention Act, 1854, persons other than candidates at parliamentary elections are not liable to any punishment for treating, and it is expedient to make such persons liable ; be it therefore enacted in substitution for the said section four as follows : — (1.) Any person who corruptly by himself or by any other person, either before, during, or after an election, directly or indirectly gives or provides, or pays wholly or in part the expense of giving or providing, any meat drink entertainment or provision to or for any person, for the purpose of corruptly influencing that person or any other person to give or refrain from giving his vote at the election, or on account of such person or any other person having voted or refrained from voting, or being about to vote or refrain from voting at such election, shall be guilty of treating. APPENDIX. 151 (2.) And every elector who corruptly accepts or takes any such meat drink entertainment or provision shall also be guilty of treating. 2. Every person who shall directly or indirectly, by him- what is self or by any other person on his behalf, make use of or fluencV? 11 threaten to make use of any force, violence, or restraint, or inflict or threaten to inflict, by himself or by any other person, any temporal or spiritual injury, damage, harm, or loss upon or against any person in order to induce or compel such person to vote or refrain from voting, or on account of such person having voted or refrained from voting at any election, or who shall by abduction, duress, or any fraudu- lent device or contrivance impede or prevent the free exer- cise of the franchise of any elector, or shall thereby compel, induce, or prevail upon any elector either to give or to refrain from giving his vote at any election, shall be guilty of undue influence. 3. The expression "corrupt practice" as used in this what is Act means any of the following offences, namely, treating practice ? and undue influence, as defined by this Act, and bribery, and personation, as defined by the enactments set forth in Part III. of the Third Schedule to this Act, and aiding, abetting, counselling, and procuring the commission of the offence of personation, and every offence which is a corrupt practice within the meaning of this Act shall be a corrupt practice within the meaning of the Parliamentary Elections Act, 1868. 4. Where upon the trial of an election petition respecting Punioh- an election for a county or borough the election court, by the Candidate report made to the Speaker in pursuance of section eleven of Election the Parliamentary Elections Act, 1868, reports that any guilty" 1 corrupt practice other than treating or undue influence has afiyof been proved to have been committed in reference to such p?act?ces. 152 APPENDIX. election by or with the knowledge and consent of any candi- date at such election, or that the offence of treating or undue influence has been proved to have been committed in refer- ence to such election by any candidate at such election, that candidate shall not be capable of ever being elected to or sitting in the House of Commons for the said county or borough, and if he has been elected his election shall be void ; and he shall further be subject to the same incapacities as if at the date of the said report he had been convicted on an indictment of a corrupt practice. Punish- 5. Upon the trial of an election petition respecting an Candidate election for a county or borough, in which a charge is made Election °* an y corrupt practice having been committed in reference luilty by t0 sucn e ' ect i° n ) lne election court shall report in writing to corrupt**" lne Speaker whether any of the candidates at such election Practices. ] ias been guilty by his agents of any corrupt practice in refer- ence to such election ; and if the report is that any candi- date at such election has been guilty by his agents of any corrupt practice in reference to such election, that candidate shall not be capable of being elected to or sitting in ihe House of Commons for such county or borough for seven years after the date of the report, and if he has been elected his election shall be void. Punish- 6. (1.) A person who commits any corrupt practice other person*" lrj an personation, or aiding, abetting, counselling, or procur- on n indicf- ni o tne commission of the offence of personation, shall be Corrupt guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction on indictment Practices, gj^ji ^g ]j arj i e l0 De imprisoned, with or without hard labour, for a term not exceeding one year, or to be fined any sum not exceeding two hundred pounds. (2.) A person who commits the offence of personation, or of aiding, abetting, counselling, or procuring the commission of that offence, shall be guilty of felony, and any person con- APPENDIX. 