cords of the county are to make copies &c. where the re-gratis, from day to day, from the hour of nine in the forenoon, to three in the afternoon in each day, at the place usually kept, where the records of such county, riding, or division, are of duplicates, usually kept, from the time of the delivery of such notice to the day immediately preceding the day of election of such knight or knights, for the purpose of receiving applications for the inspection of such duplicates, and for making copies of them, or any of them, or of so much of them, or any of them, which he shall be requested to copy as Penalty on clerk, of the aforesaid. 16. AND be it further enacted, That if any clerk of the peace, or his deputy, shall neglect or refuse to permit such duplicates, or any of them, or any part of them, or any of them, to be inspected by any person or persons who shall request the same as aforesaid, or shall neglect or refuse to deliver any copy or copies of the same, or any part thereof, within the time before mentioned, or shall neglect to attend as aforesaid at the place where the records of such county, riding, or division, are usually kept, or at any county election, with such duplicates, in pursuance of the directions of this act; every such clerk of the peace, or his deputy, shall, for every such offence, forfeit the sum of five hundred pounds to the party aggrieved, provided such action is brought within two months after the offence shall have Action to be been committed; and if no such action shall be brought brought within two months, within the said time, then to any person who shall sue for the same in the manner herein-after mentioned; and shall also forfeit his office of clerk of the peace, or deputy, the same to be absolutely void on such clerk of the peace, or his deputy, being convicted of such offence; and such clerk of the peace, or deputy clerk of the peace, shall be rendered incapable of being again appointed a clerk of the peace, or deputy clerk of the peace, or of acting as such, in or for any county, riding, or division, whatsoever. peace, or his deputy, making default &c. Final judgment upon any verdict against a 17. AND be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That final judgment upon any verdict to be obtained against such clerk of the peace, or deputy clerk of the clerk of the peace, for the recovery of such forfeiture, shall be deemed peace shall be and taken to be a sufficient conviction of such offence, withdeemed sufficient convic out any other prosecution or conviction whatsoever; and immediately after such judgment, the said office of clerk of the peace, or deputy clerk of the peace, shall be absolutely void, to all intents and purposes whatsoever. tion, to be recover ed. 18. AND be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, Penalties how That the forfeiture or penalties laid or imposed against such clerk of the peace, or deputy clerk of the peace, by this act, shall and may be recovered, with full costs of suit, by action of debt, bill, plaint, or information, in any of his majesty's courts of record at Westminster, wherein no essoin, protection, or wager of law, or more than one imparlance shall be allowed. Prosecutions 19. PROVIDED always, and be it further enacted and declared, That no person shall be liable to any forfeiture or penalty by this act laid or imposed, unless prosecution be menced with- commenced within twelve kalendar months next after such forfeiture or penalty shall be incurred. to be com in twelve months. FORM OF ASSESSMENT. County of N. to wit: For the parish of in the said county. Names of An assessment made in pursuance Form of of an act of parliament, passed assessment. Sin the year of his majesty's reign, for 17 Names of Himself. C. D. A. B. A. B. E. F. C. D. Sums assessed. N. O. and SR. S. ANNO 210 GEORGII III. CAP. 54. An Act for the better regulating Elections of Citizens to serve in Parliament for the City of Coventry. A. D. 1780. WHEREAS the right of election of citizens to serve in Parliament for the city of Coventry, is, by the last determination of the house of commons, of the twentieth day of November, 1722, declared to be in such freemen as have served seven years apprenticeship to one and the same trade in the said city, or the suburbs thereof, and do not receive alms or weekly charity, such freemen being duly sworn and inrolled and whereas great frauds and abuses were committed, in clandestinely admitting persons, having no such right to the freedom of the city of Coventry, during the last election of members to serve in parliament for the said city, in order to influence the said election, to the great infringement of the rights of the true electors of the said city, and in violation of the freedom of elections: to prevent such practices for the future, Be it enacted, &c. An open counThat, from and after the passing of this act, an open cil to be held council shall be held at St. Mary's Hall in the said city, Hall, on the on the first and last Tuesday in every kalendar month, for first and last the purpose, on the first Tuesday in each month, of receiv- Tuesday in ing and proclaiming aloud the names of every person or at St. Mary's every month. persons who shall then present, or cause to be presented, an account in writing of the particulars of his or their claim to the freedom of the said city, and for the purpose, on the last Tuesday in each month, of admitting to the freedom of the said city such person or persons as shall then appear and claim to be so admitted, he or they first verifying upon oath the particulars of his or their claim delivered in at the preceding council; and that the council which shall be holden on the first Tuesday in each month shall assemble at ten in the morning, and continue open a convenient time, for receiving such claims as shall then be preferred; and the council which shall be holden on the last Tuesday in each month shall continue open from the hour of ten in the morning till three o'clock in the afternoon of the same day, or for such shorter time as shall be found sufficient for hearing and determining any claims which shall then have been preferred; and if any such claims shall then remain unheard or undetermined, the said council shall be adjourned from day to day, and continue open on each day in manner aforesaid, for hearing and determining such claims. 2. AND be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That, from and after the passing of this act, no greater fee than three shillings, over and above the expence of the neLimitation of cessary stamps, shall be demanded or taken of any person the expence of or persons who shall be so admitted to his or their freedom taking up the freedom. at any such council. those who take it up. 3. AND be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That not person shall be admitted to the freedom of the Particulars to said city, at any council to be held for that purpose, who be observed by shall not produce evidence of regular indentures or deeds of apprenticeship for seven years, as required by the resolution aforesaid, and who shall not also declare upon oath the name or names of his master or masters, the trade to which he served under him or them, the place of his or their residence during the time he served, and of his own residence at the time of his claiming to be admitted to the freedom of the said city; and that it shall be lawful for such persons so claiming their freedom as aforesaid, to come to such council attended with their agents, who shall be present at their admission, if they so require it; and such council are hereby