§ MR. H. C. LUTTRELL (Devon, Tavistock)On behalf of the hon. Member for the Harborough Division of Leicester, Mr. J. W. LOGAN, I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board, whether, having regard to the fact that in rural districts many changes of tenancy take place on the 25th March, and that the date of a parish meeting for the election of Parish Councillors has been fixed for the 9th of March, and the polling, if any, for the 30th of March, a person who may have come to reside in a parish on the 25th of March, 1895, will be eligible for election, seeing that he will have resided in the parish the statutory period before any polling can take place?
§ MR. LUTTRELLfurther asked the President of the Local Government Board, is a person who came to reside in a parish on 25th March, 1895, eligible for election as a Parish Councillor by show of hands on 9th March, 1896, the day fixed for the parish meeting for election of Parish Councillors by the Local Government Board?
§ MR. CHAPLINIt will be convenient that I should answer this question and that of the hon. Member for the Tavistock Division at the same time. I have no authority whatever to determine questions as to the qualification or disqualification of candidates for election as Parish Councillors; but, so far as I can form an opinion on the question, I should doubt whether a person could be nominated at the meeting for the election of Councillors on the ground of qualification by residence unless he has during the whole of the 12 months preceding the day of the meeting resided within the parish or within three miles thereof.
§ MR. LUTTRELLI should like to ask, whether the effect of this Order for which the right hon. Gentleman is responsible will not be to disqualify a large number of men who would otherwise be capable of standing as Councillors, seeing that, in the rural districts, a large number of houses change hands on Lady Day?
§ MR. CHAPLINThat will depend upon what is ruled to be the correct interpretation of the law.
§ MR. LUTTRELLWill not the effect of this Order, if it is carried out, be the means of disqualifying a large number 1388 of people who, according to the spirit of the Local Government Act of 1894, should be capable of being elected?
§ Mr. CHAPLINAgain, Sir, I have to say that that must depend upon the interpretation of the law.
§ MR. LUTTRELLsaid, it was within the power of the President of the Local Government Board to alter the Order if he thought it advisable; and he would ask him if he would do so in this instance, so as to prevent the disqualification of persons otherwise eligible for the office of Parish Councillors?
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! That is going beyond the limits of the Question on the paper.
§ MR. CHAPLINI would just observe that, whatever might have been the case some time ago, it would be quite impossible to alter the date now, for the reason that the notices have all been given.
§ MR. LUTTRELLMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman, if he is in his present position next year, whether he will have an Order issued to prevent these people being disqualified?