§ MR. MEAGHERTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the difficulties in the way of the efficient working of the Parliamentary Voters' Acts, by the existence of Section 83 (7) of the Local Government (Ireland) Act of 1898; whether he is aware that the majority of the Irish Poor Law unions boards have, at repeated times, urged on the Irish Government the necessity for repealing this section in favour of having the work and the work under the Jurors Acts performed as heretofore by all clerks of unions; and whether he can see his way to have this section repealed.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) By the enactment referred to, the duty of pre-
† See (4) Debates, cliii., 876.‡ See (4) Debates, clvii., 1287.604 paring voters and jurors' lists was transferred from clerks of unions, to secretaries of county councils. In the opinion of the Local Government Board, this enactment does not hinder but facilitates the efficient working of the Parliamentary Voters and Jurors Acts. It is the fact that a number of boards of guardians have from lime to time asked for the repeal of the section in question, but it was found that there was a consensus of opinion on the part of county court judges and revising barristers in favour of the continuance of the present system, and in these circumstances it is not proposed to take steps for the repeal of the section.