And Thomas Pitman, the mayor, was ordered into cuftody for illegal and arbitrary practices at the election.

May 17, 1720. Refolved, "That that part of "the parish called the Holy Trinity, alias "Dorchester Trinitatis, which was formerly "the parish, of Froome Whitfield, is no "part of Dorchefter in the county of Dor"fet."

Refolved, "That the tithing of Collington"row, within the parish of the Holy Trinity, "alias Dorchester Trinitatis, is no part of the borough of Dorchester in the county " of Dorfet."

Feb. 22, 1775, Refolved, by the Committee, "That, purfuant to the last determination, "fuch perfons as pay to church and poor " in refpect of their real eftates within the "faid borough, though not inhabitants or " occupiers, were entitled to vote."

April 14, 1791. Refolved,

"That, pursuant to the last determination of the houfe of

" com

"commons, the right of electing burgeffe "to ferve in parliament for the borough of "Dorchester in the county of Dorfet, is "in the inhabitants of the faid borough "paying to church and poor in respect of "their personal eftates, and in fuch perfons "as pay to church and poor in respect to "their real estates within the faid borough,

although not inhabitants or occupiers, and

although their names do not appear upon "the poor's rate."

But the right of election may be faid to be pregnant with the greatest political inconveniences for a perfon poffeffing the fee fimple of a house and offices may, by letting his house to one, his garden to a fecond, his coach-house to a third, and his stable to a fourth, qualify as many voters, and that without regard to refidence, or his name ever appearing upon the poor's rate. We should, therefore, be happy to be informed by what criterion the returning officer is to judge of what votes he should admit or refufe: or, indeed, upon the view here taken of the inconfiftent principles and extraordinary determinations of the right of voting, which

this scene of borough election affords, on what fyftem or fecurity of right can this country depend for a pure, free, equal, and adequate representation?

NUMBER OF VOTERS-200.

RETURNING OFFICER-the mayor.

PATRON-The Earl of Shaftesbury, and Lord

Milton.

LYME-REGIS,

ANCIENT STATE.- This town was, at the conquest, part of the demefne lands of the convent of Sherborne, and probably fo continued until 12 Edward I. when it was annexed to the crown, and thus derives the title of Lyme-Regis, or King's-Lyme. Soon after this, the king made it a free borough, and granted it every privilege that is enjoyed even by the city of London, with a court of huftings, and freedom from all tolls and laftage. These privileges were confirmed by the fucceeding princes; and Edward II. alfo granted to the burgeffes the

town

town in fee-farm, upon paying 33 marks every year into the exchequer. In the reigns of Henry IV. and V. the French attacked, pu ndered, and burnt it; upon which, the king forgave the inhabitants all their arrears, and reduced their fee-farm rent from 211. to 51. which fum was, in confequence of their misfortunes, again leffened to 31. 6s. 8d. which they still continue to pay.

In Camden's time (James I.) it was a small, inconfiderable place, inhabited by fishermen; but it has fince greatly improved, and grown a confiderable fea-port. The harbour is esteemed as one of the fineft in the English Channel.

POLITICAL CHARACTER.---This may be deemed one of those many dependent boroughs, which is wholly under the controul of an individual; the Earl of Westmorland and his ancestors having had the entire influence in the corporation for the laft century.

ANCIENT REPRESENTATION-was as early as 23 Edward I.

CORPORATION.---The laft charter was granted by William III. by which it is governed by a

mayor, who is a juftice of peace during his mayoralty and the year following; and in the third year he is both juftice and coroner. Here also are a recorder, fifteen capital burgeffes, two of whom are juftices, a town-clerk, and other officers.

RIGHT OF ELECTION.-There having been a conteft, time immemorial, between the corporation and the freeholders of the borough, for the right of election; on the 21ft of May, 1689, it was determined to be in the corporation and freeholders. On the 28th of February, 1727, it was refolved to be in the corporation. The fame queftion has been twice agitated before committees of the houfe of commons, conftituted under the Grenville act. In the first of thefe, Lionel Darell, efq. and Henry Harford, efq. were petitioners; when, upon hearing, it was determined by a committee of the house of commons, that the right was in the corporation only; and that the hon. Henry Fane, and David Robert Mitchell, efq. the fitting members, were duly elected. The right of the freeholders was again contefted at a general election, 1784, and tried before a fecond committee, on the 15th of February, 1785, when Robert Wood, efq. and John

Cator,