mber of
registered electors falls under 2,000, with L60 for each additional
thousand. Beyond these sums the candidate is allowed an outlay of L100
for expenses of a purely personal character.

The range of expenditure which is thus permitted by law is, of course,
considerable, and the records of election cases brought into the
courts demonstrate that not infrequently in practice its limits are
exceeded. None the less, the effect of the law has been undeniably to
restrain the outpouring of money by candidates, to purify politics,
and at the same time to enable men of moderate means to stand for
election who otherwise would be at grave disadvantage as against their
wealthier and more lavish competitors. It is of interest to observe
that by reason of the non-participation of the state in electoral
costs there fall upon candidates certain charges which are unknown in
the United States and other countries. The bills submitted by the
returning officer must be paid by the candidates within the
constituency, and these bills cover the publishing of notices of the
election, the preparing and supplying of nomination papers, the cost
of dies, ballot-paper, polling-stations, and printing, the fees of
clerks, and, finally, the travelling expenses and fee of the returning
officer himself. The candidate's share of this outlay may be as small
as L25, but it is likely to be from L200 to L300 and may rise to as
much as L600.[137]

[Footnote 137: On the adoption of the Corrupt and
Illegal Practices Act of 1883 see May and Holland,
Constitutional History of England, III., 31-33. The
actual operation of the system established may be
illustrated by citing a specific case. At the
election of 1906 the maximum expenditure legally
possible for Mr. Lloyd-George in his sparsely
populated Carnarvon constituency was L470. His
authorized agent, after the election, reported an
outlay of L50 on agents, L27 on clerks and
messengers, L189 on printing, postage, etc., L30 on
public meetings, L25 on committee rooms, and L40 on
miscellaneous matters--a total of L361. The
candidate's personal expenditure amounted to L92,
so that the total outlay of L462 fell short by a