§ MR. A. O'CONNORI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether it is the practice in England, both in counties and cities, to return upon the lists for revision of voters the names of persons who are qualified by the occupation of houses in immediate succession; whether there is any difference between the practice in boroughs and counties in this respect; and whether information is taken by the Clerks of the Peace and Town Clerks, respectively, from parties who have changed their residences, so as to save them having to attend to prove claims?
§ MR. RITCHIEPersons known by the Overseers to be qualified by successive occupations, the last of which is in their parish, should be included in the occupiers' list of voters in the case of counties, as well as in boroughs. Under ordinary circumstances, however, the Overseers are only able to do this when the successive occupations have been of houses in the same parish, as they have no information as to the occupiers having occupied houses elsewhere. In such cases it would be necessary that the person should send in a claim. This must more frequently happen in counties than in boroughs, as the number of parishes in a county, or division of a county, is usually much larger than in a borough. I am not aware that it is the practice of Clerks of the Peace and Town Clerks to take information in the case of a person claiming to be upon the register in respect of successive occupations, so as to relieve him from the necessity of substantiating his claim in the event of objection. A declaration can, however, be received where the objection is merely on the ground of inaccuracy of the list as to place of abode.