tion to an office ... is taken by means of voting papers .. that any offence in relation to voting papers, or to personation, or to voting at such elections which is punishable on summary conviction, that is to say, the offences mentioned in sec. 3 of the Poor Law Amendment Act, 1851,* and in rule 69 of schedule 2 of the Public Health Act, 1875, shall, without prejudice to the punishment under such section and rule of a person guilty of such offence, be deemed to be an illegal practice within the meaning of the said provisions.

We have said that a petition against the return of a member of a Board of Guardians or a School Board may be presented to the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court. If such a petition be presented it will be assigned for trial to one of the Commissioners (a barrister) appointed for the trial of such petitions by the said Court. The Commissioner would, thereupon, hold an enquiry (which may be held at any place within the union), and he may then avoid the election if he arrives at the conclusion that the person elected has by himself or his agent been guilty of corrupt or illegal practices. Vacancies created by the decision. of an election court are to be filled by a new election. We have already seen (ante p. 207) that the powers of the Local Government Board, under section 8 of the Poor Law Amendment Act, 1842, to determine any question arising as to the right of a person to act as guardian are to a certain extent limited by the act we are now discussing, but that subject to its operation they still remain in force as heretofore.

* See ante, p. 207.

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CHAPTER XXVI.

OF METROPOLITAN DISTRICT ASYLUM BOARDS, AND THE METROPOLIS COMMON POOR FUND.

UNDER the Metropolitan Poor Act (30 Vict. c. 6), amended by the 32 & 38 Vict. c. 63, the Poor Law board were, and the Local Government board are, authorized to divide the Metropolis into districts, in each of which an asylum or asylums are to be provided for the reception and relief of the sick, insane, infirm, or other class or classes of the poor chargeable on the unions or parishes of the metropolis.

The asylum or asylums of each district are placed under a board of managers, two-thirds, at least, of whom are elected by the guardians of the several unions or parishes forming the district, either from amongst themselves, or from ratepayers qualified to be guardians, while the remaining third may be nominated by the Local Government board from among justices of the peace for any county or place, resident in the district, or from among ratepayers resident in the district, and assessed to the poor rate therein on an annual rateable value of not less than £40.

The Local Government board may from time to time direct the managers to purchase, lease, or build, and (in either case) to fit up a building for the asylum, of such nature and size, and in such a manner, as the board think fit. For the purpose of defraying the expense the managers may borrow money on the secu

rity of the rates. Or an existing workhouse may, with such alterations as the local government board think fit, be converted into a district asylum, in which case a rent will be payable for its use to the guardians of the union to which it belongs.

The expense incurred by the managers in purchasing, leasing, building, repairing, and fitting up asylums, or any sum payable as rent in respect of them, together with "the expenses incurred by the managers in or about the providing of fixtures, furniture, conveniences, medicines, medical and surgical appliances, and other necessaries required for keeping the asylum in proper order for daily use, and the salaries and maintenance of the officers thereof, are to be defrayed by contributions from the unions and parishes forming the district.” ↑ But on the other hand, "the expenses incurred by the managers in and about the food, clothing, maintenance, care, treatment, and relief, or for the burials, of inmates. of the asylum, are to be separately charged to the respective unions or parishes from which the inmates of the asylum are sent."

Provision is next made for the establishment of dispensaries in such unions or parishes as the Local Government board may direct; for the erection, &c., of district schools for the pauper children of unions or parishes united together; for assigning particular workhouses in the metropolis to different classes of inmates; and for some other matters of less importance.

As to the conditions and limitations under which this may be done, see 30 Vict. c. 6, s. 17.

These contributions will, of course, be in proportion to the rateable value of the property in each union or parish.

The act then provides for the creation of a "Metropolitan Common Poor Fund," raised by contribu tions from the several unions and parishes in London, in proportion to the annual rateable value of the property comprised therein. Out of this common fund are repaid all the expenses incurred by the several unions and parishes for the following purposes :

"1. For the maintenance of lunatics in asylums, registered hospitals and benevolent houses, and insane poor in asylums, under this act,* except uch as are chargeable on the county rate. 2. For the maintenance of patients in any asylum specially provided under this act for patients suffering from fever or small-pox.

"3. For all medicines and medical and surgical appliances supplied to the poor in receipt of relief by guardians under this act or any of the poorlaw acts.

"4. For the salaries of all the officers employed by the guardians in and about the relief of the poor, by the managers of district schools, under 'The Poor Law Amended Act, 1844,' and by the managers of asylums under this act, and also the salaries of the dispensers and other persons employed in dispensaries under the act, provided the appointment of the officers have been sanctioned by the Poor-law (Local Government) Board.

"5. For compensation to any medical officer of a workhouse affected by the determination or variation By "this act," here and throughout the following para graphs, must be understood the Metropolitan Poor Act, 1867.

by the Poor-Law (Local Government) Board of a contract respecting medical relief in the workhouse, or for compensation to any officer of a union or parish who may be deprived of his office by reason of the operation of this act. "6. For fees for registration of births and deaths. "7. For fees for, and other expenses of, vaccination. "8. For maintenance of pauper children in district, separate, certificated, and licensed schools. "9. For the relief of destitute persons, and pro

vision of places of reception for them, under the Metropolitan Houseless Poor Acts of 1864 and 1865."

By the Diseases Prevention Metropolis Act, 1883, the Metropolitan District Asylum Boards are empowered and directed to take measures for the isolation and treatment of persons suffering from cholera and other infectious diseases.

CHAPTER XXVII.

OF THE POWERS OF JUSTICES OF THE PEACE IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE POOR LAWS.

THE authority of justices of the peace in giving relief in unions or in parishes under the government of a select vestry, is limited by the Poor Law Amendment Act, 1834, to the following cases :

necessity," over

1. In cases of "sudden and urgent seers shall give temporary relief as each case shall require in articles of absolute necessity, but not in money; and if any overseer shall refuse or neglect to give such necessary relief, in any such case of necessity, to