ELECTORAL REGISTRATION AMENDMENT.

TO TIIE EDITOR or TIIE SPECTATOR. Lewes. 801 March 1936.

SIR—The Attoreey. General's Bill for the more effectual Registtation of Voters, will certainly do away with many objections which have been urged against the existing system, and will remedy many of the evils poluted out in any feline'. letters ; but, in addition to this bill, Mr. Eaton ssro xe has intro- duced a Bill to amend the System of Registration, and also a Bill "to render the Register of Electors filial ;" thus disconnecting the amendment of the machinery of registration from the improvement in the method of acquiring the franchise, and the explanation of doubtful points in the Reform Aet,—the two objects being blended in the Attorney-General's Bill. As Mr. EL PIII NSTONE'S bills are, in some parts, superior to and embody provisions not contained in the Attorney-General's, and as all the bills are deficient in some essential pro- visions, I take this opportunity of directing public attention to them. .1 shall first take the Amendment of the Registration.

Mr. ELPH I NSTON E'S bill proposes that the Clerk of the Peace shall commu- nicate directly with the Overseers, without the useless intervention of Con- stables of hundreds : this is an improvement on the Attorney-General's bill, and ought to be adopted. For sonic purposes, the Clerks of the Peace do now communicate directly with the Overseers, especially in obtaining lunatic re- turns and the value of property for assessment to the County-rate ; no incon- venience is experienced ; and there is therefore, no reason why additional trouble in the registration-machinery, and chances of error, should be created by the interference of constables between the acting parties. In East Sussex, the com- munications mentioned in the Spectator for 18:35, p. 1105, were made directly with the Overseers; and the general attention paid to the instructions proves that the intervention of the High Constables may he dispensed with. Mr. ELPHINSTONE will, doubtless, be able to tell the House how little fitted the nigh Constables are for this duty, and how careless they are in making out their precepts for the Jury-lists, and thus convince the House of the iuutility of sending the voters' precepts and lists through their betide. The words "all the churches mil chapels," will not meet the objection pointed out in a former letter. Chapels will still be construed to mean all Episcopal chapels only. This might easily be remedied, by substituting for " (+awls" the words " places of worship ;" and this alteratioc should be made in both bills, for on this point they are alike. I scarcely think that the objection to this substitution pointed out by Mr. EDGEWORTH is tenable. The object to be attained is, the utmost publicity ; and as very manly persons never go near the churn-lies or Episcopal chapels on a Sunday, the object would he best effected by placing the lists on the doors of all places of worship. Nor do I think that the Dissenters would generally object.

In both bills it is proposed, that the Overseers should make out each year a list of fresh claimants, and place this list and also the part of the registet con- taining the old list on the ehureh-oloors ; thus two lists will appear, and the difficulty of search will be considerable. This would be entirely avoided b) in- serting the fresh names in a blank left at the end of the copy of the old register, which would bring all the names into one list. No provision is made in either bill for the production, to third parties, of the original notices of claim in counties or boroughs, nor of the original notices of objection in counties ; which should certainly be done. The prices at which copies of all lists and registers shall be sold, should be fixed at a sum varying according to length—say sixpence for every twenty-four names of written, and for every two hundred names of printed copies. At pre- sent the words are, "a reasonable price ;" and Overseers and others not unfre- quently have an unreasonably large idea of what this price ought to be.

In both bills it is proposed, that where the patty objected to shall not he resi- dent in the parish in which he is registered, notice of objection may be sent by post.. But this power should he extended so as to allow all notices to be sent by post, if duly directed, and the postage be paid.

The Attorney-General's bill directs that notice of the times and places of holding the Revision Courts shall be sent by the High Constables to the Overseers, hut makes no provision for the publication of such notice in the several parishes; and leaves, therefore, the objectors and objectees without a reasonable chance of knowing when thew courte are to be held. Mr. Et ?HIM. STONE provides for this, by directing that the Overseers shall cause such notices to be placed where the list of claimants had been pmeviuu.ly affixed. In neither hill is there a provision made file the re'nnetly of the blunders of Overseers similar to thoee made last year in East Somerset, by which whole parishes have been disfranchised. " It shouhl be directed, that in all easel, in counties, the Barristers should revise the old register, copies of which will have been tranernitted to each pariah, without any inquiry as to the fact of signature or publication ; and should it appear that the new list has not been duly pub- lished, then that he should add to the old list the names of such persons as have sent in elaime, ;laid shall appear before him and prove their right. In boroughs, the fact of the copy of the list produced before the Barrister having appeared at the proper times in the proper places, and placed there by the proper autho- rities, should be sufficient to doable the II mister to receive it, although it may

turn out to be improperly si,gueil. In comity atul borough, the Barristers should be compelled to entertain :III objeetion on proof of the service of the no.. tin-es--- 1 As direeted by both thin' present bills, the Barrister is required toile seals- fled of the due service : this is imperfect—the objector should be bound to prove it before the party is called on to support his vote]—huwever informal the Overseers' lists of objections may be."

Jr. no ease should the Overseer be allowed to withdrew an objection made in his official capacity: and :my person appearing for an objector should be au- thorized in writing. Both these points are omitted by the Attorney-General arid by Mr. Esen / sSTo S E.

