The squib-book; an impartial account of the Liverpool election, March, 1820. To which is prefixed the law of elections

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Page vii - The true reason of requiring any qualification, with regard to property, in voters, is to exclude such persons as are in so mean a situation that they are esteemed to have no will of their own. If these persons had votes, they would be tempted to dispose of them under some undue influence or other. This would give a great, an artful, or a wealthy man, a larger share in elections than is consistent with general liberty.
Page viii - ... delegates, to whose charge is committed the disposal of his property, his liberty, and his life. But, since that can hardly be expected in persons of indigent fortunes, or such as are under the immediate dominion of others, all popular states have been obliged to establish certain qualifications; whereby some who are suspected to have no will of their own, are excluded from voting, in order to set other individuals, whose wills may be supposed independent, more thoroughly upon a level with each...
Page 27 - Six days shalt thou labour, and do all that thou hast to do; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt do no manner of work, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, thy cattle, and the stranger that is within thy gates.
Page xiii - Within three days after the receipt of this writ, the sheriff is to send his precept, under his seal, to the proper returning officers of the cities and boroughs, commanding them to elect their members: and the said returning officers are to proceed to election within eight days from the receipt of the precept, giving four days' notice of the same;(^) and to return the persons chosen, together with the precept, to the sheriff.
Page 50 - That no person who has an office or place of profit under the King, or receives a pension from the Crown, shall be capable of serving as a Member of the House of Commons.
Page xiv - ... threats, promises, or otherwise won to his designs, and employs them to bring in such who have promised beforehand what to vote and what to enact.
Page xii - ... comptrollers of the army accounts; agents for regiments; governors of plantations, and their deputies; officers of Minorca or Gibraltar; officers of the excise and customs; clerks...
Page 15 - Ireland, do, respectively, upon notice thereof, forthwith issue out writs in due form, and according to law, for calling a new Parliament : and We do hereby also by this Our Royal Proclamation under Our Great Seal of Our United Kingdom, require writs forthwith to be issued accordingly by Our said...
Page xiv - Thus to regulate candidates and electors and new model the ways of election, what is it but to cut up the government by the roots and poison the very fountain of public security?
Page xi - First who indulged them with the permanent privilege to send constantly two of their own body; to serve for those students who, though" useful members of the community, were neither concerned in the landed nor the («) 4 Inst., 16. <a) Prynne, Part Writs, L &I&. trading interest; and to protect in the legislature the rights of the republic of letters.

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