into five panels, each containing, as nearly as may be, the same number of members. The division, when made, is to be reported to the House. (Sect. 42).

These panels may be corrected from time to time by the general committee, by striking out the names of those ceasing to be members, of those wholly excused, and by inserting in one of the panels (at their discretion) the name of every new member liable to serve; the names of those temporarily excused or disqualified must be distinguished. (Sect. 43).

Order of Panels.] The clerk is to decide by lot at the table of the House, the order of the panels, and distinguish each panel by a number, according to the order in which they are drawn.

The panels are then to be returned to the general committee, and from these panels the members to serve on election committees will be chosen. (Sect 42).

Whenever any alteration or correction is made in the panels by the general committee, they are to report it to the House; and the panels so corrected are printed and distributed with the Votes. (Sect. 43).

In case any members have leave of absence for a limited time, their names may be transferred from one panel to another subsequent in rotation. (Sect. 44).

Appointment of Select Committee.] As has been already observed, the general committee are, by sect. 46, required to make out a list of all the petitions, in which the recognizances have been reported unobjec tionable; upon them also devolves the duty of choosing the select committees, to try the petitions. They must, in the first place, determine how many committees for trying petitions shall be chosen in each

week, and then appoint the days on which they are to meet to choose such committees, having regard to the number of committees then sitting, and the number to be appointed; they then report to the House the days appointed for choosing the committees: the committees are to be chosen to try petitions in the order in which these stand in the list. (Sect. 49).

Notice of choosing Committees.] Notice of the time and place at which the select committee will be chosen must be published with the Votes not less than fourteen days (a) before the day on which such committee is appointed to be chosen. The notice is to direct all parties interested to attend the general committee by themselves, their counsel or agents (b).

If the conduct of the returning officer is complained of, a notice is to be sent to him through the post, not less than fourteen days before the day appointed for choosing the committee (c). (Sect. 51).

(a) Where the notice of choosing two select committees had been sent to the Vote Office on the 10th of March, and published in the Votes on the 11th of March; the day appointed for choosing being the 25th of March, it being moved in the House that the appointment of the committees was void, because there had not been fourteen clear days between the publication and the day of choosing, the House decided on a division by 204 to 79, that the appointment was valid. Aylesbury and St. Alban's, 28th March, 1851; 105 Hansard, 722.

In the Truro case, Cor. & Dan. 175, the committee decided on a question whether the lists of objected voters had been delivered in time, that "five days at least" meant five clear days, exclusively of the day of delivery, and the day of the meetings of the committee. (See Athlone, B. & Arn. 124).

(b) See Form in Appendix. (c) Harwich, July 1851.

If the proceedings become suspended, notice is immediately to be published, with the Votes and sent to the returning officer, if he be complained of. (Sect. 51).

The general committee may change the day and hour of choosing the select committee, and appoint some subsequent day and hour, giving notice in the Votes, and reporting to the House the reason of the change. (Sect. 53).

Notice must be given in the Votes, of the petitions appointed for each week, and of the panel from which the committees will be chosen. (Sect. 54).

Mode of choosing Select Committee.] On the day appointed, the general committee are to meet and proceed to choose the select committee, by selecting from the panel, next in order of service, four members, not then excused or disqualified, for any of the causes before mentioned, and not specially disqualified for any of the following causes; (that is to say),

By reason of having voted at the election;

By reason of being the party on whose behalf the seat is claimed; or

By reason of being related to the sitting member, or

party on whose behalf the seat is claimed, by kindred or affinity, in the first or second degree, according to the canon law. (Sect. 56).

In case four members of the general committee then present do not agree in choosing a committee to try any petition appointed for that day, the general committee are to adjourn the choosing of that committee and the remaining committees appointed to be chosen on that day to the following day, and the parties are to be directed to attend on such following day

for that purpose, and so from day to day until all such committees are chosen, or until the general committee be dissolved. (Sect. 57).

The committee are not in any case to proceed to choose a committee to try an election petition, until they have chosen a committee to try every other petition standing higher in the list, the order for referring which has not then been discharged, except where the day originally appointed for choosing the prior committee shall have been changed as before mentioned. (Sect. 57).

Mode of appointing Chairman.] On the day appointed for choosing a select committee, the members who are upon the chairmen's panel are to select one of their number to act as chairman of such select committee, and when they are informed by the general committee that four members have been chosen to compose such select committee, they are to communicate to the general committee the name of the chairman whom they have selected to act as chairman of the select committee. The chairman must be one not disqualified for any of the causes already given. (Sect. 58).

Select Committee may be objected to.] When the select committee has been thus constituted, the parties. in attendance are called in before the general committee, and the names of the four members and the chairman are read over to them. (Sect. 60).

The parties then withdraw while the general committee proceed to choose another select committee, if the choosing of any committee is adjourned as mentioned before, the general committee can transact no more business on that day except with regard to

those committees which have already been chosen. (Sect. 61).

Within half an hour, at furthest, from the time when the parties have withdrawn, or if the parties to any other election petition shall then be before the general committee, then when such other parties shall have withdrawn, the parties in attendance are again called before the general committee in the same order in which they were directed to withdraw, and the parties, their counsel or agents beginning on the part of the petitioners, may object to all or any of the members chosen or to the chairman selected, as being then disqualified or excused for any of the reasons before mentioned, but for no other (sect. 62). (See sect. 56, ante, as to causes of disqualification).

If at least four members then present of the general committee, are satisfied that any member objected to is disqualified, or excused, the parties again withdraw, and the general committee choose another committee from the same panel, if the member considered by the general committee to be disqualified is the chairman, his name is sent back to the chairman's panel, who thereupon select another chairman, and so on as often as the case may happen. (Sect. 63). In choosing a second committee to try the petition, the name of any member included in the first, may be chosen again if no objection has been substantiated against him, and no objection can then be heard against him. (Sect. 64).

Notice to the Members chosen.] The four members and the chairman having thus been chosen, the clerk of the general committee gives notice thereof in writing to each of the members so selected, and sends with such notice, a notice of the general and special grounds