Order to the Lord Chancellor for passing two Proclamations under the Great Seal.

At the court at

pre- Commencement of Forms.

sent the King's most excellent Majesty in council :

It is this day ordered by his Majesty in council, that Orders to Lord the right honourable the lord high chancellor of that Chancellor. part of the united kingdom called Great Britain, do cause the Great Seal to be affixed to two proclamations, the one for dissolving the present Parliament, and calling a new one; and the other for electing and summoning the sixteen peers of Scotland to sit in the said parliament.

Orders to the Lord Chancellors of Great Britain and
Ireland to issue writs for calling a new Parliament.

His Majesty having been pleased by his royal pro-
clamation, to dissolve the present Parliament, is hereby
pleased, with the advice of his privy council, to order
that the right honourable the lord high chancellor of
that part of the united kingdom called Great Britain,
and the right honourable the lord high chancellor of
Ireland do respectively cause writs to be issued in due
form and according to law for the calling of a new Par-
liament to meet at the city of Westminster, which writs
are to be returnable on
the
day of

next.

The writ to the Sheriff on a General Election. George the fourth, by the grace of God, of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, king, defender of the faith, and so forth.-To the sheriff of the county of Oxford, greeting. Whereas, by the advice and assent of our council, for certain arduous and urgent affairs concerning us, the state and defence, of

Writ.

our kingdom of Great Britain and the church, we have ordered a certain Parliament to be holden at our city of Westminster, on the

day of

next ensuing, and there to treat and have conference with the prelates, great men, and peers of our realm, we command and strictly enjoin you, that (proclamation being made of the day and place aforesaid, in your next county court to be holden after the receipt of this our writ) two knights of the most fit and discreet of the said county, girt with swords, [and of the university* of Oxford two burgesses] and of every city of that county two citizens, and of every borough in the same county two burgesses, of the most sufficient and discreet, freely and indifferently by those who at such proclamation shall be present according to the form of the statutes in that case made and provided, you cause to be elected; and the names of those knights, citizens and burgesses, so to be elected, (whether they be present or absent,) you cause to be inserted in certain indentures to be thereupon made between you and those who shall be present at such election, and then at the day and place aforesaid you cause to come, in such manner that the said knights, for themselves and the commonalty of the same county, and the said citizens and burgesses for themselves, and the commonalty of the said [university] cities, and boroughs respectively, may have from them full and sufficient power to do and consent to those things which then and there, by the common council of our said kingdom (by the blessing of God) shall happen to be ordained upon the aforesaid affairs, so that for want of such power, or through an improvident election of the said knights, citizens, or burgesses, the aforesaid affairs may in no wise remain unfinished; willing, neverthe

*The writs to the sheriff are all in the same form, except in this and in that to the sheriff of Cambridgeshire, there is this clause for the election of members for the respective universities. Doug. 1 vol. 450.

less, that neither you nor any other sheriff of this our said kingdom be in any wise elected; and that the election in your full county so made distinctly and openly, under your seal and the seals of those who shall be present at such election, you do certify to us in our chancery, at the day and place aforesaid without delay, remitting to us one part of the aforesaid indentures annexed to these presents, together with this writ. Witness ourself at

Westminster, the

day of

year of our reign.

To be indorsed when returned.

The execution of this writ appears in certain schedules hereunto annexed.

A. B. Sheriff.

election of two

ment at the

A. B. Esq. sheriff of the county afore- Notice of the to wit. said, having received his Majesty's writ, members to under the Great Seal of Great Britain, for the electing serve in parliatwo knights to serve for this county in the Parliament general electo be holden at the city of Westminster, on the day of next, do, in obedience to the said writ, and of the several statutes in that case made, hereby proclaim and give public notice, that at a special countycourt, which will be held at

said county, on

,

the

in and for the day of this instant

at ten of the clock in the forenoon, pursuant to the statute in that case made and provided, I shall proceed to such election, when and where all persons interested therein will be heard, and are to give their attendance accordingly.

18

Dated the

day of

By the same Sheriff.

tion for knights of shires.

mayor, bailiff,

-shire A. B. Esq. sheriff of the county aforesaid, Precept to the to wit. S [to the mayor, bailiff, constables, and bur- &c. of the city, gesses of the city, town, or borough of R. as the case may town, &c. of be greeting. By virtue of his Majesty's writ under two members.

R. to return

Citizens or burgesses.

Indorsement thereon.

the Great Seal of Great Britain, to me directed, for the
electing of two [citizens or burgesses] to serve for the
city of R. aforesaid, in a certain parliament, ordered by
his Majesty to be holden at his Majesty's city of West-
minster, on the
day of
next ensuing.
These are to will and require you, that (proclamation
within the said. of the day and place of election
being first made) you cause freely and indifferently to be
elected, two
of the most sufficient and discreet,
by those who at such proclamation shall be present, ac-
cording to the form of the statutes in that case made and
provided; and the names of those [citizens or burgesses]
so to be elected (whether they be present or absent) you
cause to be inserted in certain indentures, to be there-
upon made, between me and those who shall be present
at such election: and then, at the day and place aforesaid,
that
you cause to come, in such manner that the said

for themselves and the commonalty of the said [city
or borough] may have from them full and sufficient power
to do and consent to those things which then and there,
by the common-council of the kingdom, (by the blessing
of God) shall happen to be ordained; but you are not
to elect me, or any other sheriff of this kingdom; and
the said election you are forthwith to certify to me,
sending to me one part of the said indentures annexed
to this precept, that I may certify the same to his Ma-
jesty, in his Chancery: hereof you are not to fail. Given
under the seal of my office, the
in the

day of

year of the reign of king George the

fourth, and in the year of our Lord 18

By the same sheriff.

Received of the within-named sheriff this precept, by

Proclamation made on the

18 at the usual place within the

day of

of R.

within mentioned, to proceed to election there on the

day of

at

clock in the forenoon of the same day.

of the

Mayor [or bailiff] of R.

The execution of this precept appears in a certain Return of the schedule hereunto annexed.

Notice of Election for a City, Town, or Borough.

of

precept.

city, &c.

in the I, A. B. [Mayor Notice of county of Sor bailiff of the election for said [city, town, or borough, as the case may be,] do hereby give notice that I shall proceed to the election of two citizens or burgesses to serve in Parliament for the said city, or town, or borough, at the town hall of the said city, town, or borough, on

next, the o'clock in the forenoon.

18

day Dated

A. B.

Oath against Bribery by returning Officer, vid. s. 3.

of following act, p. 31.

The stat. 2 G. 2. c. 24., An act for more effectually Act to prevent preventing bribery and corruption in the elections of bribery. members to serve in Parliament.

(To be read at all elections.)

elections of delegates in

16 G. 2. c. 11.

"Whereas it is found by experience, that the laws Extended to already in being have not been sufficient to prevent corrupt and illegal practices in the election of members Scotland by to serve in Parliament: for remedy, therefore, of so great an evil, and to the end that all elections of members to Parliament may hereafter be freely and indifferently made, without charge or expense," Be it enacted, by the king's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and