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place, &c.; and (5) The Churchwardens shall furnish
every polling place with compartments, in which the
voters can mark their votes. The Bill was held, by
some local authorities, to be objectionable, as likely
to lead to great expense, but the Vestry adopted a
report of your Vestry Clerk pointing out that this
Vestry now incurs the same expense without any
attendant advantages. It is now the practice of the
Churchwardens, on a poll being demanded, to have
Ballot papers printed, and it is not compulsory to use
such Ballot papers. It is also the custom to issue
placards and notices of a poll having been demanded,
and to have them circulated in the ward at great
expense, but, owing to the election taking place at
eight o'clock the next morning, they are not seen by
the ratepayers, who are thus left in ignorance of a
poll having been demanded. No compartments are
provided, and the secrecy of the ballot is not effected.
All these the Bill proposed to remedy, but the
great improvement under it would be that time would
be given to the ratepayers, after the nomination, before
the poll takes place. With a slight amendment—
fixing a limited time, within which the poll should be
taken, instead of as proposed, specifying "at least four
days";—it still appears that the Bill is a very advantageous
one, and it is to be hoped it may
ultimately become law.
This Bill received the consideration and active
support of the Vestry, It was promoted originally
by the Lewisham District Board of Works, with the
object of obtaining increased representation at the
Metropolitan Board of Works, for the Vestries and
Districts of Paddington, Camberwell, Kensington,
Wandsworth, and Hackney, and separate
12
Metropolis
Management
Acts
Amendment
Bill.