The Election Muddle.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4899, 22 September 1884, Page 2

The Election Muddle.

A special meeting of the Borough Council was held this afternoon to consider the position in relation to the late elections. Present: Crs Kilgour (in the chair), Hume, McGowan, Wilson, Speight, Farrell, McAudrew, Chappell, Batvden, and Mennie.

The telegram announcing the extension of the time for holding the election was read by the Town Clerk.

The Chairman gave a short resume of the position, and held that had the Government been aware of the real position of the Borough, the Orderin Council would never have been made. If the telegram was acted upon, Messrs Farrell and Chappell would be unseated, and fresh elections would hare to be held in all the wards. He still thought the best thing to be done was to go on with the elections now in progress, and get a Validation Act passed.

Considerable discussion ensued, the Chairman and Cra Speight and Mennie thinking the Council should go on with the elections, and Crs McGowan and fiawden holding that as soon as the informality was found the matter should at once hare been remedied by legally appointing a Eeturning Officer.

Finally resolutions were passed to the effect that the arrangements already made for filling the vacant seats in the North and Middle Wards be not interfered with; that upon the completion of the present elections application be made for the purpose of validating the constitution of the Council; and that the Borough solicitor inform Government of the posi tion of the Borough, of the course adopted, and of the reasons for adopting such course.