II. [Clause regulating the election of representative peers and members of the house of commons for Ireland.]

III. And be it enacted, that the great seal of Ireland may, if His Majesty shall so think fit, after the union, be used in like manner as before the union, except where it is otherwise provided by the foregoing articles, within that part of the united kingdom called Ireland; and that His Majesty may, so long as he shall think fit, continue the privy council of Ireland to be his privy council for that part of the united kingdom called Ireland.

259. Abolition of the Negro Slave Trade

(1807, March 25. 47 George III. c. 36. 47 S. L. 140.)

WHEREAS the two houses of parliament did, by their reso

lutions of the tenth and twenty-fourth days of July one thousand eight hundred and six, severally resolve, upon certain grounds therein mentioned, that they would, with all practicable expedition, take effectual measures for the abolition of the African slave trade, in such manner, and at such period, as might be deemed advisable; and whereas it is fit upon all and each of the grounds mentioned in the said resolutions, that the same should be forthwith abolished and prohibited, and declared to be unlawful: be it therefore enacted by the king's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that from and after the first day of May one thousand eight hundred and seven, the African slave trade, and all and all manner of dealing and trading in the purchase, sale, barter, or transfer of slaves, or of persons intended to be sold, transferred, used, or dealt with as slaves, practised or carried on, in, at, to, or from any part of the coast or countries of Africa, shall be, and the same is hereby utterly abolished, prohibited, and declared to be unlawful; and also that all and all manner of dealing, either by way of purchase, sale, barter, or transfer, or by means of any other contract or agreement whatever, relating to any slaves, or to any persons intended to be used or dealt with as slaves, for the purpose of such slaves or persons being removed or transported either immediately or by transhipment at sea or otherwise, directly or indirectly from

Africa, or from any island, country, territory, or place whatever, in the West Indies, or in any other part of America, not being in the dominion, possession, or occupation of His Majesty, to any other island, country, territory, or place whatever, is hereby in like manner utterly abolished, prohibited, and declared to be unlawful;

260. Disfranchisement of Grampound

WHE

(1821, June 8. 1 & 2 George IV. c. 47. 59 S. L. 103.)

WHEREAS there was the most notorious and general bribery and corruption previous to the election of burgesses to serve in the last parliament for the borough of Grampound, in the county of Cornwall, in order to procure the return of burgesses to serve in parliament for the said borough, and it should therefore be excluded from hereafter returning burgesses to serve in parliament: and whereas it is expedient that two additional knights of the shire should be returned for the county of York to serve in parliament in lieu of two burgesses for the borough of Grampound: may it therefore please Your Majesty that it may be enacted, and be it enacted by the king's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that the borough of Grampound, in the county of Cornwall, shall cease to elect and return burgesses to serve in the high court of parliament.

II. And be it further enacted, that if, during the present parliament, the election of the two burgesses now serving therein for the same borough of Grampound or either of them, shall by death or otherwise become void, then and in every such case an additional knight or knights shall be returned to serve in the high court of parliament for the county of York; and that from the end of the present parliament, and at all times thereafter, the said county of York shall return, to serve in the high court of parliament, four knights of the shire instead of two knights of the shire, as the said county has heretofore returned; the said knights respectively to be elected and chosen by virtue of Your Majesty's writ, to be awarded by the lord chancellor or lord keeper of the great seal of that part of the united kingdom called Great Britain for the time being, in that behalf to the sheriff of

the county of York; and the said knights to be elected and returned in the same manner, to all intents and purposes, as knights have been heretofore returned for the county of York.

261. Repeal of Corporation and Test Acts

WHER

(1828, May 9. 9 George IV. c. 17. 65 S. L. 22.)

