ELECTION. 
vernors of plantations ; officers of Minorca 
or Gibraltar; officers of the excise and cus- 
toms ; clerks or deputies in the several of- 
fices of the treasury, exchequer, navy, vic- 
tualling, admiralty, pay of the army or na- 
vy ; secretaries of state, salt, stamps, ap- 
peals, wine-licenses, hackney-coaches, haw- 
kers and pedlars ; nor any persons that hold 
any new office under the crown, created 
since 1705, are capable of being elected. 
But this shall not extend to, or exclude 
the treasurer or comptroller of the navy ; 
secretaries of the treasury ; secretary to 
the chancellor of the exchequer; secreta- 
ries of the admiralty ; under secretary of 
state ; deputy paymaster of the army ; or 
any person holding any office for life, or 
so long as he shall behave himself well in 
his office. 15 Geo. II. c. 22. 
By 6 Anne, c. 7. s. 26, any member ac- 
cepting an office of profit under the crown, 
except an officer of the army or navy, ac- 
cepting a new commission, his election shall 
be void; but he maybe re-elected. Per- 
sons having pensions from the crown during 
pleasure, are incapable of being elected. 
6 Anne c. 7. s. 25. 
By the 22 Geo. III. c. 45, no contractor 
with the officers of government, or with 
any other person for tlie service of the pub- 
lic, shall be elected, or sit in the house, as 
long as he holds any such contract, or de- 
rives any benefit from it ; but this does not 
extend to contracts with corporations, or 
with companies, which then consisted of 
ten partners ; or to any person to whom 
the interest of such a contract shall accrue 
by marriage or operation of law, for the 
first twelve months ; and if any person dis- 
qualified by such a contract shall sit in the 
house, he shall forfeit 5001. for every day ; 
and if any person who engages in a con- 
tract with government, admit any member 
of parliament to a share of it, he shall for- 
feit 5001. to the prosecutor. No person 
shall sit or vote in 'the House of Commons 
for a county, unless he has an estate, free- 
hold or copyhold, for his life; or some 
greater estate, of the clear yeai-ly value of 
6001. ; nor for a city or borough, unless he 
have a like estate of 3001. ; and any other 
candidate, or two electors, may require him 
to make oath thereof at the time of elec- 
tion, or before the day of the meeting of 
parliament ; and before he shall vote in the 
House of Commons, he shall deliver in an 
account of his qualification, and the value 
thereof under his hand, and make oath of 
the truth of the same ; but this shall not 
yoL. II. 
extend to the eldest son or heir apparent of 
a peer, or of any person qualified to serve 
as knight of a shire, nor to the members of 
either of the two universities. 9 Anne c. 5. 
33 Geo. 11. c. 20. Qualifications of elec- 
tors. No person shall be admitted to vote 
under the age of twenty-one years : this ex- 
tends to all members, as well for boroughs 
as counties. 7 and 8 Will. c. 25. 
Every elector of a knight of a shire shall 
have freehold to the value of 40s, a year 
vi'ithin the county, which is to be clear of 
all charges and deductions, except parlia- 
mentary and parochial taxes. No person 
shall vote in right of any freehold granted 
fraudulently, to qualify him to vote ; and 
every person who shall prepai’e or execute 
such conveyance, or shall give his vote un- 
der it, shall forfeit 40k 10 Anne, c. 25. 
No person shall vote for a knight of the 
shire, without having been in the actual 
possession of the estate for which he votes, 
or in the receipt of the rents or profits to 
his own use, above twelve calendar months, 
unless it come to him by descent, marriage, 
marriage-settlement, devise, or promotion 
to a benefice or office. 18 Geo. II. c. 1, 
No person convicted of perjury shall be ca- 
pable of voting at an election. No person 
sliall vote in respect of an annuity or rent- 
charge, unless registered with the clerk of 
the peace twelve calendar months before ; 
such annuity or rent- charge must issue out 
of freehold estate. No person shall vote 
for a knight of a shire, in respect of any 
messuages, lauds, or tenements, which have 
not been charged to the land-tax six calen-, 
dar months before. 20 Geo. III. c. 17. 
No person shall vote for any estate holden 
by copy of court-roll. 31 Geo. II. c. 14. 
In mortgaged, or trust-estates, the mort- 
gagor, or cestuy que trust, shall vote, and 
not the trustee or mortgagee, unless they be 
in actual possession. All conveyances to 
multiply voices, or to split votes, shall be 
void ; and no more than one voice shall be 
admitted for one and the same house or te- 
nement. 
The right of election in boroughs is vari- 
ous, depending entirely on the several 
charters, customs, and constitutions of tlie 
respective places. By 2 Geo. II. e. 24, 
this right of voting, for the future, shall be 
allowed according to the last determination 
of the House of Commons concerning it. 
And no person, claiming to vote in right 
of his being a freeman of a corporation 
(other than such as claim by birth, mar- 
riage, or servitude) shall be allowed, unless 
S s 
