SIR JAMES LAWRENCEasked Mr. Attorney General, Whether his attention has been drawn to letters which have appeared in the "Daily News" of Saturday last from electors of the School Board Division of Lambeth, complaining that they were refused admission to the polling station at 7.30 p.m. on the day of election; and, whether such exclu- 216 sion of electors from the polling station before 8 p.m. is legal?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir HENRY JAMES), in reply, said, that the letters in question stated that the poll at the election in Lambeth was closed before 8 o'clock, and, of course, it ought to have been open till that time. The Deputy Presiding Officer had communicated with the proper authorities, and stated that the poll was taken up to the statutory hour. It was reasonable to suppose that the conflict of statements arose from the fact that the door of the polling station was closed earlier than 8 o'clock. Very likely, if the polling station was full of persons wishing to vote, there would be a pressure of persons coming in, and it would be necessary to shut the door. If that was the case, and votes were received till 8, there would, in his (the Attorney General's) opinion, be no breach of the law.