HEREAS an act was passed in the thirteenth year of the reign of King Charles the Second, entitled, An Act for the well governing and regulating of Corporations: and whereas another act was passed in the twenty-fifth year of the reign of King Charles the Second, entitled, An Act for preventing Dangers which may happen from Popish Recusants: and whereas another act was passed in the sixteenth year of the reign of King George the Second, entitled, An Act to indemnify Persons who have omitted to qualify themselves for Offices and Employments within the Time limited by Law, and for allowing further Time for that Purpose, and also for amending so much of an Act made in the twenty-fifth Year of the Reign of King Charles the Second, entitled, An Act for preventing Dangers which may happen from Popish Recusants, as related to the Time for receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper now limited by the said Act: and whereas it is expedient that so much of the said several acts of parliament as imposes the necessity of taking the sacrament of the Lord's Supper according to the rites or usage of the Church of England, for the purposes therein respectively mentioned, should be repealed; be it therefore enacted by the king's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that so much and such parts of the said several acts passed in the thirteenth and twenty-fifth years of the reign of King Charles the Second, and of the said act passed in the sixteenth year of the reign of King George the Second, as require the person or persons in the said acts respectively described to take or receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper according to the rites or usage of the Church of England, for the several purposes therein expressed, or to

deliver a certificate or to make proof of the truth of such his or their receiving the said sacrament in manner aforesaid, or as impose upon any such person or persons any penalty, forfeiture, incapacity, or disability whatsoever for or by reason of any neglect or omission to take or receive the said sacrament, within the respective periods and in the manner in the said acts respectively provided in that behalf, shall, from and immediately after the passing of this act, be and the same are hereby repealed.

II. And whereas the Protestant episcopal Church of England and Ireland, and the doctrine, discipline, and government thereof, and the Protestant presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the doctrine, discipline, and government thereof, are by the laws of this realm severally established, permanently and inviolably: and whereas it is just and fitting, that on the repeal of such parts of the said acts as impose the necessity of taking the sacrament of the Lord's Supper according to the rites or usage of the Church of England as a qualification for office, a declaration to the following effect should be substituted in lieu thereof; be it therefore enacted, that every person who shall hereafter be placed, elected, or chosen in or to the office of mayor, alderman, recorder, bailiff, town clerk or common councilman, or in or to any office of magistracy, or place, trust, or employment relating to the government of any city, corporation, borough, or cinque port within England and Wales, or the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, shall, within one calendar month next before or upon his admission into any of the aforesaid offices or trusts, make and subscribe the declaration following:

'I, A. B., do solemnly and sincerely, in the presence of God, profess, testify, and declare, upon the true faith of a Christian, that I will never exercise any power, authority, or influence which I may possess by virtue of the office of to injure or weaken

the Protestant church as it is by law established in England, or to disturb the said church, or the bishops and clergy of the said church, in the possession of any rights or privileges to which such church, or the said bishops and clergy, are or may be by law entitled.'

262. Catholic Emancipation Act

(1829, April 13. 10 George IV. c. 7. 65 S. L. pt. 2, p. 49.)

WHEREAS by various acts of parliament certain restraints

and disabilities are imposed on the Roman Catholic subjects of His Majesty, to which other subjects of His Majesty are not liable: and whereas it is expedient that such restraints and disabilities shall be from henceforth discontinued: and whereas by various acts certain oaths and certain declarations, commonly called the declaration against transubstantiation, and the declaration against transubstantiation and the invocation of saints and the sacrifice of the mass, as practised in the Church of Rome, are or may be required to be taken, made, and subscribed by the subjects of His Majesty, as qualifications for sitting and voting in parliament, and for the enjoyment of certain offices, franchises, and civil rights: be it enacted by the king's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that from and after the commencement of this act all such parts of the said acts as require the said declarations, or either of them, to be made or subscribed by any of His Majesty's subjects, as a qualification for sitting and voting in parliament, or for the exercise or enjoyment of any office, franchise, or civil right, be and the same are (save as hereinafter provided and excepted) hereby repealed.

II. And be it enacted, that from and after the commencement of this act it shall be lawful for any person professing the Roman Catholic religion, being a peer, or who shall after the commencement of this act be returned as a member of the house of commons, to sit and vote in either house of parliament respectively, being in all other respects duly qualified to sit and vote therein, upon taking and subscribing the following oath, instead of the oaths of allegiance, supremacy, and abjuration:

'I, A. B., do sincerely promise and swear, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King George the Fourth, and will defend him to the utmost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatever, which shall be made against his person, crown, or dignity; and I will do my utmost endeavour to disclose and make known to His Majesty, his heirs and successors, all treasons and traitorous conspiracies which may be formed against him or them: and I do faithfully promise to maintain,