Star.
London, England, 1831-08-26 00:00:00

REIMPORT 22222 GE.

_ .
On this case being called, Sir NV. Betham appeared at the
bar. as agent for the petitioner. On which,
The LORD CHANCELLOR asked him who and what he
was

Sir W. Cetham.—l am Ulster King at Arms.
• The LORD CIIANCELLOIL—What ! a herald acting as
.01 agent? I never heard such a thing. Your business is
to walk in processions, &c. The hou..e cannot hear you,
Sir. I never heard of such a course.

:tic W. Betham said it had been ('one r peatetily, and be
always considered he had a right to do so.
The Lord CHANCELLOR—YCO have no such right, and
cannot he heard.

The F.arl of SHAFTESBURY Pq.iti it wa, highly improper,
in which opinion
Lord WYNFOBD concurred, saying the two characters of
agent and herald were inconsistent, and ought rot to have
been taken by the same party.
The case was then ordered to stand over, when, after a
o..rt time, _ _

sir. LYNCH appeared at the harm counsel fir the claim-
;lit, and put in a variety of doettno.ntary and oral evidence
in support of the claim, which being satisfactorily made
out, their lordship' came to the resolution that the petitioner
jail made out his claim to cote at the elisction of the rem.
ent,:tive peers for Irelartl.

!LANE PEERAGE.

The SOLICITOR GEWEnAt. for Ireland, and the ATTOII.
NEY•GENEUAI. appeared for the crown.
._llr. LYNCH, for the claimant. Mr. Fleming, put in
a great variety of documentary evidence from the Tower,
and Offices cf Record in Ireland, which was proved by
Sir William Reetham, who explained a point of difficulty
as to the in!ermixture of some old papers, from the Courts
of Common Pleas and King's Bench in that country.
r. LIECHHERE produced an autograph Letter from
Charles I. to the Lords Justices of Ireland in the sth
of his reign, which excited some curiosity amongst their
lordships.
After the evidence had been gone through, their lordships
adjourned the case to some future day.

HISTORY OF PARLIAMENTARY AND

ELECTIVE RIGHTS,

Read by Mr. AUNT, in his place in the House of Com-
mons, on Wednesday evening.

"11l I RTELNTII CENTURY.—Theinhabitantsofl
En7,land were, in the reigns of John and Henry 111..
divided into two classes or ranks :

1. Freemen, who were again divided into dukes,
earls, barons, vavasours, knights, and plain free-
men.

2. Villeins or slaves—they became free by ma-
numission, and other acts of the lord incompatible
with servitude.

HENRY M. 1225.—Magna Charta was granted
to archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, earls, ba-
ons;and to at/freemen of the realm.
C. 2. We have also granted to all freemen of
our kingdom, &c. all the under-written liberties to
have and to hold, &c.

C. 46. No freeman shall be taken, imprisoned,
or be deprived of -his freehold, liberties, free cus-
toms, or be outlawed or exiled, or any otherwise
destroyed ; nor will we pass upon him, nor condemn
him, but by lawful judgment of his peers, or by
the law of the land. We will sell to no man, we
will not deny or defer to any roan either justice or

tigh t.
25th Edward 111. c. 4.—lt is stated that none be
taken by petition, or suggestion made to the King
or his Counsel, unless by indictine:d or present-
meht, or on the writ, and that none be ovt of his
.franchise, nor his freeholds, unless he he duly
brought in to answer and forejudged of the same
by the course of law, and if any be done against
the same, it shall be redressed and holden for
none."

I quote these on the behalf of the people of Eng- ,
;and, for Lord John Russell's measure seems to,
overlook altogether, or to regard but very lightly!
and partially the rights, franchises, and liberties of
the freemen or peapie of England ; all English-
men are now freemen, some say except eopyhold-
ers, domestic servants, and persons receiving parish
relief; these may be considered by some poisons, as
in a state of servitude unfitting them for the free
exercise of the privileges of frcenten.
As to who were electors, also the qualifications,
and also what was the conipo.itain of Parliament in
the earliest times:

In. the time of Edward I. sheriff:,, coroners, and
ritherofficers, who had great power in the adminis-
tration of justice, were all elected by the ',topic.
• Evely freeman was obliged to :ittena the sheriirs
town, except archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors,
earls, or re:igitnis men or women, who were ex-
by statute 52, Henry 111. c. 10.
•s 3 Edward 1. c. 8. granted to his ecorir. that
they should have election of their sheriffs in every
shire. Sec also c. 13.

No other qualification than that of being a man
anti a freeman was neceysarv.

34 Edward I. c. 4. all clerks and laymen were
to have their laws, liberties, and free customs as
largely as before.
1 Henry IV. to the same effect.
4 Richard 11. c. 1. church lords, &c. were to
enjoy equal franchises as aforetime.
By 7 Henry IV. c. 5. af.irm.f that the represen-
tatives of the county were elected at the county
court in the same manner us the sheriffs, and by
the commonalty, or people, without any quell-

It will be however, that the Aristocracy
in long anterior periods interfered at elections,
for by
3 Edw. I. c. 5. it was stated, that because
eh•ctiona ought to be free, the King commanded,
upon great forfeiture, that II.) man, by force of
arms, malice, or menacing, should disturb may to
nuke free election, and he .

7 Hon. IV. c. 5. which was ;timed against
the improper interference of the Aristocracy, it I,
was enacted, after stating, That tin the grievous
complaint of the Commons of the undue election
of knights of the Shire by affection of the Sheriff
cud otlierwise. to the hindrance of the business of
the Ccmcioriulty, 1 hat Pioclamatii.n hs made at
the next 'Court of full County of the

day and piaee cf•Parliantet,t, and that all those
present, whether sumnoheti fur the same cause,
as other, attend' to the election, arid then in full
• County petted' to. the election freely and indif
• ferently; nOtwithatanding any request of fy~it
vani►dttieitt to the contrary.
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