153 victed thereof on indictment shall be punished by imprison- ment for a term not exceeding two years, together with hard labour. (3.) A person who is convicted on indictment of any corrupt practice shall (in addition to any punishment as above provided) be not capable during a period of seven years from the date of his conviction : (a.) of being registered as an elector or voting at any election in the United Kingdom, whether it be a parliamentary election or an election for any public office within the meaning of this Act ; or (b.) of holding any public or judicial office within the meaning of this Act, and if he holds any such office the office shall be vacated. (4.) Any person so convicted of a corrupt practice in reference to, any election shall also be incapable of being elected to and of sitting in the House of Commons during the seven years next after the date of his conviction, and if at that date he has been elected to the House of Commons his election shall be vacated from the time of such con- viction. Illegal Practices. 7. (1.) No payment or contract tor payment shall, for certain the purpose of promoting or procuring the election of a ture'tc^be candidate at any election, be made — Practice («.) on account of the conveyance of electors to or from the poll, whether for the hiring of horses or carriages, or for railway fares, or otherwise; or (b.) to an elector on account of the use of any house, land, building, or premises for the exhibition of any address, bill, or notice, or on account of the exhibi- tion of any address, bill, or notice ; or 154 APPENDIX. (V.) on account of any committee-room in excess of the number allowed by the first schedule to this Act. (2.) Subject to such exception as may be allowed in pursuance of this Act, if any payment or contract for pay- ment is knowingly made in contravention of this section either before, during, or after an election, the person making such payment or contract shall be guilty of an illegal practice, and any person receiving such payment or being a party to any such contract, knowing the same to be in contravention of this Act, shall also be guilty of an illegal practice. (3.) Provided that where it is the ordinary business of an elector as an advertising agent to exhibit for payment bills and advertisements, a payment to or contract with such elector, if made in the ordinary course of business, shall not be deemed to be an illegal practice within the meaning of this section. 8. (1.) Subject to such exception as may be allowed in pursuance of this Act, no sum shall be paid and no expense mum to be s j ia u ^ e j ncurre d by a candidate at an election or his election Illegal ' Practice, agent, whether before, during, or after an election, on account of or in respect of the conduct or management of such election, in excess of any maximum amount in that behalf specified in the first schedule to this Act. (2.) Any candidate or election agent who knowingly acts in contravention of this section shall be guilty of an illegal practice. Voting- by 9. (1.) If any person votes or induces or procures any toftedPer- person to vote at any election, knowing that he or such Publish^ person is prohibited, whether by this or any other Act, from Faise^ voting at such election, he shall be guilty of an illegal State- ments of practice. drawai to (2.) Any person who before or during an election knowingly be Illegal. Expense in excess of maxi- APPENDIX. 155 publishes a false statement of the withdrawal of a candidate at such election for the purpose of promoting or procuring the election of another candidate shall be guilty of an illegal practice. (3.) Provided that a candidate shall not be liable, nor shall Punish-^ his election be avoided, for any illegal practice under this convic- section committed by his agent other than his election agent, illegal , .„ , • 1 l j Practice. 10. A person guilty of an illegal practice, whether under the foregoing sections or under the provisions hereinafter contained in this Act, shall on summary conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds and be incapable during a period of five years from the date of his conviction of being registered as an elector or voting at any election (whether it be a parliamentary election or an election for a public office within the meaning of this Act) held for or within the county or borough in which the illegal practice has been committed. 