§ SIR E. GREY (Northumberland, Berwick)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the overseers in some of the districts of Northumberland have decided that the farm servants are not entitled 1389 to vote for county councillors; whether he has declared that it is the intention of the Local Government Act to place such persons on the Register; and what steps the Government will take to remedy this omission?
§ MR. RITCHIEI have not declared that it was the intention of the Local Government Act that farm servants, as such, without reference to the circumstances, should be planed on the Register of Voters. It is obvious that the question as to the right of any farm servant in this matter must depend upon the actual facts in the particular case.
§ MR. FENWICK (Northumberland, Wansbeck)Is it not a fact that in answer to a question as to whether a workman living in a house belonging to his employer, the occupation of which is counted as part of his wages, was entitled to vote, the right hon. Gentleman said that such a workman would be so entitled.
§ MR. RITCHIEThe answer on this point which I previously gave to the hon. Member for the Wansbeck Division was that if a labourer is not required to reside for the purposes of his service, but merely has the cottage as part of his wages, he would, in my opinion, be entitled to be registered as a voter under the County Electors Act.