Star.
London, England, 1831-03-28 00:00:00

A BILL TO AMEND THE REPRESENTATION OF THE

PEOPLE IN IRELAND.

Note.—The worth printed in /folios are proposed to be inserted in the

Whereas it is expedient to diminish the expenses of elections in Ire-
land, and to extend the elective franchise to many of his Majesty's sub-
jects therein, who have not heretofore enjoyed the same, and to increase
the number of representatives for certain cities and boroughs in that
part of the united kingdom ; be it therefore enacted, by the King's
moat excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the
Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parlia-
ment assembled, and by the authority of the same, that in addition to
the freeholders now by law entitled to vote at elections of knights of the
shire, eve', male person of full age, and not subject to any legal inca-
pacity, holding any lands or tenements within any county in Ireland by
lease for any term of years not less titan heady-one years from the com-
mencement thereof , whereon a rent of not less than My pounds ma-
n ual I y shall have been bona fide reserved, shall, after due registration
under this act, have a right to vote at the election of knights of *he
shire to serve for such county in any future parliament.
And be It further enacted, that nothing in this act contained shall
take away or in any manner affect the right of voting for knights of the
shire at present enjoyed by, or which may hereafter accrue to any per-
son by virtue of any law now in force, except so far as berth pro.
sided. _ _

And be it enacted, that after the end of this present Parliament,
every person owning or holding lands or tenements situate within
any city town or borough in Ireland, returning a Member or Members
to serve in Parliament, and which lands or tenements, if situated in a
county at large would under any law now In force or under this act
entitle the owner or holder thereof to vote at an election for such
county, or who is now in any other right not affected by this act, en-
titled to vote at an election for such city town or borough, shall, upon
being duly registered under this act, be entitled, under the restrictions
hereinafter contained, to vote at any election for a Member or Members
to serve in Parliament for such city town or borough respectively
Provided always, That no person shall be allowed to vote at any elec-
tion for a Member or Members to serve in any future Parliament for
any city town or borough, for or in respect of any freehold estate in
lands or tenements other than is now by law necessary to entitle any
person to vote at a County election, save u hereinafter provided.
And be it enacted, That no person shall vote at any election for
any Member to serve in any future Parliament for any County, by
virtue of any right hereby conferred in respect of the ownership or
possession of any lands or tenements, unless he shall have been seised
or possessed thereof for the space of Thirty days at the least before the
Registration in pursuance of this act made last before the election at
which he shall claim to vote.

And be it enacted, that a Committee of his Majesty's most honour-
able Privy Council, to be named by the Lord Lieutenant or other chief
Governor or Governors of Ireland, under his or their hand or hands,
shall have power to inquire into and determine the limits and bounda-
ries of every city, tow,), and borough in Ireland, having the right of
sending a Member or Members to Parliament, and to annex to or In.
corporate with any such city, town, or borough, not containing more
than two hundred houses of the value required by this act to qualify the
owners or occupiers thereof to vote at the election of any Member or
Members for such city, town, or borough, any parish, barony, or half
barony, locally situate within the limits so determined, andahall within
three months next after the passing of this act lay before the Lord Lieu-
tenant or other Chief Governor or Governors of Ireland in Council a
report of such determination ; and it shall thereupon be lawful for suck
Lord Lieutenant or other Chief Governor or Governors to issue a pro-
clamation making known Rush determination and report, from the date
of which proclamation each such city and borough respectively shall,
for the purposes of elections only, be and remain bounded and limited
and annexed and incorporated respectively according to such determina-
tion ; and such report shall be forthwith laid before both Houses of
Parliament.

And he it enacted, that at all elettiogs of a Blemlber or Members
to terve In any future Parliament for any city, town, or borough in
Ireland, every male person of full age, duly registered under this act,
and not auiject to any legal incapacity, shall be entitled to vote, who
shall have held and occupied for rte calendar months nest preceding the
representation hereinafter directed, any dwelling-house within such city,
town, or borough, bona fide subject to the yearly rent of ten pounds, or
which, if bona tide let to a solvent tenant, would produce the yearly
rent of ten pounds, or who shall have held for such period as aforesaid
any lands or tenements within such city, town, or borough, by lease for
any term not less than :teen/go-one years from the commencement thereof,
whereon a yearly rent of more than fifty pounds shall have been bona
fide reserved.

