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resolutions to the same purport were passed by the Vestry of
St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and the Westminster District Board
of Works; the Vestry of St. George's, Hanover Square,
expressed a hope that a ratepayer in the Division would be
elected, and the Strand District Board of Works have all along
declined to pass any opinion upon School Board matters.
The election by the Board took place on October 14th, and in
spite of the position obtained by Mr. Winnett at the poll in
the previous November, and the representations of the Rating
Authorities subsequently, Sir Guyer Hunter, Member of
Parliament for Central Hackney, and a resident in Paddington
was elected to fill the vacancy. The Vestry thereupon passed
two resolutions as follows, and directed a copy thereof to be
sent to each Hating Authority in the Metropolis:—
That this Vestry most respectfully protests against the School
Board for London filling up the vacancy on the Board caused
by the death of Mr. James Ross, a representative of West
minster, by the election of a candidate who is utterly unknown
to the electors of the division and in no way acquainted with
local requirements, especially as such candidate was nominated
by a member for Chelsea and seconded by a member for
Marylebone, while two members for Westminster proposed and
seconded a local candidate who obtained such support at the
last eloction that he would now bo a member of the Board but
for the operation of the cumulative system of voting.
That inasmuch as the School Board for London have in filling op
the recent vacancy, utterly ignored the desires of the ratepayers
of Westminster, the Education Department be asked to
introduce a Bill into Parliament next session, providing for
the filling up of casual vacancies on the Board by direct
election by the ratepayers of the Division in which such
vacancy has occurred, instead of by the Board itself.
A copy of these resolutions was sent to every vestry and
District Board in the Metropolis, and a largo proportion of
the replies which were received expressed disapproval of