Penalty on committing perjury, or subornation thereof.

How officer to

at

in

and that I am twenty-one years of age, as I believe, and that I have not been polled before at this election."

Which oath, or solemn affirmation, the proper officer, to whom the return of any writ or precept for such election shall belong, is hereby required to administer : and in case any freeholder, or other person taking the said oath or affirmation hereby appointed, shall thereby commit wilful perjury, and be thereof convicted; or if any person shall unlawfully and corruptly procure or suborn any freeholder or other person to take the said oath or affirmation, in order to be polled, whereby he shall commit such wilful perjury, and shall be thereof convicted, he and they, for every such offence respectively, shall incur such penalties as are inflicted on persons guilty of perjury, or subornation of perjury, in and by two acts of Parliament, one made in the fifth year of the reign of queen Elizabeth, intituled, An act for punishing such persons as shall procure or commit wilful perjury, or suborn or procure any person to commit any wilful or corrupt perjury; and the other, made in the second year of the reign of his late Majesty king George the Second, intituled, An act for the more effectual preventing and further punishment of forgery, perjury, and subornation of perjury, and to make it felony to steal bonds, notes, or other securities for payment of money, contrary to the said acts.

5. And be it further enacted by the authority aforeproceed on re- said, that such proper officer, to whom any writ or precept ceiving any

tion.

writ for elec- shall be directed for making any election for the said borough, shall, upon the receipt of such writ or precept, indorse upon the back thereof the day of his receipt thereof, in the presence of the party from whom he received such precept, and shall forthwith cause public notice to be given within the said borough of Cricklade, and the several towns of Highworth, Malmsbury, Swin

don, and Wotton Basset, by affixing up a notice thereof in writing on the market-houses, or on the doors of the churches of the said towns of the day of election; and shall proceed to election thereupon within the space of twelve days, and not less than eight days, next after his receipt of the same precept.

to any

elec

6. And be it further enacted by the authority afore- This act to be said, that this act shall be publicly read at every election read previous for the said borough of Cricklade, immediately after the tion. acts directed by any act of Parliament to be read thereat, and before the persons present shall proceed to make such election.

44 G. 3. c. 60., An act for the preventing of Bribery and Corruption, in the Election of Members to serve Aylesbury. in Parliament, for the Borough of Aylesbury in the

County of Buckingham.

Whereas there was the most notorious bribery and corruption at the last election of burgesses to serve in Parliament for the borough of Aylesbury in the county of Buckingham: and whereas such bribery and corruption is likely to continue, and be practised in the said borough in future, unless some means are taken to prevent the same: In order therefore, to prevent such unlawful practices for the future, and that the said borough may from henceforth be duly represented in Parliament; be it enacted by the king's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that from Persons havhenceforth it shall and may be lawful to and for every within the ing a freehold freeholder, being above the age of twenty-one years, who three hundreds of Aylesbury shall have within the three hundreds of Aylesbury, or of the yearly one or more of them, in the county of Buckingham, a freehold of the clear yearly value of forty shillings, to elections for give his vote at every election of a burgess or burgesses

value of 40s.

to vote at

Aylesbury.

Right of

election to be

in such freeholders and persons having a right by custom of the borough of Aylesbury to

vote, &c.

Freeholders,

to take the fol

lowing

to serve in Parliament for the said borough of Aylesbury.

2. And be it further enacted, that the right of election of a member or members to serve in Parliament for the said borough of Aylesbury, shall be and is hereby declared to be in such freeholders as aforesaid, and in the persons who, by the custom and usage of the said borough, have or shall hereafter have a right to vote at such election; and the proper officer for the time being, to whom the return of every writ or precept does belong, is hereby required to return the person or persons to serve in Parliament for the said borough who shall have the major number of votes of such freeholders, and other persons having a right to vote at such election; any law or usage to the contrary notwithstanding: provided always, that such freeholders only shall be entitled to vote as shall be duly qualified to vote at elections for knights of the shire for the said county of Buckingham, according to the laws now in being for regulating county elections.

3. And be it further enacted, that every such freebefore voting, holder, before he is admitted to poll at any election for the said borough, shall, if required by the candidates, or any of them, or any other person having a right to vote at the said election, first take the oath, or, being one of the people called Quakers, the solemn affirmation following; videlicet,

Oath.

'I do swear, [or, being a Quaker, solemnly affirm,] that I am a freeholder in the three hundreds of Aylesbury, or any one or more of them, in the county of Buckingham, and have a freehold estate, consisting of [specifying the nature thereof, and, if it consists in messuages, lands, tenements, or tythes, in whose occupation the same are; and, if in rent, the names of the owners or possessors of the tenements out of which such rent is issuing, or of some of them], situate, lying, or being at in the aforesaid hundreds, or in

one or more of them, of the clear yearly value of over and above all rents and charges payable out of or in respect of the same; and that I have been in the actual possession or receipt of the rents and profits thereof, for my own use, above twelve calendar months [or, that the same came to me within the time aforesaid by descent, marriage, marriage settlement, devise, or promotion to a benefice in a church, or by promotion to an office], and that such freehold estate has not been granted or made to me fraudulently on purpose to qualify me to give my vote; and that the place of my abode is and that I am twenty one years of age, as I believe; and that I have not been polled before at this election.'

at

in

oath.

Which oath or solemn affirmation the proper officer to Penalty for whom the return of any writ or precept for such election taking a false shall belong, is hereby required to administer; and in case any freeholder or other person taking the said oath or affirmation hereby appointed, shall thereby commit wilful perjury, and be thereof convicted; or if any person shall unlawfully and corruptly procure or suborn any freeholder or other person to take the said oath or affirmation, in order to be polled, whereby he shall commit such wilful perjury, and shall be thereof convicted, he and they for every such offence respectively shall incur such penalties as are inflicted on persons guilty of perjury or subornation of perjury in and by two acts of Parliament, one made in the fifth year of the reign of queen Elizabeth, intituled, An act for punishing such persons as shall procure or commit wilful perjury, or suborn or procure any person to commit any wilful or corrupt perjury, and the other made in the second year of the reign of his late Majesty king George the second, intituled, An act for the more effectual preventing and further punishment of forgery, perjury, and subornation of perjury, and to make it felony to steal bonds, notes, or

Proper officer to indorse on the writ for

any election,

to the election

within a certain period.

other securities for payment of money, contrary to the said acts.

4. And be it further enacted, that such proper officer to whom any Writ or precept shall be directed for making the day of his any election for the said borough, shall, upon the receipt receiving it, of such Writ or precept, indorse upon the back thereof and proceed the day of his receipt thereof in the presence of the party from whom he received such precept, and shall forthwith cause public notice to be given within the said borough of Aylesbury, and the several towns of great Missenden, Wendover, and Haddenham, by affixing up a notice thereof in writing on the market-houses, or on the doors of the churches of the said towns, of the day of election, and shall proceed to election thereupon within the space of twelve days, and not less than eight days next after his receipt of the same precept.

Act to be read before proceeding to the election.

5. And be it further enacted, that this act shall be publicly read at every election for the said borough of Aylesbury immediately after the acts directed by any act of Parliament to be read thereat, and before the persons present shall proceed to make such election.