City of London Elections. Act 1724

JurisdictionUK Non-devolved
Citation1724 c. 18
Anno Regni GEORGII Regis Magn Britanni, Franci & Hiberni, undecimo. An Act for regulating Elections within the City ofLondon , and for preserving the Peace, goodOrder and Government of the said City.

(11 Geo. 1) C A P. XVIII.

'WHEREAS of late Years great Controversies and Dissentions have arisen in the City ofLondon at the Elections of Citizens to serve in Parliament, and of Mayors, Aldermen, Sheriffs and other Officers of the said City, and many evil-minded Persons, having no Right of voting, have unlawfully intruded themselves into the Assemblies of the Citizens, and presumed to give their Votes at such Elections, in manifest Violation of the Rights and Privileges of the Citizens, and of the Freedom of their Elections, and to the Disturbance of the Publick Peace: And whereas great Numbers of wealthy Persons, not free of the said City, do inhabit and carry on the Trade of Merchandize and other Imployments, within the said City, and refuse or decline to become Freemen of the same, by reason of an antient Custom within the said City, restraining the Freemen of the same from disposing of their Personal Estates by their last Wills and Testaments: And whereas great Dissentions have arisen between the Aldermen and Commons of the Common Council ofLondon , in or concerning the making or passing of Acts, Orders or Ordinances in Common Council, which if not timely settled and determined, may occasion great Obstructions of the Publick Business and Concerns of the said City, and create many expensive Controversies and Suits at Law, and be attended with other dangerous Consequences:' Now to the Intent that suitable Remedies may be provided for preserving the Privileges of the City of London , and the Freedom of Election therein, and for settling the Right of such Elections, and putting a Stop to the aforesaid Controversies and Dissentions, and the ill Consequences of the same, and that a constant Supply may be had of able Officers, capable of supporting the Dignity of and maintaining good Order and Government within that antient, populous, and loyal City, which is of the greatest Consequence to the whole Kingdom; 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 at all Times, from and after the first Day of June in the Yearof our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twenty-five, upon every Election of a Citizen or Citizens to serve for the said City ofLondon in Parliament, and upon all Elections of Mayors, Sheriffs, Chamberlains, Bridge-masters, Auditors of Chamberlains and Bridge-masters Accounts, and all and every other Officer and Officers to be chosen in and for the said City, by the Liverymen thereof, and upon all Elections of Aldermen and Common Council-Men chosen at the respective Wardmotes of the said City, the presiding Officer or Officers at such Elections shall, in case a Poll be demanded by any of the Candidates, or any two or more of the Electors, appoint a convenient Number of Clerks to take the same, which Clerks shall take the said Poll in the Presence of the presiding Officer or Officers, and be sworn by such Officer or Officers truly and indifferently to take the same, and to set down the Name of each Voter, and his Place of Residence or Abode, and for whom he shall poll, and to poll no Person who shall not be sworn, or being a Quaker , shall not affirm according to the Direction of this Act: And every Personbefore he is admitted to poll at any Election of any Citizen or Citizens to serve in Parliament, or of any Officer or Officers usually chosen by the Liverymen of the said City as aforesaid, shall take the Oath herein after mentioned, or being one of the People calledQuakers , shall solemnly affirm the Effect thereof, that is to fay,

'YOU do swear, That you are a Freemen ofLondon , and a Liveryman of the Company of and have so been for the Space of twelve Kalendar Months; and that the Place of your Abode is at in and that you have not polled at this Election.'

So help you God.

And in Case of any Election of any Alderman or Common-Council-Man, every Person before he is admitted to poll, shall take the Oath herein after mentioned, or being one of the People calledQuakers , shall solemnly affirm the Effect thereof, that is to say,

'YOU do swear, That you are a Freeman ofLondon , and an Housholder in the Ward of and have not polled at this Election.' So help you God.

And if any Person or Persons shall refuse or neglect to take the Oaths hereby respectively appointed to be taken, or being aQuaker shall refuse or neglect to make such solemn Affirmation as aforesaid, then and in every such Case the Poll or Vote of such Person or Persons so neglecting or refusing shall be, and the same is hereby declared to be null and void, and as such shall be rejected and disallowed.

S-II The Oath 1 Geo. 1. to be taken, if requir'd.

II The Oath 1 Geo. 1. to be taken, if requir'd.

II. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That at all Times from and after the said first Day ofJune in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twenty-five, upon every Election of such Citizen or Citizens, Officer or Officers, by the Liverymen of the said City, and upon every Election of such Officer or Officers at any Wardmote of the said City as aforesaid, all and every Person and Persons having a Right to vote or poll at such Election or Elections, shall before he be admitted to vote or poll thereat (if required by any of the Candidates, or any two or more of the Electors) first take the Oaths in and by an Act made in the first Year of his Majesty's Reign, intituled, An Actfor the further Security of his Majesty's Person and Government, and the Succession of the Crown in the Heirs of the late PrincessSophia , being Protestants, and for extinguishing the Hopes of the pretended Prince of Wales, and his open and secret Abettors , appointed to be taken, or being one of the People called Quakers , shall if required as aforesaid, solemnly affirm the Effect thereof; and if any Person or Persons shall, being required thereunto as aforesaid, refuse or neglect to take the said Oaths by the said Act appointed to be taken, or to affirm the Effect thereof as aforesaid, That then the Poll or Vote of such Person or Persons so neglecting or refusing shall be, and the same is hereby declared to be null and void, and as such shall be rejected and disallowed; and the presiding Officers at all and every the respective Electionsaforesaid, and such sworn Clerks as shall be by them appointed, are hereby respectively authorized and impowered to administer the above mentioned Oaths and Affirmations; and if any such presiding Officer or Officers, sworn Clerk or Clerks, shall neglect or refuse so to do, or shall otherwise offend in the Premisses, contrary to the true Intent and Meaning of this Act, every such Officer and sworn Clerk shall for every such Offence forfeit the Sum of sixty Pounds of lawful Money ofGreat Britain , besides Costs of Suit.

S-III Penalty on salfly taking the Oaths or suborning.

III Penalty on salfly taking the Oaths or suborning.

III. And it is hereby further enacted, That if any Person or Persons shall wilfully, salfly and corruptly take the said Oaths or Affirmations set forth and appointed in and by this Act, or either of them, and be thereof lawfully convicted by Indictment or Information, or if any Person or Persons shall corruptly procure or suborn any other Person to take the said Oaths or Affirmations or either of them, whereby he shall wilfully and salfly take the said Oaths or Affirmations or either of them, and the Person so procuring or suborning shall be thereof convicted by Indictment or Information; every Person so offending shall for every such Offence incur and suffer such Penalties, Forfeitures and Disabilities, as Persons convicted of wilful and corrupt Perjury at the Common Law are liable unto.

S-IV Presiding Officer how to act, if a Poll be demanded.

IV Presiding Officer how to act, if a Poll be demanded.

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