HC Deb 25 April 1917 vol 92 cc2549-52

[Modifications shown by asterisks and italics.]

(1) The next statutory elections of county and borough councillors, district councillors, guardians, and parish councillors, and of members of school boards in Scotland, shall, subject to the limitation hereinafter contained, be postponed, or, in the case of elections already postponed under the Elections and Registration Act, 1915, or the Parliament and Local Elections Act, 1916, further postponed, for a year; and the term of office of the existing councillors, guardians, and members shall accordingly be extended, or further extended, by one year.

This provision shall apply only where the next statutory election (whether a postponed election or not) would take place before the thirtieth day of Novem- ber nineteen hundred and seventeen, or in Scotland before the twentieth day of December nineteen hundred and seventeen.

(2) The provision of this Schedule may be applied, if necessary, to the election, appointment, or co-optation of the chairman, vice-chairman, elective auditors, or members of any kind of local or other body or committee thereof, by order of the Local Government Beard as respects local bodies, and by order of the appropriate Government Department as respects any other bodies, and may be so applied with the necessary modifications, and either generally as regards all bodies of any particular kind, or specially as regards any particular body or bodies. * * *

(3) Any provisions of any Act or Order or regulations relating to any such councillors or guardians, or to any such chairman, vice-chairman, or member of a local or other body, shall be construed as if they were modified in such a manner as to give effect to the provisions of this Schedule, and the Local Government Board as respects councillors, guardians, or local bodies, and the appropriate Government Department as respects any other bodies, if any question arises, may by order specify the actual modification which is to foe made in pursuance of this Schedule.

(4) If any question arises as to the appropriate Government Department by which an order should be made under this Section, that question shall be determined by the Treasury, and their decision on the matter shall be conclusive for all purposes.

(5) Section thirty-six of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1882, and any other enactment making the payment of a fine a condition of resigning any office, shall not have effect so as to require the payment of a fine in the case of a councillor * * * or member or elective officer of a local or other body who resigns any office after the date on which his term of office would, but for the provisions of this Schedule, have expired.

(6) Where at the date on which, but for the provisions of this Schedule, the next statutory election would take place of the members of any council, board of guardians, body, or committee to which this Schedule applies, or may be applied, there is a vacany amongst those members, that vacancy may be filled by means of the: choice by the council, body, or committee, of a person to fill the vacancy, and any person chosen to fill the vacancy shall hold office in the same manner in all respects as though his predecessor had remained in office until the date when the vacancy was filled.

(7) The Elections and Registration Act, 1915, shall be deemed to have had effect so as to extend by three years in all cases the term of office of an alderman of a municipal borough.

(8) For the purposes of this Section the expression 'councillor' includes 'alderman,' the expression 'borough' includes 'metropolitan borough,' the expression 'statutory election' means an election to fill the place of councillors and guardians retiring on the expiration of their term of office, and the expression 'existing councillors and guardians' means councillors and guardians who are in office at the time when the next retirement of councillors or guardians after the passing of this Act would, but for this Act, have taken place.

(9) In the application of this Schedule to Scotland, 'the Secretary for Scotland' shall be substituted for 'the Local Government Board,' and 'town council' and 'town councillors' shall be substituted for 'borough council' and 'borough councillors' respectively * * *

Nothing in this Schedule shall operate to continue any councillor in the office of bailie beyond the date at which he would in ordinary course have retired as a councillor.

(10) In the application of this Schedule to Ireland 'the Local Government Board for Ireland' shall be substituted for 'the Local Government Board.'

Courts shall be held in Ireland by County Court judges or in the county of Dublin or in the county of the city of Dublin by revising barristers for the revision under the Juries (Ireland) Acts, 1871 to 1804, of jurors' lists in the present year, at such times (not later than the fifteenth day of November) and places as may be fixed by the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, notwithstanding that no Courts are to be held in the present year for the revision of the register of Parliamentary voters."

The remaining Orders were read, and postponed.