MR. PRESTON BRUCEasked the Lord Advocate, Whether the Law existing in the burghs regulating the printing of the register of voters, and the sale to the public of copies of the register, or parts of it, at certain prices, has been applied to and is now in force in the counties, by section 8, subsection 6, of "The Representation of the People Act, 1884?"
THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. B. BALFOUR)By Section 8, Sub-section 6, of "The Representation of the People Act, 1884," all enactments of the Registration Acts which relate to the registration of persons "entitled to vote in burghs" are made to extend and apply to counties as well as to burghs. The enactments regulating the printing of 140 the register of voters in burghs, and the sale to the public of copies of the register or parts of it, at certain prices, are portions, and by no means unimportant portions, of the Act 19 & 20 Vict., c. 58, which deals exclusively with the registration of voters in burghs. I think, therefore, that these enactments will now apply to counties. If I had thought that doubtful, I should willingly have accepted a clause in the Registration Bill such as my hon. Friend put upon the Paper. But if the necessity for such a clause were admitted, it would obviously throw doubt upon the universality of the application of the Burgh Registration Act, and any doubt on that subject would be unfortunate.