11. Whereas by sub-section fourteen of section eleven of Report of the Parliamentary Elections Act, 1S68, it is provided that courtre- where a charge is made in an election petition of any corrupt iftlgaf^ practice having been committed at the election to which the j^jj^ 10 * petition refers, the judge shall report in writing to the Speaker Pun i 8 Qf as follows : — Candidate found (a.) " Whether any corrupt practice has or has not been guilty by v y / r r _ such " proved to have been committed by or with the Report. " knowledge and consent of any candidate at such " election, and the nature of such corrupt practice; (£.) " The names of all persons, if any, who have been " proved at the trial to have been guilty of any corrupt " practice ; (V.) " Whether corrupt practices have, or whether there is " reason to believe corrupt practices have, extensively " prevailed at the election to which the petition re- li lates " : 156 APPENDIX. And whereas it is expedient to extend the said sub-section to illegal practices : Be it therefore enacted as follows : — Sub-section fourteen of section eleven of the Parliamentary Elections Act, 1868, shall apply as if that sub-section were herein re-enacted with the substitution of illegal practice within the meaning of this Act for corrupt practice ; and upon the trial of an election petition respecting an election for a county or borough, the election court shall report in writing to the Speaker the particulars required by the said sub-section as herein re-enacted, and shall also report whether any candidate at such election has been guilty by his agents of any illegal practice within the meaning of this Act in reference to such election, and the following consequences shall ensue upon the report by the election court to the Speaker ; (that is to say,) ( B amount of such claim the claim shall be a disputed claim Ex P en9es> within the meaning of this Act, and be dealt with accordingly. (2.) The account of the charges claimed by the returning officer in the case of a candidate and transmitted in pur- suance of section four of the Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officers) Act, 1875, shall be transmitted within the time specified in the said section to the election agent of the candidate, and need not be transmitted to the candidate. 33. (1.) Within thirty-five days after the day on which Return the candidates returned at an election are declared elected, Declara- ble election agent of every candidate at that election shall specting 1 rr / • 1 • a Election transmit to the returning officer a true return (in this Act Expenses. referred to as a return respecting election expenses), in the form set forth in the Second Schedule to this Act or to the like effect, containing, as respects that candidate — (a.) A statement of all payments made by the election agent, together with all the bills and receipts (which bills and receipts are in this Act included in the expression ,; return respecting election expenses ") ; (/>.) A statement of the amount of personal expenses, if any, paid by the candidate ; (c.) A statement of the sums paid to the returning officer for his charges, or, if the amount is in dispute, of the sum claimed, and the amount disputed ; (d.) A statement of all other disputed claims of which the election agent is aware ; ( j, L>y post, 35, 1 24. Form of, ^^. Preparation of, ^^. ,, „ points to be noted, 34. Arrangements when dealt with by sub-agent, 67. To be sent to outvoters, 87. POLLING DAY. Duties of election agent, on, 36. Preparation to be made by sub-agent for, 68. ,, ,, in boroughs for, 125. Management of vehicles on, 95. Meetings of ward committees to be held prior to, 125. Stationery required in committee-rooms on, 126. Arrangements for, in boroughs, 127. POLLING DISTRICT COMMITTEES. (See Committees.) POLLING STATIONS. Election agent to ascertain number and situation of, ^^. Portrait of candidate may be distributed, 35. POSTER, Name and address of printer to be on every, 65, 133, 159. PRINTER, Name and address of, to be on every bill, placard, or poster, 159. INDEX. 