JB_128_171.xml

Title: [1818 May 9 Parl. Reform Bill]

Description: 1818 May 9

Parl. Reform Bill

{Text} 3 o Exposition

VIII. Penal Securities

4

2

II Offences tending by means of forgery to produce Miselection by means of forgery

are as follows, viz.

4. Where, for the purposes of producing deception {in respect of the name of the

proposed Voter or the name of any Certifier, or any other word contained in it,} a

paper /document falsely/ purporting to be a Vote-conferring Certificate, is, {with

the view of producing deception} fabricated, or a paper /document/ truly purporting

to be a Vote-conferring Certificate, altered.

5. Where {for the purpose of producing deception}, a document falsely purporting to

be a Recommendatory Certificate delivered in favour of a proposed Member is

fabricated, or any document purporting to be a Recommendatory Certificate in favour

of a proposed Member, altered.

6. Where, {for the purpose of producing deception}, a document falsely purporting to

be a Voting-Card, duly signed by an Election Clerk, or by the Substitute of an

Election Clerk, or by an Assistant of such Clerk or such Substitute has been /is/

fabricated, or any document truly purporting to be a /such/ Voting Card, altered.

{ This apply to all

7. Guilty moreover of Election falshood is every person by whom for the purpose of

deception any such false assertion has been procured, or been endeavoured to be

procured. {Such false assertion is accompanied with criminal consciousness.}}

[marginal note:] { Postpone and render all comprehensive.}

{ 8. Guilty moreover of Election falshood is every person, by whom for the purpose

of deception, any untrue conception has been conveyed or endeavoured to be conveyed,

in and by any /his/ signature of his which has been attached the signature of his

name applied by him to the text of a Recommendatory Certificate.}

[marginal note:] { Superseded by p.1. note 5.}

131-419.xml

Title: [1818 April 23[?] Parl. Reform Bill]

Description: 1818 April 23[?]

Parl. Reform Bill

Reasons

VII Election how

Voting how

Security effectual

2

2. There remains as a person without whose concurrence the like fraud to the like effect could not be attempted, the Election Clerk.

But on his part, under the system of checks here proposed, any such fraud may be stated as altogether hopeless

1. A number of Voting Cards greater than that of the Vote-conferring Certificates filed in the first instance in the books of the Election Office can not be constituted by the contents of all the several Voting Checks put together. For without delivering up in the face of a numerous assembly one unit[?] of the pair of duplicates of a Vote-conferring Certificate, no man can have received a Voting card.

2 No voting card can be available without the name of the Election Clerk or his known substitute in this behalf written upon it in a hand /handwriting/ purporting to be his. If then in all these Checks put together any number of Voting Cards were found greater than that of the Vote-conferring Certificates recorded[?] in return for them /the units[?] &c/, this supernumerary number having on each of them /it/ this handwriting or a handwriting purporting to be his, here then the existence of a fraud committed by somebody or other would be manifest: and forasmuch as he is the person whose handwriting the inscription purports to be, it is at his door that the fraud would be in the first instance. /he who would in the first instance be responsible for it./ The existence of a fraud of this sort being thus universally notorious persons in prodigious numbers would find themselves engaged by interest in one shape or other, to bestir themselves for the detection of it.

JB_128_204.xml

Title: [1818 June 18 Parl. Reform Bill]

Description: 1818 June 18

Parl. Reform Bill

Abregé

VII Penal Securities

3

In the case of criminal consciousness, and correspondent intention the two ideal

instruments figuratively speaking most apt to be employed are force and falshood

/fraud/ or as it is on occasion of this sort most common to say – fraud.

Of falshood, there would be found applicable to the case the six following

modifications: viz. 1 Forgery. 2. deceptive personation 3. fabrication of deceptious

real or other circumstantial evidence: 4. perjury. 5. simple false assertion whether

in the shape of speech /spoken/ or writing /written discourse/ 6. false assertion by

deportment designed to produce the effect of discourse.

In the text of the proposed law would be shewn /exemplified/ /particularized/

various modes in /occasions on/ which in the production of the three characteristic

Election torts as above, falshood in those its several shapes would be /is/ liable to

be employed as an instrument. Examples of forgery will be seen at once by

conniving[?] falshood in that shape applied to the several documents above proposed

to be employed in the character of so many evidences or efficient instruments of

title viz liable to be elected, or to vote: viz. the recommendatory certificate the

Vote conferring Certificate, and the Voting Card. &c

[marginal insertion:] An example of deceptious personation in the case of its

application to the person of a voter.]

One such in which false assertion, accompanied on the part of some with criminal

consciousness on the part of others with rashness is in a preeminent degree apt to be

employed and applied to the purpose of producing Miselection, viz. by giving birth to

an ill-grounded choice, viz to the choice of a proposed Member not indeed

disqualified by law, but in respect of appropriate aptitude less qualified than this

or that view[?] to /over/ whom by the means he obtains the preference, is defamation.