The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-01-30 00:00:00

THE BALLOT TEST AT MANCHESTER.

A somewhat elaborate experiment wit, tried on Fri
day and Saturday, in last week, at Manchester. The
Liberal party in that city have satisfied themselves
that Mr. Birley, the Conservative member elected in
NOVOIIILIOR is disqualified from takiiii4 his seat in Par-
liament on account of an interest he is said to have 88
a partnerin some contracts with Her Majesty's Govern-
ment. Whether this conclusion be sound or not can-
not positively be asserted; but in any case they have
resolved to be prepared for the event should Mr.
Birley be unseated, and accordingly on Friday anil
Saturday a Ballot was held in which all the electors of
Manchester who voted for a Liberal candidate at the
last election were invited to take part. The object of
the ballot was to discover whether Mr. Milner Gibson
or Mr. Ernest Jones commanded the larger number of
Liberal votes, and at the close of the process on Satur-
day it was found that Mr. Jones had completely dis-
tanced his rival, having received 7,282 votes against
4,123 given to Mr. Milner Gibson.
This preliminary test had, it will be at once seen, a
double objects It was to determine whether Mr.
',Hiner Gibson or Mr. Jones was preferred by the
Manchester Liberals, but still more to show by
example that an election could be held by Ballot.
This latter object was the great end the managers had
in view. The mode adopted in conducting the Ballot,
may, without exaggeration, under present circum-
stances, be said to have the highest interest. It is thus
described
The voter entered the polling place for St. Luke's Ward, at
the Chorlton Town-hall, a spacious chamber on the second
floor, where there were two polling places, one marked "St
Luke's," and the other "AU Saints." The voter at once pre-
sented himself at the entrance of the polling place for St.
Luke's ward, which was only separated front that side of the
room by a low wicket. An officer who keeps the wicket ad-
mitted him, and walking up to a table, behind which sat a
gentleman corresponding to a deputy returning officer, and
two assistants, he produced a voting paper properly filled up.
One of the assistant poll-clerks referred to the poll-book or
register, and finding the name and numbers to correspond, and
seeing no reason to doubt his identity, the "deputy returning
officer" presented him with a coloured envelope and a voting
card, of which the following is a copy :
" Test Ballot, 1869—Stilted Liberal Party.
" Representation of Manchester.
" ERNEST Jones printed in green ink.
"I'. MILNER GlliSoN printed in red ink.
"Strike out the name of the candidate for whom you do
not vote. Then put the card in the envelope and place
It in the ballot-box. No card must be taken out of the
ballot-room."
The card was about large enough to fill an ordinary full-
sized letter envelope, and was plainly hut legibly printed.
The voter, being furnished with this card, was admitted by
an officer, through a wicket beyond, into the ballot-room,
which is only partitioned off by grail under three feet high,
and where he is still within sight of all in the place, but into
which no one is allowed to follow him there lie advanced
to IMO of four reces,il tables, and standing with his back to
the returning officer and every one else, and further screened
It; the partitions of his "recess," he took up a pencil with
which he obliterated one of the names front the card lie
then inserted the card into the envelope, awl returning
toaards the place where the retard., officer eat, he dropped
the envelope with i s enclosure into the month of the ballot-
whb-h is a box 41 con-bier:Ode dim., ions ite made
his exit thiough a wicket leading out behind the returning
oth.-er', seat, as the next voter entered the l.allot-romm.
It will understood front this tb,cription that the voter
is 14 erectly hi view of all persons in the pilling-place from
first to last , and all that he does, ex,ept the vote he act naliy
ree,rds chile crosby tile 11411110 11,10 hi ii "pea
to oh-cr.:it A. der erouslen it iii eht I...sibly substi-
tute anoth, cant in the envelope in place of the one given
him, or insert others along with it; but as all the cards
have a private stamp on them in lieu of the returning
officer's initial-‘, which would be sobstituted at an ordinary
cetion,, the fraud would be detected on opening the
ballot-box, and the attempt would vitiate the elector's own
vote. 5, aim speculation has been indulged in among those
interested in the experiment as to the efficacy of the
various checks to meet this slender chance of carrying
tot ay a ballot- card surrcptit a pattern from Wilirll
others might be forged. It is difficult to imagine how
any one could elude all the present precautions against
the suggested abuse, but, perhaps, the adoption of a water
mark on the card and the envelope might be recommended.
Even as it is no voter can present himself twice, for the
officer would know by his book that the man had been
before, and no man can drop into the ballot-box under the
policeman's eye two envelopes instead of one. The voting in
all cases, it is almost needless to mention, is the same, 81141
there is great simplicity about it from beginning to end.
The time occupied in taking each vote is less than by the
present system, because the "deputy returning officer" is
done with each voter as soon as he is identified, and, o
course, ne clerks have to be employed, or official thne taken
up, to register votes. When the elector gives in his voting
paper it is placed on a file after examination, and at the close
oh the day's pill this ffie will have to be secured under lock
and key, as also will all the unused voting cards. Each
returning ,Beer or poll-clerk is supplied with about as niany
cards as there are voters in the district over which he pre-
sides, it'd great vigilance is exercised to keep any of them
from getting inte wrong hands.

