§ [SECOND READING.]
§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
§ VISCOUNT MIDLETONThis Bill and the Polling Districts (Country Councils) Bill stand together, and I may say one word with regard to both of them. It is desirable that the polling districts for Parliamentary and country council elections should be identical, but various small anomalies have crept in which these Bills would redress. In the case of the country council elections there is this anomaly —that by some mistake in the 58 wording of the original Act once a polling district has been created it cannot be altered, although changes take place in population and other respects, and this not only has the effect of leaving polling districts unequal but results in a divergence between the Parliamentary and the county council polling districts. Then as to the other measure. By the wording of the original Act, where the polling district is within one Petty Sessional Division the jurisdiction shall belong to the magistrate in Petty Sessions, whereas if a polling district happens to be in more than one Petty Sessional Division there is at once an appeal to another body. I am sure you will feel that in both Parliamentary and county council elections the jurisdiction should be the same. Both these Bills have passed your Lordships' House on five previous occasions.
§ Moved, that the Bill be now read 2a.—(Viscount Midleton.)
§ Bill read 2a (according to order), and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next.