§ MR. HARRINGTON (for Mr. SEXTON)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, with reference to the recent election of a Poor Law Guardian for the Electoral Division of Taughboy, in the Union of Athlone, the attention of the Irish Local Government Board has been drawn to the fact that Article 9 of the Board's Election Order, requiring that the returning officer should issue a "Notice of Election," in the prescribed form, and have copies of the same posted on or near all places of worship, courthouses, and police stations, not later than the 25th of February in each year, had not been observed in the case of this election, inasmuch as the "Notice of Election" prescribed by Article 9 was not posted anywhere in the Taughboy Division until the 10th of March, being six days later than the date fixed by law for the nomination of persons to be guardians; whether, before the first session of the new board, a qualified ratepayer of the division in question warned the returning officer of the invalidity of the election; whether, in consequence of the omission before stated, the whole proceedings relating to the election for the division were not, in fact, invalid; and, whether a new election has been ordered?
§ MR. TREVELYANI am informed that it is the case that the usual notice was not posted in proper time in the Electoral Division mentioned, and also that a ratepayer named Matthew Naughton intimated to the Returning Officer 283 that on that ground he should not return any person as elected. It appears, however, that, notwithstanding the late posting of the notice, the time for making nominations was well known. Nominations were made in time, and the election was contested. The ratepayer mentioned as objecting to a return himself took an active part in the proceedings, and did not raise his objection until the result of the election was known. Under these circumstances, the Local Government Board are advised that the accidental delay in posting the notices did not invalidate the election.