§ MR. KEIR HARDIE (Merthyr Tydvil)To ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the election of the citizens' auditor in Leicester on 4th March; and whether, seeing that the number of electors entitled to vote is 44,000, and that only one polling clerk was provided, and that persons who came to record their votes after six o'clock were in consequence prevented from so doing, he will state whether he proposes to take any, and, if so, what, steps to prevent the disfranchisement of electors at such elections in future.
(Answered by Mr. Walter Long.) I have received a communication from the town clerk on the subject. Pie informs me that the election of two elective auditors for the borough took place on 2nd March; that the number of burgesses entitled to vote was 40,684, and of these 2,148 voted at the election, a much higher proportion than in certain other large, towns; and that 420 persons recorded their votes after six o'clock in the evening. Nine persons are stated to have assisted in taking the votes. I have no jurisdiction, however, with regard to the election of borough auditors, and I am not empowered to take any action in the matter.