§ MR. CHANNINGI beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education whether he is aware that at School Board Elections voters frequently indicate the number of votes they intend to give to a candidate by placing a corresponding number of crosses after his name; whether, in many instances, Returning Officers count the crosses when the intention of the voter is plain, and admit such voting papers; and, whether the rejection of voting papers in which the number of votes given to each candidate is indicated by crosses is in accordance with existing Laws and Orders of Council, especially the Order of 3rd October, 1873?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Sir W. HART DYKE,) Kent, DartfordI have no information with regard to the first two paragraphs of the question; but the Department have been advised that the Returning Officer may confine the voter, in filling up the ballot paper, to the use of numbers written in full or in figures. In the absence of any such instructions being given, it is understood that Returning Officers allow the use of both figures and crosses; but the Education Department have no means of reviewing their action in such a matter.