§ MR. MACARTNEY (Antrim, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that at the election of Guardians for the Swanlinbar division of Bawnboy Union in March last, Messrs. Veitch and Montgomery were nominated for the office of Poor Law Guardians for the division, and that Mr. Montgomery withdrew before the date of election; and will he inquire whether any voting papers were issued, and, if not, what were the reasons for treating the nominations of Messrs. Veitch and Montgomery as invalid?
§ *THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. JACKSON,) Leeds, N.The nominations of the Poor Law candidates mentioned were rejected 1282 by the Returning Officer as invalid for the reason that their names were jointly included in the nomination papers contrary to Article 10 of the Election Regulations, which provides that the number of candidates to be nominated in any electoral division by any one person entitled to nominate should not exceed the number of Guardians to be elected for such division. The fact that one of the persons irregularly nominated subsequently withdrew his name would not render valid the nomination of the remaining person. The nomination of Mr. Veitch by Mr. Montgomery was rejected as invalid, inasmuch as the latter was not a ratepayer in the electoral division concerned.