Whereas the Education Department, in pursuance of the Elementary Education Acts, 1870 and 1873, have made the orders mentioned in the schedule to this Act with respect to the united school districts mentioned in those orders:

1. This Act may be cited as the Elementary Education (Orders) Act, 1874.

2. This Act shall be construed as one with the Elemen-tary Education Acts, 1870 and 1873, which are in this Act referred to as the principal Acts.

3. The orders made in pursuance of the principal Acts by the Education Department, which are mentioned in the schedule to this Act, shall be deemed to have been authorised by those Acts, and to have been duly made, and shall have full effect accordingly; and as respects each of the said orders the schoo district formed thereby shall be deemed to have been and to be legally formed; and any school board which has been or is acting page 24 as such in any such district shall be deemed to have been and to be a legally constituted school board; and any persons who have been or are acting as members of a school board in any such district shall be deemed to have been legally chosen, and to have formed and to form a legal school board; and on the retirement of all or any members of a school board in any such district, the vacancies may be filled up in the same manner in all respects as if such retiring members or member had been and were in all respects legally chosen members of a legally constituted school board.

4. From and after the passing of this Act the Education Department may, if they think fit, make orders directing that any school board, which at the date of any order for forming a united school district exists in any of the school districts constituting such united school district shall, either with or without any change in the existing members, or in the number of the members thereof, be the school board for the united school district.