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or dates in the present year as may be fixed by the Local Government
Board. The persons elected are to come into office on the
second Thursday next after their election, or such other day not
more than seven days earlier or later as may be fixed by or in
pursuance of the rules to be made by the Local Government
Board.
By Section 79 the duty is cast upon the Vestry of taking the
necessary measures for the conduct of the first election, including
the appointment of the returning officer. Under this section
persons who are members of the Vestry at the passing of the
Act (5 March) or are auditors are to continue in office until the
day on which the members and auditors elected under the new
Act come into office, notwithstanding any want of qualification,
as if the term of office for which they were elected expired on that
day.
The meaning of the words "notwithstanding any want of
qualification" as in this section is not quite clear, and I
hesitatate therefore to express any opinion as to their effect.
The annual election of Vestrymen and Auditors will, of course
not be held as usual in May this year.
Section 79 also provides that of the members first elected
under the Act, one third shall go out of Office in May, 1896, one
third in May, 1897, and the remainder in May, 1898. Sub-section
6 provides that the members who are to retire in 1896 and 1897
shall be determined according to their place on the poll at the
election, those that are lowest on the poll retiring first. If
there is no poll, or should there be an equality of votes, the order
of retirement is to be determined by ballot conducted under the
order of the Vestry. These provisions as to retirement apply
separately to each ward. Apparently the dates for the annual
election of Vestrymen remain unaltered, except as regards this
year, but it should be noted that there will be no annual election
in 1895.
Miscellaneous Provisions.
Section 31 provides that no person shall be ex officio Chairman
of the Vestry, and the Rector therefore will, after the first
election under the Act, cease to be Chairman by virtue of his
office. The Rector and Churchwardens apparently continue to