tenures, which are ufually refigned, in this and all other fimilar boroughs, to their legal owners, immediately after the election is concluded. The number therefore of voters may be faid to be efficiently but one, although the burgage tenures have fometimes amounted to 100.

RETURNING OFFICER-the portreve,

PATRON-Earl of Beverley,

POLITICAL ANECDOTE.

The following anecdote is worth relating, in the hiftory of this borough:-The Earl of Mornington was one of the members returned for this borough at the general election in 1784, in the time of the late Duke of Northumberland; and his lordship vacating his feat in December 1786, by being appointed a lord of the treafury, the Earl of Beverley, who had then fucceeded his father in this eftate, had taken offence at fome conduct in the prefent adminiftration, and therefore refufed the treasuryagent his re-election. The Duke of Northumberland however continues with oppofition, al

though

though the Earl of Beverley still supports administration.

ANOTHER.

At the election for this borough, A. D. 1721, Eliot, a commiffioner of excife, had taken upon himself to be the returning officer, contrary to law, which forbids any perfon belonging to the excife to meddle with elections. A motion made to addrefs the king, was, by this virtuous parliament, fet afide, by moving the previous question.

PLYMOUTH.

POLITICAL CHARACTER.-This town, which is as large and populous as the city of Exeter, affords a moft convincing proof of that want of reform in our reprefentative fyftem, which has been the object of our greatest men and best patriots, and which it is the defign of this publication to promote.

This is one of the places termed Admiralty boroughs, from that board taking upon itself the nomi

nomination of the members.

It is generally

reprefented by a lord of the admiralty, and an admiral or captain of the navy and the admiralty always difplay the eftimation which this place, Portsmouth, or Chatham, hold in their favour, by the good behaviour of the respective corporations, as the fhips are ufually paid off at that port which manifefts the most political fubmiffion. Rochefter, the politics of which form the barometer of court-favour for Chatham, experiences but half the civility it might otherwife expect, from Mr. Beft, one of their members, being in oppofition; and Portsmouth is deemed incorrigible, from having both in that predicament.

ANCIENT REPRESENTATION.-This borough, anciently known by the name of Sutton, having fent, 26 or 33 Edward I. the 4th and 7th Edward II. and to a council, 14 Edward III. intermitted returning until 20 Henry IV. who incorporated it in the 18th year of his reign.

CORPORATION-confifts of a mayor, recorder, twelve aldermen, and forty-eight common-coun

cilmen.

RIGHT OF ELECTION-of members to reprefent twenty thousand inhabitants, who are calculated to be in this town, is invefted in a selfcreated corporation: but the right in this place, as in all others, was originally in the people at large, until the ingenuity of power defined commonalty to mean corporation, populacy to mean tax-payers; and, by a fyftem of political logic, proved a part to be the whole.

Jan. 15, 1639. The flanding order, made 16 Jan. 1735, for reftraining counfel from offering evidence touching the legality of votes contrary to the laft determination of the houfe of commons, was read;

And the last determination of the houfe concerning the right of electing burgeffes to ferve in parliament for the faid borough, made the 9th of June 1660, which was then refolved to be in the mayor and commonalty of the said borough, was alfo read.

Then the counfel for the petitioner were heard, and infifted, that the word commonalty, in the faid laft determination, extended only to the freemen

freemen of the faid borough, exclusive of the freeholders thereof.

Which being denied by the counsel for the fitting member, who infifted that the faid word commonalty includes the freeholders of the faid borough ;

Many pieces of evidence were given on each fide (which are stated in the votes of this day, and on the day next hereafter-mentioned), confifting chiefly of charters, indentures of return, a parliament-roll, and witneffes to prove the ufage.

Dec. 14, 1739.
1. Ordered, "That the com-
"miffioner, and clerk of the cheque, of his
Majefty's dock-yard near the borough of
Plymouth, do permit John Rogers, efq.
"(against whom a petition is depending
" before the house, touching the last elec-
"tion of a member to ferve in parliament
"for the faid borough), or his agents, to

infpect and take minutes of the mufter"rolls and books, wherein are contained "the time of entry and difcharge of all 'fhipwrights,