§ Mr. GINNELLasked, having regard to complaints relating to former local government elections, whether the Local Government Board for Ireland will on the present occasion issue positive instructions to presiding and returning officers to allow every candidate so desiring to seal with his private seal the ballot-boxes and the rooms in which they are kept pending count?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo complaints have been been received by the Local Government Board. There is no necessity for issuing any special instructions on the subject as the provisions of the Ballot Act, which are applied to Local Government Elections in Ireland, require the returning officers to open the sealed ballot-boxes only in the presence of the agents of the candidates. 2124 An election officer who commits any breach of the above provisions is liable to severe penalties under Section (3) of the Act.