acts of parliament which relate to each branch of the United Kingdom, will be found, either in the body of the work or in the Appendix. Those of England, connected with the matter of the three first parts, are in general placed, by way of note, where they are immediately applicable. The remainder, with the acts respecting particular places in England, and also the Scots and Irish statutes, are introduced in the Appendix.

I trust that this arrangement of the statutes will not be deemed inconvenient. Those, the different clauses of which, are herein separated one from the other, are in general disconnected in their nature, the language of one part of the act affording no clue for the construction of another; and when necessary, the different sections will be found by reference to the table of statutes. Those statutes which are differently circumstanced in this respect (in general relating to the three latter parts) are kept together as entire acts; as are also those which are directed to be read at elections,

The reports of some short, but material cases, not hitherto printed, are introduced in the notes: I have collected the materials for them from sources upon which I can rely; and having compared them with the minutes of the committee-clerk, taken at the time, I trust they will prove substantially correct.

Election questions are only of occasional recurrence; to the profession they are less habitual than those which are dealt with in Westminster-hall; to persons not conversant with legal inquiry, called upon, in the situation of Returning Officers, to act in cases of anxiety and importance, without opportunity for consideration and advice, such questions are oftentimes fraught with difficulty.

These, as well as the reason's already adverted to, appeared to me to call for a work, having for its end, not only to incorporate each graft upon the original election code, but to subdivide, and methodize, what constitutes à law of general interest. This it has been my endeavour to accomplish.

I ought not perhaps to conclude, without acknowledging the abundance of information contained in the works of lord Glenbervie, Mr. serjeant Heywood, and Mr. serjeant Peckwell, (now Blosset). The consideration in which they are holden is so evident, as almost to preclude the observation. The resort to them, upon all subjects of this nature, best bespeaks their eulogy.

With respect to the utility of this undertaking, I am in no apprehension for the judgment of the profession or the public. With respect to the execution, I wish I could await it with equal confidence.

The first parts and the Appendix are now published. The remainder will follow, I hope, at no distant period.

WILLIAM THOMAS ROE.

LINCOLN'S-INN, Sept. 26, 1812.

ADVERTISEMENT

TO THE

SECOND EDITION.

SINCE the year 1812, when this work first appeared, so much additional matter has accrued, arising both from new acts of parliament, and from decisions of cases expressly upon, or intimately connected with the subject of parliamentary elections, as to render another edition of those parts which were originally published, absolutely necessary. The alterations and additions which have taken place since the former edition would have been given by way of supplement to what was already in print, but it was found quite impracticable to accomplish this in any sufficient and satisfactory manner.

The collection of statutes is continued to the present day, and it will be found to contain many which are in no other election-work, but which obviously belong to the present subject.

Amongst the additions which are now introduced, the report of the Rochester case, 1817, of which the author took notes (the first and only case upon the subject which it embraces) will be found in the Appendix.

The author had prepared a report of the appeal case of Black v. Campbell, in the house of lords, (9th and 16th May, 1817,) which was a proceeding under the stat. 16 Geo. 2, c. 11, § 26, to recover against the appellant, the town-clerk of Inverkeithing, a penalty of £500, and to subject him to six months' imprisonment, and to incapacity for his office, for not having returned the appellant as delegate for Inverkeithing, he claiming to have been elected by the majority of the magistrates and towncouncillors. The question was, whether the appellant was justified in rejecting the votes of certain of the town-councillors who were upon the list, but who had ceased to reside. The decision, however, turned upon the pleadings, which made it unavailable for general purposes; wherefore, and as it would have run to considerable length, it has not been inserted.

The author has to lament that his professional avocations should so long have impeded the publication of the remainder of the work. It is now in considerable forwardness, and he hopes that it will be completed before the period when a treatise of this nature would be more particularly called for.

LINCOLN'S-INN, May 25, 1818.