SANDYMOUNT.

April 30.— The annual meeting of householders for the purpose of electing a school committee W» held in the Sandymount Schoolhouse on the

23rd. Mr James Rutherford, as chairman of the retiring committee, took the chair, and the report of the year's proceedings was read. As it was certified to as being correct by Mr J. Rutherford as chairman of committee, and by the Education Board's auditor, no remark of any kind was made about it. Me isrs James Weiper and R. Roger were proposed as chairman, but both declined. Mr James Rutherford was voted to the chair. The Chairman said the business on hand was very short and simple. He read an extract from a copy of one of the Education Board's bills that had been posted up in the district announcing the meeting, to the effect that all nominations had to be lodged with the chairman of committee on or before the Kith inst., and no nominations would be received after that date unless the number so nominated was less than the number required, and then only what was required to fill the vacancy, and as just seven nominations had been received by him— the number required— he declared the candidates duly elected. Some householders who wanted to nominate, and who were under the impression that nominations would be received at the meeting, rather demurred to this high-handed way of doing things, and spoke of appealing to the Education Board. Mr Rutherford said he did not care for the Education Board. There was the act (shaking the bill in their faces). He was then asked distinctly if he refused to receive a nomination, and in reply he said he could not do so, as it would be contrary to the act. Someone spoke of lodging a protest against the ruling of the chairman, but Mr Rutherford said he would not receive it, as he had acted quite within his right, and they would have to take their protest elsewhere, as he had the authority of the Minister for Education for what he was doing. Mr John M'Gregor stated that the chairman was quite correct in what he had said, and, further, that if he had been chairman of the previous year's meeting he would have enforced the act as construed by Mr Rutherford then, as in his opinion said election was contrary to the act. Mr William Dick spoke in support of Messrs Rutherford and M'Gregor, stating that the bill which had been read had been specially prepared by the Minister for Education for the express purpose of preventing nominations at the annual meeting, and referred to their experience of educational matters as a thing which should satisfy the meeting of the correctness of their interpretation of the act. Mr Frank Black stated that he had read the bill and saw at once that there was no going behind it, as it was the very thing, and the whole thing, and he made his nominations accordingly. He then laughingly told the discontented ones to go home quietly, like good boys, and look out next year that their nominations were in time. A somewhat irregular and acrid discussion followed, and Mr Rutherford announced that the first meeting of the newlyelected committee would be held on the 27th in3t. The meeting then dispersed with a very angry aspect. It is needless to say that a protest has been lodged with the Education Board against the election.