THE BISHOP OF CARLISLE ON
RITUALISM.
The Bishop of Carlisle has addressed a letter to the
Archdeacon of Westmoreland upon the course to be
pursued by the clergy in consequence of the decision
of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the
St. Alban's case. his Lordship says :
In the first place let me say how important it is that all the
clergy should remember that they are members of a corporate
body, and that, therefore, it is not morally competent for
every marl, independently and of his own mere motion, to "do
that which is right in his own eyes." They should also re-
collect that the body of which they are thus members is
episcopal in its constitution, and that, accordingly, the in-
structions of the Prayer-book explicitly prescribe consultation
with the Bishop in cases of perplexity with regard to
ritual.
In the second place, let Me remind my brethren that all
the points upon which their anxieties may be roused are
within the scope of the Ritual Commission ; and that that
Commission is doubtless devoting its attention to such of
them as have not already been the subject of report, and
may be expected before long to complete its work by report-
ing upon them also. Surely, even if all these questions were
now as open as some would seem to think, it is a matter of
wisdom to wait till the Ritual Commission has so spoken,
and authoritative action has been taken thereon, adhering
still to that practice of SOO years which has hitherto, on the
principle " mos pro lege," been the rule of the Church.
And there is the more reason tor this, because, thirdly,
though it is boldly assumed and eagerly urged that the
recent judgment renders the wearing ot the niedileval vest-
ments obligatory, it is by no means dear that such is the
case. The opinion originally given by Sir Hugh Cairns the
late Lord Chancellor, Sir Roundell Palmer, and the present
Mr. Justice II annex is as distinctly adverse to Uri use of the
vestments as it is to that of the other ceremonies or orna-
ments now condemned. That opinion has not, it is true, as
yet been tested in this particular by a legal suit. This, how-
ever, I hear, is now to be done. Meanwhile, it is as well to
act upon the presumption that in this respect also it will
stand, and quiets non ',were. Nor should it he forgotten
that the Ritual Commission, in its first report, pronounced
unfavourably to the use of the sacrificial vestments, an in its
second report it did with reference to the ceremonies and
ornaments pronounced illegal by the late judgment.
Such are the counsels which I would, as the expression of
my sympathy with any brethren who may be in, perplexity,
suggest on the present occasion. " lie that believeth shall
not make haste." Meanwhile let us earnestly pray that
wisdom and courage be given to the Church's rulers in this
hour of our Church's great need; and also that the spirit,
not of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind"
may be bestowed upon all our Church's ministers, that so,
in patience possessing our souls, we all may, according to
this week's beautiful collect, both perceive and "know what
things we ought to do, and also may have grace and power
faithfully to fulfil the same, through JOS. Christ, our Lord."