e
No. 3.] Giroulars—Election of Guardians. 75
office of Guardian, and may not have been rescinded or altered by any
subsequent Order. Under Article 1 of the Order of the 2nd January,
1863, the Clerk for the time being (except in cases where the Order ap¬
pointing the Clerk may have been rescinded) will continue to be the
Returning Officer, and the same Article, it will be seen, i^rovides for the
performance of the duties of Returning Officer in case of vacancy in the
office of Clerk, or in case of the Clerk being prevented by sickness or
accident, or other sufficient cause, from the performance of his duties, the
Guardians being empowered, in either of those events, to appoint some
person to perform such of the duties, imposed by the Order upon the
Returning Officer, as shall then remain to be performed.
You will be so good as to read carefully and attend to the following
observations;—
Collectors.
3. Under Articles 3, 12, 14, 22, and 34, of the Gener.il Order the
Collectors of poor rate in the Union are to assist the Returning Officer
as heretofore in the Election, at the times and for the purposes therein
indicated. These Regulations impose no fresh duties on the Collectors,
but it will be proper for you to call the attention of each of them to
those Regulations before the next Election takes place.
Distribution and Collection of Voting Papers.
4. The Police, who may be employed as heretofore in piosting tlio
Notices of the Election and in distributing and collecting Voting Papers,
will receive their instructions from their oivn superior Officers ; but in
case their services in any instance should not be available in sufficient
number for the latter duty, the Returning Officer should take care to
furnish any other .persons who may be employed by him, in pursuance
of Article 2 of the General Order, for the distribution and collection of
the Voting Papers, with proper lists and instructions for their guidance,
in accordance with Articles 18, 19, 21, 23, 24, and 28, of the Order.
5. Where it has happened in previous Elections that the assistance of
the Police has not been available, or has not been available to sufficient
extent, for tlie distribution and collection of Voting Papers within tlio
prescribed period, applications have, in some instances, been received for
sanction to the employment of the Collectors of poor rates, and of Reliev¬
ing Officers, in this service, where it may be necessary to issue Voting
Papers. It is desirable that, where practicable, this duty should be per¬
formed by responsible officers ; and as it will, according to the regulations,
occupy only two or at most four days, and wUl therefore not cause any
material interruption of the ordinary duties of the Union Officers referred
to, the Local Government Board are prepared to sanction their being
employed to assist in performing the duty in question, provided the
Board of Guardians permit them to be so employed, for which permission
it will be your duty, where necessary, to apply. If the services of the
Police and Union Officers should not be available or sufficient, you will
have to employ other trustworthy persons acquainted with the respective
localities, as far as practicable, in accordance with the regulation con¬
tained in Article 2 of the General Order. But you will first take care
to ascertain whether you can obtain the services of the Police in sufficient
number or not, before you employ any other persons j and you will only
resort to the employment of the Officers of the Union or other persons,
in case you cannot obtain the assistance of the Police in sufficient
number
