The National Register.
London, England, 1823-04-07 00:00:00

VOTES OF OCCASIONAL FREEHOLDERS.

A BILL TO PREVENT OCCASIONAL ►REEHOLDERS ►ROM
VOTING IN THE ELECTIONS OF MEMBERS TO NERVE 1N;
PARLIAMENT, THE BOROUGHS IN ENGLAND. AND WALES..
Whereas it frequently happens in towns and. boroughs,
where the right of election of members to serve in parliament,.
is in persons having a right to vote for or in reape.t of lands,
tenements, or hest• itaments within the same, aud much tremble,'
expence, and litigation is created by occasional voters, In the
great prejudice of the bona -fide freeholders stud other real
voters, to whom the right of sending members to patliatnent
justly belungs .
And whereas it is reasonable and proper that ;provision
should be made for the due election of members to nerve in
parliament fur such towns end borstiglis in thatpart of Crest
Eritaiu called England, and the dominion of Wales, in which
persons have a right to vete for electing such members, fur in .
respect of freehold lands, houses, tenements, or bereditaments.:
within the same.
The fret clause then proceeds to enact, that every person de-
manding to vole for the election of a.ntember, shall take the
fullowing oath. instead of that prescribed by 25 Geo. 111. :
• You swear (or, being.a quaker, yost solemnly affirm), that
yon have a freehold estate, consisting of (epecifying the nature •.
of such freehold estate, whether messuage, land, rent, tithe, or
what else ; and if suety freehold estate consists in messuages, .
hods, rents, or Whew', or whit else, then specifying in whose
occupation the same are; and if tent, then specifying the
names of the owners or possessors of the lands or tenements
out of which such rent is issuisg, or some- or one or them)
lying or being in the town (or borough, as the case may be),
aud that you have been in the possession or in the receipt of the
rents and profits thereof, for your own use, above
calendar months (or, that the same came to you within the time
aforesaid, by descent, marriage, marriage settlement, devise or
promotion to a benefice in a church, or by pmmotion to an
office), and that sorb freehold estate has not been granted or
nude to you fram.tleutly on purpose to qualify you to give
your vote, and that the place of your abode is at
in and that you are twenty-one years,
■s you believe, and that you have not been pulled before at this
election. •

The second clause provides for the ponishment of those who
take the oath falsely, by making then, amenable to the-. act• •
against perjury of 5 Flit.—and 2 Geo. 11.
The third clause enacts, that if any one shall vote wit' oat the-
legal quatiffinitions in the town or borough, lie shall forfeit to
the candidate for ...hum his vote shall not base been given a
certain sum, to be recovered by the said candidate by action of
debt, in any court of recur;.
The fortith lause provided, that public or parochial tales,
payable out of freeholders, shall not entitle to vote.
The fifth clause provides, that in union of debt given by Ihi•
act, it shall be sufficient for the plaintiff to set forth in his de-
claration the particular offence.
'flue sixth clause enacts, that all the statutes of jeofails and
atoendments shall extend to actions allowed by this so.
The seventh clause provides, that in any action given by this
act, the defendant shall recover costs in oases of notessiit.
. . .

The reghlh clause provides that, nu part of the act shall .a
tendril burgnge tenures.

The very extensive and beautiful spinning.mann:
of M. Mourgue, in the departmcat of
s 4
in France, was lately burnt to the ground.
The
proprietor
prietor sustains a loss of 400,000 francs
f.hul;( )
(16,0001. sterling) ; but the heavier distress is-
-400 families of workmen aro at once plunged into.
a state of mentlieity.
'lhere were less woodcocks emigrated to England
last winter than li,r several years past, which is thus
accounted fbr. It seems their eggs are becoming a
rgreat luxury in Sweden, and the pc offer them
or sale in great quantities in the market ut Stock:
holm.

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