§ MR. HIBBERTasked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether his attention has been directed to the abuses which have occurred in many places during the last few years in the 267 election of the guardians of the poor; whether in consequence of the dissatisfaction caused thereby he is prepared to recommend such an alteration of the Law as would permit the votes to be taken by ballot instead of by voting papers; and, whether the tenure of office for which guardians are elected might not be advantageously extended from one to three years?
§ MR. SCLATER-BOOTH,in reply, said, that the number of contested elections for Guardians of the Poor in 1874 was 630, and in 1875 it was 720. Complaints had been made of malpractices, but many of them had not been well founded, and in 1874 it had only been found necessary to hold an official inquiry into two cases. Under these circumstances, he did not feel it necessary to recommend such an alteration of the law as would permit the votes to be taken by Ballot. Apart from the advantages of the use of the voting paper, the substitution of the Ballot would lead to increased expense. With regard to the tenure of office by Guardians being extended from one to three years, the subject had been frequently brought before him by Boards of Guardians themselves, but he was not prepared to make any general alteration on the subject. He should, however be very glad to try the experiment in places where the feeling for the change prevailed. That feeling he believed existed to a great extent in Lancashire and some parts of London.