authorized and required to administer such oath as aforesaid. Town clerk to enter the 4. AND be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, above particu- That the town clerk shall enter all the above particulars in lars in a book. the admission book under the name of each person who is admitted to the freedom of the said city; and that the said town clerk and the mayor, and each of the members composing the council at which such freemen shall be admitted, shall openly subscribe their names to the said entries. Lists of the the freemen, 5. AND be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, names of all That lists of the names of all persons claiming to be ad&c. admitted, mitted freemen, and of all the freemen admitted at any to be pasted council to be held in the manner aforesaid, shall be made out in writing, and signed by the town clerk, and be pasted on the church doors. Councils or fixed upon the doors of all the churches in Coventry, within twenty-four hours after the holding of such council, 6. AND be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That no council shall be held for receiving claims of per- obe held sons claiming to be admitted to the freedom of the said city during a after the day on which notice shall be given by the sheriff or tain time sheriffs, according to the statute, of any election for a member or members to serve in parliament for the said city, till after the final close of every such election. specified. not cer 7. AND be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That, at every election of members to serve in parliament for the said city, every person who shall come to poll at such election, shall, if required by any candidate at such election, or by any two or more persons having a right to vote at such elections, previous to his being permitted to Electors to be poll, take the following oath, or, being one of the persons called Quakers, shall solemnly affirm the effect thereof (that is to say) sworn. "You do swear, That your name is A. B. and that you The oath. have been admitted to the freedom of the city of Coventry under indentures, or deeds of apprenticeship, and that you have served seven years apprenticeship to one and the same trade in the said city, or the suburbs thereof; and that you are of the age of twenty-one years, or upwards; and have not been polled before at this election. So help you God." Which oath the returning officer or officers, or his deputy, is hereby impowered to administer. 8. AND be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, Penalty on That all persons who shall be guilty of wilful and corrupt persons guilty perjury, in consequence of any oath which they shall have of perjury, taken by the direction of this act, shall, on conviction thereof, incur and suffer the like pains and penalties to which any other person convicted of wilful and corrupt perjury is liable by the laws and statutes of this realm. 9. AND be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That, if the returning officer or officers, at any election of a member or members to serve in parliament for the said city, shall wilfully admit any person to poll at such election without his having first taken the abovementioned oath, if required so to do, in manner aforesaid, the said returning Penalty on reofficer or officers shall, for every such offence, forfeit and for admitting. pay the sum of one hundred pounds to him, her, or them, persons to poll who shall sue for the same. turning officer without being sworn; And on mem council' for refusingto admit electors, &c. 10. AND be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if the mayor, and the other members composing any bers of the council to be held for the purpose of proclaiming the persons presenting accounts of their claim to the freedom of the said city, or for the purpose of admitting such persons to the freedom of the said city, shall refuse to proclaim, or to admit such person or persons as shall come and prove their titles according to the provisions of this act, they shall, for every such offence, forfeit and pay the sum of one hundred pounds. 11 PROVIDED always, That if any doubts shall arise as Proviso. to the legality of the titles so sworn to, it shall and may &c. be lawful for the said council to hear witnesses, and admit evidences to disprove the same. Penalty on 12. AND be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, town clerk for making frau- That if the town clerk shall neglect to make the proper dulent entries, entries, or shall make any false and fraudulent entries in the admission book; or if he shall neglect to make out and sign the lists of the freemen admitted, and cause them to be pasted or fixed on the doors of the churches in manner herein-before directed; or if he shall make out, sign, or cause to be pasted or fixed on the doors of the churches as aforesaid, any false or fraudulent list, he shall, for every such offence, forfeit the sum of ten pounds. To what free men this act shall extend. 13. PROVIDED also, and it is hereby enacted and declared, That this act shall not extend, nor be construed to extend, to any freemen of the said city but such as have a right to vote in the election of members to serve in parliament for the said city. 14. AND be it further enacted, That the returning officer or officers shall, at all future elections of citizens to serve Election booth in parliament for the said city, cause the booth for holding such election to be erected in the widest and most convenient part of the open market-place called Cross-cheaping, not contigucus to any other building. where to be erected. 15. AND be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all penalties laid or imposed by this act shall be rePenalties how covered, with full costs of suit, by action of debt, bill, plaint, or information, in any of his majesty's courts of record at Westminster, wherein no essoin protection, wager of law, or more than one imparlance, shall be allowed. to be reco vered. actions. 16. PROVIDED always, and it is hereby further enacted Limitation of and declared by the authority aforesaid, That no person shall be liable to any penalty by this act laid or imposed, unless prosecution be commenced within one year after such penalty shall be incurred. Public act. Deeds or in dentures of apprentice ship, &c. shall be registered by the town clerk. 17. AND it is further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That this act shall be deemed, adjudged, and taken to be a public act; and be judicially taken notice of as such, by all judges, justices, and other persons whomsoever, without specially pleading the same. 18. AND be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that the dates of all deeds or indentures of apprenticeship, together with the names of the parties, and their places of abode, which from and after the passing of this act, shall be made and executed, between any person or persons residing in the said city of Coventry, or the suburbs thereof, and his, her, or their apprentice or apprentices, under which such apprentice or apprentices may hereafter have a right to be admitted to the freedom of the said city, shall be registered in a book to be kept for that purpose by the town clerk of the same city for the time being, within the space of six kalendar months next after the execution thereof; which the said town clerk is hereby required to register, and on such deeds or indenture to indorse a certificate of such register; and in default thereof, such deeds or indentures shall, to all intents and purposes, be null and void. |