§ SIR JOHN KENNAWAYasked the President of the Local Government Board, Where as under section 11 of Schedule II. of "The Public Health Act, 1875," it is enacted that a person shall not be entitled to vote at any election of a Local Board, unless he has been rated to the relief of the poor and has paid all rates made on him; whether, in view of the pending elections, he would state if occupiers of houses, the owners of which have compounded for the payment of rates, are entitled to vote under this Schedule?
§ MR. SCLATER-BOOTH, in reply, said, the question raised by his hon. Friend was one of some legal difficulty, owing to the fact that an opinion was given by the Law Officers of the Crown six years ago, and that it was now somewhat doubtful whether that opinion could be maintained. He was indisposed to express a decided opinion upon the subject, especially just now, when so many elections were pending; but he would refer his hon. Friend to Sections 7 and 19 of the Assessed Rates Act, 1869, which had an important bearing on the subject. The House might remember that this Act was passed with the view of protecting the franchise of persons whose votes were compounded for.