HC Deb 13 July 1885 vol 299 cc433-4
MR. HENEAGE

asked Mr. Attorney General, Whether his attention has been called to the action of certain magistrates at a formal meeting of the Quar- ter Sessions for Lindsey, held to receive the Report of the Committee appointed to consider the Scheme drawn up by the Clerk of the Peace, after due consultation with the agents of both political parties, who expunged the Hainton polling place, leaving the majority of voters in that district from four to five miles to go to the poll at the next General Election, although Hainton was and is now a polling place for Mid-Lincolnshire, and the Hainton School-room is within three miles of all those resident in the district assigned to it; whether he is aware that some of the magistrates alluded to are connected either with the polling district or the petty sessional division of which it forms part, and that the whole scheme had been unanimously approved by the finance committee, advertised in the county papers, and generally assented to throughout Lindsey; and, whether there is any provision in any Act connected with Parliamentary elections which will enable the memorial of the inhabitants of the district to be heard, and the local authority to remedy this or any other grievance in those schemes, for providing polling places which have been already formally approved and adopted throughout the Country?

SIR BERNHARD SAMUELSON

asked Mr. Attorney General, Whether he can point out, in the Acts of this or of previous Sessions, any provisions enabling persons to obtain redress in those cases in which the local authorities have not made adequate provision of polling places to enable voters to record their votes without too great loss of time and other inconveniences?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir RICHARD WEBSTER)

said, it seemed to him that the magistrates who had fixed the polling places had exercised a very wise discretion, and had done their best to meet the convenience of the district. The fixing of polling places depended upon the Acts of 18(37, 1883, and 1885, and the remedy to any person who thought that the provisions of the Acts had not been complied with was to move for a writ of mandamus to compel the authorities to make proper appointments.