§ MR. JAMES ROWLANDS (Finsbury, E.)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he has received a protest from four candidates for election to the Wood Green Local Board against the appointment as Returning Officer, at the election, of a gentleman who is a partisan of some other candidates; and whether he has sent any answer to the protest, or intends to take any action?
§ *THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. RITCHIE,) Tower Hamlets, St. George'sThe Local Government Board have received a Memorial signed by four of the candidates for election as members of the Wood Green Local Board objecting to the appointment of Returning Officer which has been made by the Local Board, and requesting the Board to nominate a person to act as Returning Officer. The Board have informed the Memorialists that the power of the Board to appoint a Returning Officer is limited to the case of the first election of a Local Board, and they have no authority whatever to intervene in the manner suggested.
§ MR. J. ROWLANDSIs it the fact that the person who has been appointed Returning Officer was present on Tuesday at a meeting of one of the candidates; and is it not within the power of the Local Government Board to see that the election is not conducted unfairly?
§ *MR. RITCHIEI am not prepared to say what the power of the Local Government Board is; but if they find that the election has been conducted unfairly, I think they would have power to interfere. The Local Government Board, however, have no right to interfere with the appointment of Returning Officer.