*THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Lord BALFOUR), in moving the Second Reading of this Bill, explained that its object was to allow returning officers at municipal elections in Scotland to make the same claim on the use of buildings used as public schools as they were now able to do in Parliamentary elections, County Council elections, and Parish Council elections. For some reason or other the provision was omitted in regard to municipal elections, and the Scotch Education Department acre therefore in a difficulty as to counting the days when the school was so used for municipal elections when making up the number of school attendances. In each year 400 openings were required as a condition of the school grant, and under the Code, whenever a schoolroom was used for other purposes under statutory powers, the day when the school was so used was counted as day when the school was opened. The sole object of the Bill was to place returning officers, in t he case of municipal elections, in the same position as in the ease of the other elections mentioned.
§ Read 2a (according to Order), and committed to a Committee of the Whole House To-morrow.