25. U. K.

person who shall resign his office or employ- 43. Geo. 3. c. ment on or before the said first day of June, one thousand eight hundred and three.

§4. Provided also, and be it enacted, that Limitation of no person shall be liable to any forfeiture actions. or penalty, by this act laid or imposed, unless prosecution for the same be comnienced within twelve calendar months next after such penalty or forfeiture shall be incurred.

The Stat. 45 Geo, 3. c. 59. U. K.

An Act for amending an Act passed in the Parliament of Ireland, in the Thirty-fifth Year of His present Majesty, for regulating the Election of Members to serve in Parliament, so far as relates to Freeholds under the yearly Value of Twenty Pounds, and for making further and other Regulations relating thereto.

[27th June, 1805.]

Geo. 3. c. 77.)

"WHEREAS, by an act passed in the parlia- Irish act, 55 "ment of Ireland, in the thirty-fifth year of Geo. 3. c. 29. "the reign of his present majesty king George § 30, & 46, &c. "the third, intitled, An act for regulating (Sec post, 51 "the election of members to serve in parlia"ment, and for repealing the several acts "therein mentioned,' it is enacted, that no per"son shall be admitted to vote at any election "of a member or members to serve in parliament, by virtue of a freehold under the yearly

45 Geo. 3. c. 59. U. K.

"value of twenty pounds, unless such freehold shall have been in his actual occupation, either "by his residing thereon, or tilling or grazing "the same to the amount of forty shillings 'yearly value thereof, at the time of his regis

tering the same, pursuant to the provisions "of the said act, and also for six successive ca"lendar months at the least between the date "of such registry and the test of the writ for holding the election, unless such freehold "shall have come to such person by devise, descent, marriage, or marriage-settlement, "and was demised at the time it so came, "and continued at the time of such election "to be held under him by virtue of such de"mise: And whereas the aforesaid wholesome "provisions of the said recited act may be " evaded by pretended grants of, or agreements "for leases for a life or lives, though no lease "shall have been executed, or such life or lives. "been nominated:" 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 every person who from and after hold under 201. the passing of this act, shall register a freehold under the yearly value of twenty pounds, not arising from a rent-charge, shall register the same in manner and form following, instead of rected, instead registering it in manner and form prescribed it as directed by said recited act, or any law or laws now in force; that is to say, he shall, at a sessions of the peace for the county, county of a town, or 51. Geo. 3. c. city, wherein his freehold lies, held twelve* months at the least previous to the test of the writ for holding the election at which he shall tender his vote, produce in open court the

Persons pos

sessing a free

not arising

from a rent

charge, to register the same

as hereby di

-of registering

by any other law.

77. §2.

deed, lease, or instrument, under which his freehold arises, and take and subscribe the following oath, or, if a quaker, the following affirma

tion:

"I, A. B. of

"of

σε

45 Geo. 3. c.

59. U. K.

to the oath, 51

in the county Form of oath. [or] of the county of the (See further as city or town of [as the case Geo. 3. c. 77. "may be] do swear, [or, if a quaker, affirm] $1.) "that I am a freeholder of the county of and that I have a freehold "therein, arising from an house or houses, "land, or both, or other hereditaments, [as "the case may be] of the clear yearly value "of forty shillings at the least, above all "charges payable out of the same, lying and being at [naming the "town-land or town-lands, or other denomina"tion by which the place is generally known, "and barony or half-barony, or baronies or half-baronies, wherein it is situate], in this "county, [and if in a city or town, or county of "a city or town, naming the same, and the "street, and square, row, alley, lane, or place]; "and that the said freehold does not arise from "a rent-charge; and that the same arises by "virtue of the* deed, lease, or instrument which (See post, "I now produce, bearing date the in the year

66

"day of

66

for the life or lives of 4. B. and C. D. [or in case the said freehold be not for life or lives, "then stating the nature of his tenure, as the "case may be, at the yearly rent of

$6

; and that I am in the actual occupation thereof, by residing thereon, or by tilling, or by grazing, or by both tilling and grazing, [as the case may be, to the amount "of at least forty shillings yearly value thereof;

the end of this section.)

"and that the said freehold is not set, or agreed "to be set, to the person or persons who "executed the said deed, lease, or instrument, or to the heirs or assigns of such person or persons, or to any one in trust for him, her, "or them, nor do I intend to set the same to "such person or persons, or any of them; and "that I have not agreed to set it, for the term "for which I hold it, nor have I procured it fraudulently, or in exchange for a freehold in any other county.

"So help me God."

And if the freehold, in right or virtue whereof any person shall desire to qualify himself to vote, shall not arise by virtue of a deed, lease, or instrument, the person desiring to register it shall describe the same in the oath or affirmation so to be taken by him, according to the true state and nature of his tenure; in which case the words in the foregoing oath, importing that the same arises by virtue of deed, lease, or instrument, shall be omitted, and such description inserted in the place thereof.

open

§ 2. And be it enacted, that every such oath or affirmation shall be read aloud in court, and be signed by two at least of the justices presiding there, and shall be then delivered by the court to the acting clerk of the peace, to be filed and kept amongst the records of the county, county of a city, or town, wherein such freehold shall lie.

§ 3. And be it further enacted, that every deed, lease, or instrument, produced by any person making the affidavit or affirmation aforesaid, shall be indorsed at the time in open court, by

59. U. K.

the acting clerk of the peace, with his name, and 45 Geo. 3. c. the day of the month and year; and the clerk of the peace shall then and there compare the deed, lease, or instrument, with the affidavit of registry; and he shall, within ten days from the date thereof, enter in the book of his registry the date thereof, the names of the parties, and the name or names of the life or lives for which the same is held.

less registered

fore test of

on voting he

herein,

64. And be it further enacted, that from and No person after the twenty-ninth day of September, one freeholds thousand eight hundred and nine, no person under 20l. unshall be admitted to vote at any election to be twelve calenheld in Ireland, for a member or members to dar months beserve in parliament, by virtue of a freehold un- writ; der the clear yearly value of twenty pounds, who shall not have so registered his freehold twelve calendar months at the least before the test of the writ for holding the election at which he shall offer his vote; and that every person shall state parwho shall offer to vote as a freeholder, in right ticulars of of a freehold under the yearly value of twenty freehold, as pounds, shall, before he shall be admitted to poll at any election, if required by the sheriff, or any elector, declare upon oath from whom he on oath, if reholds or derives his freehold, if he holds it un- riff or any elec quired by sheder any person or persons; and if the same be tor; situate in a city, town corporate, or markettown, and describe the street, or part of the city or town in which the same is situate, and who are his next resident neighbours, and when the same was granted, and for what life or lives, and whether such life or lives, or any of them, is or are in being at the time of such election; and whether he is the person who actually registered the freehold under which he lesires to

a a

and whether he who registered

is the person

the same