PREFACE. B ECAUSE the true and ancient Inftitution of Parliament, do require the lower Houfe, at this Time, if ever, to be compounded of the graveft, ableft, and worthiest Members that may be found: We do hereby, (faid King James the First, in a Proclamation for a Parliament) out of the Care of the common Good, wherein themselves are participant, without all Prejudice to the Freedom of Elections, admonish all our loving Subjects, that have Votes in the Election of Knights and Burgeffes, of thefe few Points following. "That they caft their Eyes upon the worthiest Men of all Sorts, Knights and Gentlemen, that are Lights and Guides in their Countries, experienced Parliament Men, wife and difcreet Statefmen, that have been practifed in public Affairs, whether at Home or Abroad, grave and eminent Lawyers, fubftan tial Citizens and Burgeffes, and generally fuch Secondly, That they make Choice of fuch as are well affected in Religion, without de- "Thirdly and lastly, That they be truly fenfible, not to difvalue or difparage the Houfe with Bankrupts and neceffitous Perfons, that may defire long Parliaments only for Protec- tion; Lawyers of mean Account and Eftima- tion; young men that are not ripe for grave Confultations; mean Dependants upon great Perfons, that may be thought to have their Voices under Command, and fuch like ob- fcure and inferior Perfons: fo that, to con- clude, we may have the Comfort to see before us the very Face of a fufficient and well com- pofed Houfe, fuch as may be worthy to be a Reprefentative of a third Eftate of our King- dom, fit to nourish a loving and comfortable Meeting between Us and our People, and fit to be a noble Inftrument, under the Bleffing of Almighty God, and our princely Care and Power, and with the loving Conjunction of our Prelates and Peers, for the fettling fo great Affairs," as the proper Objects of Parliament. CONTENTS. CONTENT S. Ο I. ENGLAND. Ualifications of the Electors for England, p. 4, 15. for Chester and Durham, 3. 4. for Knights of the Shire, 6. for Citizens and Burgeffes, 11. Freedom of Election, 15. Riots, 17. Qualifications of the elected, Knights of the Shire 25. Citizens and Burgeffes, 26, Bribery and Corruption, 39. The Manner of and Proceedings at Elections, 42. of Knights of the Shire, 48. of Citizens and Burgeffes, 54. for London, 55. the Return, 58. Trials on controverted Elections, 65. New-Shoreham Christian Society, Qualifications of Electors, and Return in faid Borough, 78. II. SCOTLAND. The Qualifications of the Electors of the Peers, 80. of the Elected, 68. The Manner of and Proceedings at the Election, 69. A 3 The |