Public Health Act 1875

Number and Qualification of Members.

1 The number of members of a local board constituted after the passing of this Act shall be such number as is determined by the order forming the district.

2 The Local Government Board may from time to time by order, after local inquiry, increase or diminish the number of members of any local board, and may prescribe at what time or times and in what manner such increase or diminution shall take effect, and may vary temporarily the provisions of this schedule relating to the continuance in office and retirement of members so far as may be necessary for that purpose.

3 A person shall not be qualified to be a member of a local board unless he is at the time of his election, and so long as he continues in office by virtue of such election, resident within the district for which or for part of which he is elected, or within seven miles thereof, and is seised or possessed of real or personal estate, or both, to the value of not less than five hundred pounds in districts containing less than twenty thousand inhabitants, or to the value of not less than one thousand pounds in districts containing twenty thousand or more inhabitants; or is rated to the relief of the poor of such district, or of some parish within the same, on an annual value of not less than fifteen pounds in districts containing less than twenty-thousand inhabitants, or on an annual value of not less than thirty pounds in districts containing twenty thousand or more inhabitants.

4 Where two or more persons are jointly seised or possessed of real or personal estate, or both, of such value or amount as would, if equally divided between them, qualify each to be elected, or if two or more persons are jointly rated in respect of any property which if equally divided between them would qualify each to be elected, each of the persons so jointly seised possessed or rated may be elected, but the same property shall not at the same time qualify the owner and the occupier thereof.

5 A person who is a bankrupt or whose affairs are under liquidation by arrangement or who has entered into any composition with his creditors shall be incapable, so long as any proceedings in relation to such bankruptcy liquidation or composition are pending, of being elected member of a local board.