W. A. HOLDSWORTH, ESQ. OF GRAY'S INN BARRISTER AT-LAW; AUTHOR OF "THE LAW OF LANDLORD AND TENANT," ETC. PREFACE. Ir is not our purpose in these pages to discuss the merits of vote by Ballot. The long controversy to which this question has given rise has been terminated, at any rate for a time, by the passing of the recent Act, which applies both to parliamentary and municipal elections. Our object is simply to present our readers with a copy of the Act in a convenient form, accompanied by such explanations as may conduce to a correct understanding of its provisions. In order to enable any one readily to acquire a general knowledge of the measure, we have embodied in the Introduction a digest of the several sections and of the detailed rules by which their provisions will be carried out; bringing together as far as practicable under a convenient arrangement of headings all the clauses and rules relating to the same subject. In order to facilitate reference to the text of the statute, the numbers of clauses or rules containing the enactments referred to are given in each case. In the Introduction we have also considered at some length the construction of the provisions which are supposed to render the secrecy of the ballot compulsory. Other points of importance are also noticed in the same place. As a rule, we have, however, reserved our comments on the construction of the Act for the notes, in which will also be found such portions of other Acts of Parliament as are referred to or incorporated in the Ballot Act. The provisions of the Registration Acts, being too long for insertion in the notes, will be found in the Appendix. We have endeavoured in this way to bring together all the law bearing on the subject, and at the same time to illustrate it by such observations and explanations as may be necessary or useful either to the professional or non-professional reader. An ample Index will, we trust, add materially to the usefulness of the work, It only remains to add, that the Ballot Act has already come into force at more than one bye-municipal election; that it will be in general operation at the municipal elections in November next; and that from this time forward it will govern all parliamentary elections. 4, BRICK COURT, TEMPLE, July, 1872. |