§ Sir E. LAMBasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he will state the reasons which have led him to appoint the Town Clerk of Chatham as registration officer for the new Parliamentary Borough of Rochester, in spite of the fact that this House has already decided that the united boroughs of Rochester, Chatham, and Gillingham shall be named Rochester; and whether, in view of this appointment being contrary to the spirit of such unanimous decision and much resented locally, he can see his way to withdraw the Order making the appointment?
§ Mr. HAYES FISHEROf the two more ancient municipal boroughs comprised in the new Parliamentary Borough of Rochester, Chatham is the larger in population. It is, moreover, centrally situated, the municipal borough being partly in each of the two Parliamentary divisions. On a careful review of all the facts, I came to the conclusion that the proper course would be to appoint the Town Clerk of Chatham as the registration officer for the Parliamentary borough, and I see no sufficient reason for withdrawing the Order at the present time.