And be it enacted, that every person now entitled to vote at the elec-
tion of a member or members to serve in parliament for any city, town,
or borough in Ireland shall, after such registration as is by this set di-
rected, and so long only as he shall continue to reside within such city,
town, or borough, have and enjoy such right of voting as fully and In
like manner as if this act had not passed.
And be it enacted, that the city of Limerick, the city of Waterford,
the borough of &Mist, the county of the town of Galway, and the uni-
versity of Dublin, shall each respectively return one member to serve in
each future parliament, in addition to the member which each of the
said places is now by law entitled to return.
And be it enacted, that the churchwardens of each parish wholly or
partly situate within, or by virtue of this act to be wholly or in put
annexed to, any city town or borough returning a member or members
to serve in Parliament, shall on or before the

_ .
next, and on or before the in
each subsequent year, make out an alphabetical list of every male per-
son who shall for sLe calendar months previous thereto have resided
within such city town or borough, or any district thereunto annexed
under this act, and held and occupied a dwelling-house therein, bona
fide subject to the yearly rent of ten pounds, or which if bona fide let
to a solvent tenant 'mold produce the yearly rent of ten pounds, and
in respect of which house all rents rates and taxes shall have been paid
up to the time of making such list; as also of every male person of
full age, and not legally incapacitated to vote, and holding any lands
or tenements within such city town or borough, or such annexed
district, for a term and at a rent sufficient under the provisions of
this act to qualify leaseholders for terms of years ,o vote at county
clectims ; and also another list of every male person having or
claiming a right to vote at elections for a member or members to
serve in Parliament for such city or borough by virtue of any
right existing in such person at the passing of this act, and hereby
saved ; and shall cause both such lists to be affixed to the doors of the
principal churches, chapels, and other places of divine worship within
such city or borough, and the annexed district, if any, on the three
successive Sundays next after the making of such lists ; and such lists,
11 when completed, shall be transmitted by the several persons making
the same to the returning officer of the city or borough, who shall
therefrom make out one complete alphabetical list, to be by him kept
until the arrival of the barrister appointed as hereinafter mentioned to
revise the same, and to be then given by him to such banister.
And be it enacted, that the churchwardens of each parish wholly or
partly situate in any county, or such other two persons as shall be for
that purpose named by the lord lieutenant, or other chief governor or
governors of Ireland, shall, on or before the
next after the passing of this Act, and also on or before the
in every succeeding year, make out an alphabetical list of every person
entitle to vote at elections of knights of the shire for such county, by
reason of any lands or tenements Situate within such parish, and held
by such person for a term of years, and at a yearly tent sufficient
under this act to qualify leaseholders to vote at county elections; and
also another alphabetical list, of every clergyman entitled so to vote as
such, and of every person now by law qualified to vote thereat, and
whose right in that respect is not hereby affected; and shall on or before
the in each year cause such lists to be
affixed to the doors of the principal churches, chapels and other pia. n
of divine worship within such parish, or in same other conspicuous
places therein, on the th-ce first Sundays in the month of September
in each year, and shall on or before the twenty-fifth day of September
in each year send such lists to the clerk of the peace of the county, to
be by him retained until the arrival of the barrister appointed to revise
such lists as hereinafter provided, and to be then handed by him to
such banister ; and such barrister shall within one week after the same
shall have been corrected and signed by him as Latin provided, re.
deliver such lists to the clerk of the peace, to remain with hint until
the same shall be required at an election.
Provided always, and be it enacted, That every person now entitled,
or hereafter establishing under the laws now In form a right, to vote
at any county election, and who shall have du!y obtained a certi-
ficate of registry for that purpose, shall be entitled' upon the produc-
tion of such certificate to the chutchwardens or other persons hereby
authorised either in the first instance to make or afterwards to alter or
correct any list of voters for sush county, to have hi, name inserted 111
such list.

And be h enactA, that it r.ball be lawful for the Lord Lieute-
bant or other chief governor or governors. of Ireland to nominate