Mr. ARNOLD HERBERTasked the Attorney-General whether he is aware that, at the recent election for the Hambleden Rural District Council, the returning officer who presided at the polling station placed his chair immediately facing, and himself sat within a few feet of, the compartments into which voters go to mark their ballot papers, so that, if he did not actually see, the voters reasonably supposed that he could see the way in which
160Wthey marked their voting papers; and whether, in view of the provisions of section 4 of the Ballot Act, 1872, requiring officers to maintain the secrecy of the ballot, and not to interfere or attempt to interfere with voters when marking their votes, he will take such action as may be necessary to ensure that the provisions of the Ballot Act shall be carried out both in letter and in spirit.
§ Sir W. ROBSONI have no information as to the matters mentioned in the question except the allegations contained in the question itself, which I have no means of verifying; but if the matter is brought, with proper and sufficient proofs, before the Public Prosecutor, it shall be carefully considered with a view to prosecution, if good grounds therefor are shown to exist.