Yesterday week Sir Charles Dilke brought out all the blots
in the Ballot Act, showing how differently different local authorities interpret its provisions ; how some try to give validity to the vote if they can, so long as it is clear how the vote was intended, while others insist on the correctness of every technical detail ; how the illiterate voters' clause is used as a means of making it clear how certain doubtful voters, whether really so illiterate as to need the clause or not, are actually voting ; and in a word, explaining to how many failures of its intention the Act is liable. Mr. Forster supported a revision of the details of the Act, and the Government promised either a revision of the Act far next Session or, what is just now the Government's favourite equiva- lent for legislation,—a Select Committee on it, also for next Session. There are too many Select Committees just now to admit of having another, even on the Ballot Act. The thirty-eighth year of Her Majesty's reign will be remembered in future days as the flood-year of Select Committees.
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