§ MR. H. L. W. LAWSON (Gloucester, Cirencester)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to a statement that one-third of the number of electors or Commissioners who elect the four representatives of the Upper Thames on the Board of Conservators are either dead or incapable of identification; and that in the town of Maidenhead out of a population of 10,000 only 43 are voters; whether he is aware the Clerk to the Conservancy Board alleges that he has no power to strike off the names of dead persons from the register; whether, under the Act of 1866, it is his duty properly to make up the register of those entitled to vote and constituted Commissioners under the Act of 1795; if not, who is responsible; and whether he proposes to make any change in the administration of the Act in this respect?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. MUNDELLA,) Sheffield, BrightsideI was not aware of the statements referred to in the first two paragraphs of the question. Under the Thames Navigation Act, 1866, the Secretary to the Conservators makes out a list of persons entitled to vote, which is revised by the Board of Trade, who remove names of persons known by them to be dead or disqualified. It is obvious that any removal must be made with caution. The whole question of the constitution of the Thames Conservancy Board will be dealt with next Session, in compliance with the clause of the Bill on the subject now before Parliament.