&c. were fummoned by Edward I. and thus restored a representation which had been, with fome few exceptions, fufpended from the conqueft until the 23d of the above king.

The third contains the date and conftitution of every charter, by which every corporate city and borough were vested with these exclufive privileges. The municipal officers are particularifed, and any parliamentary decision stated, that materially relates to the privileges or the establishment in any of the faid cities or boroughs.

The fourth contains all the refolutions, and the most important cafes that have paffed the houfe, or committees, relative to the right of voting. Where no refolution has paffed the houfe refpecting elective franchise, the right, as practised and acknowledged, is inferted. In this part, we have had occafion to correct many errors that have efcaped eminent authors who have written on elections.

The fifth contains the number of voters, afcertained mostly from perfonal experience, and fome from a fight of the refpective poll-books. We therefore hope, in this cffential part of election information, to receive that confidence it was our anxious efforts to deferve.

The fixth contains the returning officer in each city and borough; and as material influence has attached to the department of this office, in elections,

the

the greatest care has been taken to ftate in whom the power is vefted.

The feventh contains the name of that perfon or perfons, who from feudal establishment, personal acquaintance, minifterial connexion, or landed property in the vicinity, has that influence which, from the obedience it commands from obfequious voters, is termed elective patronage.

Having explained, with every poffible precifion, the general and particular nature of the whole defign, and its fubordinate parts, here is fubjoined a brief

SUMMARY

OF SUBJECT

CONTAINED IN THESE

VOLUME S.

I. NUMBER of VOTERS in each Borough.

II. In whom the Rights of Election are vested, whether in,

1. FEUDAL TENUREs, as,

Right of Ancient Foundations,

Freehold,

Leafehold,

Burgagehold, &c.

2. PRE

2. PRESCRIPTION, as,

Scot and Lot Inhabitants,

Refiant Inhabitants,

Inhabitants at large,

Pot-wallers, &c.

3. CORPORATIONS of

Aldermen,

Burgeffes,

Select men,

Freemen refident,

non-refident,

acquired by Birth,

acquired by Servitude,

acquired by Election,

acquired by Redemption,

acquired by Marriage,

acquired by Purchase, &c.

III. THE UNDEFINED QUALIFICATIONS Of

Populacy,

Commonalty,
Boroughmen,

Portmen, &c.

IV. Names of the Noblemen or Gentlemen poffeffing Property, Influence, or Patronage, in each Borough.

V. Mode by which the Property, Influence, or Patronage, was acquired in every Borough, and the

manner

manner in which they are all exercised, maintained, and preserved.

VI. Mode of Bribing and Corrupting the Voters in cach City, Town, Borough, and Cinque Port.

VII. Connection between the Treasury, Admiralty, Ordnance, and other Public Offices of Government, with each Borough, or its refpe&tive Patron.

VIII. Comparative Value of a perpetual or temporary Intereft in any City, Town, Borough, and Cinque Port.

IX. Artifices used in Cities, Towns, Boroughs, and Cinque Ports, to difqualify Legal Votes, and va, lidate Falfe Votes.

X. Progreffive Value the Election-Intereft in Bo roughs has acquired, from the first Rife of corrupt Influence in the Administration of Lord Clifford, in the reign of Charles II. until the Ministry of William Pitt, inclufive.

The intention of preceding the Work with the few chapters on our Conftitutional Rights, is fhortly explained in their Introduction, to which we beg leave moft refpectfully to refer our Readers.

1

HISTORY

OF THE

BOROUGHS OF GREAT BRITAIN.

CHA P. I.

NECESSITY, PROPRIETY, AND CHIEF PRINCIPLES

OF ENQUIRING INTO THE ORIGINAL STATE OF

OUR REPRESENTATION.

PREVIOUS to

to giving an historical detail of the parliamentary abuses arifing from the corrupt state of borough representation, it is necessary to establish the free principle of our legislation. Before the fources and ftreams of oppreffion are traced, our original rights should be ascertained. It is impoffible to know the extent of an evil, but by comparing it with the bleffing it either injures or destroys. Nor can the cure be effected without confidering the conftitution of the patient. Thus, in all political as well as phyfical grievances, we VOL. I. fhould

B