193 PROHIBITED VOTING. An offence, 147. Who are prohibited, 147. Certificate of indemnity does not remove incapacity, 148. Conviction of corrupt practice disqualifies for registration and voting and for public offices, 153. R. REMOVALS, TRACING OF. Prior to an election, 3, 4, 88, 134. Within the same parliamentary division, 88, 90, 91, 134, 136, 137. ,, ,, ,, ,, polling of, 92. Outside the parliamentary division, 88, 89, 90, 134, 135. ,, ,, ,, polling of, 91, 97. Post-office returns, 89, 135. Plan of working at central committee-room, 89. Traced removals, 90, 136. Not traced to be marked on personation agent's list, 92. To be reported daily, 1 24. Conveyance of removed voters to poll, 92, 138. RETURNING OFFICER. Expenses not included in the maximum scale, 43. Detailed account of charges to be rendered to election agent, 47, 169. Computation of time in reference to sending in claim, 49. To give notice of election, 80. To provide forms of nomination, 80. May object to nomination paper, 84. Effect of decision on objection, 85. May require security for charges, 85. To publish summary of election expenses, 174. To keep return and declarations for inspection during two years, 174. s. SECRECY, DECLARATION OF. (See Declaration of Secrecy.) SPEAKERS AT MEETINGS. Should be arranged for at central office. 98. Should be advised as to time and place of meetings, 133. STATIONERY. Required in committee-rooms on day of poll, 126. SUB-AGENTS. (See Agents, Sub.) O 194 INDEX. T. TREATING. By canvassers, 101. What is, i 50. UNDUE INFLUENCE. What is, 151. u. V. VACANCIES, Causes of, 5, 6. VACANCY. When commences, 42. VEHICLES. {See Conveyances.) VOLUNTARY ASSISTANCE. In preparing canvass books, etc., 22. VOTERS. Doubtful, to have special attention, 62. In outlying districts, canvass of, 63. Illegal to pay travelling expenses of, 93, 139, 153. „ ,, ,, ,, ,, except by sea in certain cases, 93. Interference with, on day of poll, 102. Polling of removed, 92, 138. Who are prohibited, 147. VOTES, COUNTING OF. A simple method, 78. VOTING, prohibited, 147, 148, 153. w. WARD COMMITTEES. Who should convene, 122. Election agent to attend meetings of, t 23. Responsibility of individual members, 123. Meetings of, prior to polling day, 125. Duties of, on polling day, 127. WITHDRAWAL. Publishing false statement of, an illegal practice, 154. Candidate not liable for false statement by agent other than election agent, 155. Corrupt, 158. Necessary Forms for an Election, together with Daily Cash Book, as under, made up in parcels. PRICE : COUNTIES - - 3 GUINEAS. BOROUGHS - - 2 1 Appointment of Election Agent. la ,, ' „ Sub-Agent. {Bound in Books of 20 Forms with Counterfoils.) 2 ,, ,, Polling or Personation Agents (30 Forms). 3 Instructions to Personation Agents (30 Forms). 4 Appointment of Clerks. (Bound in Books of 36 Forms with Counterfoils.) 5 ,, „ Messengers. (Bjjund in Books of 36 Forms with Counterfoils.) 6 Declaration to Returning Officer of Name and Address of Election Agent. 6a „ of Sub- Agents. 7 ,, of Proposer in case Candidate is nominated whilst absent. 8 Notice to Returning Officer of Appointment of Polling or Personation Agents. 9 ,, „ „ Counting Agents. 10 Agreement for Hire of Committee Room. (Bound in Books of 30 Forms with Counterfoils.) 10a Instructions to Sub-Agents (20 Forms). 11 Election Expenses Rook for daily use. 12 Declaration by Agent as to Expenses. 13 ,, ,, Candidate „ ,, 14 ,, ,, ,, when absent and taking no part in the Election. 15 Summary of Election Expenses. 16 Return of Election Expenses, Sheets for each heading. (A to K.) (A to K) 17 Summary of Election Offences and Penalties. 18 Canvass Return from Districts (100 forms). 19 Canvass Return for Central (25 Forms). 20 Form for Outvoters (100 Forms). 21 Removals, Post Office Returns (100 Forms). 22 Removals, General Form (100 Forms). 23 Traced Removals Form (25 Forms). 24 List of Sub-Agents (25 Forms). TO BE HAD PROM THE LIBERAL PUBLICATION DEPARTMENT, 41, Parliament Street, London, S.W., OR FROM THE SOUTH COUNTIES PRESS LIMITED, 64, High Street, Lewes, Sussex. TO CANDIDATES, ELECTION AGENTS, AND COMMITTEES. Any of the Election Forms referred to in this Work, CANVASS BOOKS, DISTRICT REGISTERS, ELECTION CASH,: BOOKS, REGISTRATION FORMS, AND REGISTRATION CANVASS BOOKS, MAY BE OBTAINED AT A MODERATE PHICE FROM THE LIBERAL PUBLICATION DEPARTMENT, 41, Parliament Street, London, S.W., OR FHOM THE SOUTH COUNTIES PRESS LIMITED, 64, High Street, Lewes, Sussex. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY This book is DUE on the last date stamped below KENDNM. ■ UKL-tk! i|» ID EWEEKS FROM OAk OF RECEIPT (LIBRARY LOANS 14 JUN15 Form L-9 -"m-l, '42(6519) UM1VUKS1T1 of UALiFWKMlA AT LOS ANGELES T IDD 1DV UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY AA 00 353 039 9 UCLA-Young Research Library JN1005 1892 V L 009 620 174 4