In both hills it is provided, that a person residing out of the polling-district in which his qualification lies, may, if resident ins the county, poll in the dis- trict in which be resides, if non-resident in any district he may select. But the initeliMet y to effect this is cumbrous and expensive,—the voter must make his claim he' l S1 111,111y or by deputy, authorized in writing, before the Revisiug Bar- rister. The simpler way is to authorize the voter to state his wish in his claim to the Ovetseer ; which being ',mauve(' to the Barrister, the latter should mark " poll in polling-district " in the margin, and the name should be trans- ferred into Ira proper dist' let by the Cie' k of the Peace.

By the 49th section of the Reform Act it is enacted, that every person whose name km been expunged or whose claim has been rejected by the Revising Barrister, may tender his vote at the poll, and if duly quali heel, be put on the mill by an Election Committee; but no provision is made for a preservation of a list of such persons, and thus the Returning Officer is entirely ignorant of the parties who) have a right to tender. 'Ile Attorney-General has not sup- plied the omission ; but 11r. E1.1.1111NsToNE hilS so done, by clause 40, giving In hie schedule forms of the lists, and proposing that they shall be entered in a separste book. But it will be better to enter them at the did of each pulling- district in comities, and of the register in boroughs, as persons who may tender. According to both bills, the list of each parish will be in two divisions ; and no provisioo is made for •the Clerk of the Peace's arranging them in one list alphabetically, which should be done. And in counties the register should be artangell in polling di-triets, the parishes in each district beiug placed alphabetically. The p irties to poll in one district only are required at each polling place ; and the present arrangement of hundreds in alphabetical order, and p wishes in each hundred in the same order, without any division into dis- trict., is vet y inconvenient.

There are ■111/1e other deficiencies ; but as they were pointed out in the last Manlier of the Spectator, p. 2:26, I need nut repeat them they apply equally to both bills.

No power is given in either bill to compel the production of papers ; which bbOBIn be added, at least sin fir as !Public dosaiments are concerned.

Tin. schedules in Me. EL PIII NSTON E'S hill are far superior to those as agreed to by the Committee of the past year. At the end of the form of each list is a notice plainly directing voters what they are to do to make proper claims and objections, whirl' will be exttemely useful. The A ttortley Genet al's schedules are not printed with his bill, but I trust that he well improve considerably on the Committee's forms.

In the Final Register Bill, Mr. EL PIII NSTON E proposes to allow every person who may be on the register at the time of election, to vote, whether he retain a qualification or not ; ;ad limits the inipiiries of Eleetion C 00000 niittees to the eases which have been subieeted Cu) the decision of the Revising Barrister. The Attorney-General objects that this will create a (dams of non-resident electors. Such to a very sinall exteut will be the case ; but it will be easy to lemedy the objection and preserve the spit it of the alteration, by introducing a proviso excluding non-residents.

By this bill also Mr. Ei.PuiINSTONE places the payment of rates by the scot and lot voter on the same footing as the ten-pounder; and exclude); from voting in comoties 50/. tenants who) are joint occopids, unless the rent when divided by the 'lumber of rweipiers shall leave a quotient of not less than 501. for each occupier.

Mr. ELPIII NSTONE also proposes to render the payment of taxes for nine months preeions to the 6th of April ii) en+ year sufficient. The Attorney- General s bill, following the Reform Act, renders necessary the payment of all taxes doe for tlw 0relre months previous to the 6i Ii of Avid. But Mr. Eseir IN STO NE has omitted the important elause relative to the measurement of the di-tam-es. In (oiler re tents, this bill does not ii Fr from the clauses in the latter pal t of the Attorney- General's Registration Bill. It is quite dear that the present bills are a vast improvement on the bill of last ,,CS-1,111. as into Moved by Lord Jon s Hess ELL ; and great credit is due to Ministers for the desire they have shown to /dace the system of registration on an improved immolation. S-solue of Mr. Eaton xsroNu's proposals, however, are in many respects better than those of the Attorney-General ; and he will doubt- less sucseed iii graining his alteranilllig ou Sir Jolt its CA alP2ELL's bill whilst it is in the Committee. No time, however, should be lost in pressing these

im-

portnnrt measure.. It is highly desitalde that the alterations should be effected in the machinery preeions to Mc en:ming registrogon, which commences on the 20th of ..fone ; and unless great diligence be used, it will be impussible to effect this great object.

Thanking you for the pains you have taken in this matter, and for the space you have devoted to its considesation, I reinsin, Sir, your obedient faithful servant, WILLIA at DCRIL A NT COOPER.

l.ewes, 17th March.

I now find it necessary to add a postscript to my letter of the lath instant.

In of the Committee on the Irish I'orporation Bill, the Attorney- General's Registration Bill was not read a second time on Monday night; and the House having been counted out on Wednesday, DO progress has been made with Mr. Maori NSTON E'S Bills. I have heard that Sir JOHN CA SIPBELL does not intend to press his Bill till after Easter. Should such be the fact, a month's most viduable time will be lost; and since Mr. ELPHINSTONE'S Bills can only proceed pan i passa with the Attorney-General's, this delay of Sir JOHN CA M PBELL will, I much fear, have the effect of preventing the passing of these impertant alterations in time foe the next registration. Even should the measure be pressed after Easter with all diligence through the Commove:, it will reach the Lords at a period of the session when so many other hills will be crowding the table, that their Lord• ship. will find an easy excuse for postponing the consideration of a very pressing question, and thus defeating the good intentions of Ministers. W. D. C.