2 W. 4, c. 45. shall for the purposes of this Act include the place or places respectively which shall be comprehended within the boundaries of each of the said places, shire-towns, and boroughs respectively, as such boundaries shall be settled and described by an Act to be passed for that purpose in this present Parliament, which Act, when passed, shall be deemed and taken to be part of this Act as fully and effectually as if the same were incorporated herewith.

Swansea,

Loughor, Neath, Aberavon,

and Ken-fig

to form One

Electors

vote for a member for Cardiff.

X. That each of the towns of Swansea, Loughor, Neath, Aberavon, and Ken-fig shall for the purposes of this Act include the place or places respectively which shall be comprehended within the boundaries borough, and of each of the said towns, as such boundaries shall thereof not to be settled and described by an Act to be passed for that purpose in this present Parliament, which Act, when passed, shall be deemed and taken to be part of this Act as fully and effectually as if the same were incorporated herewith; and that the said five towns, so including as aforesaid, shall for the purposes of this Act be one borough, and shall as such borough, from and after the end of this present Parliament, return One Member to serve in Parliament; and that the Portreeve of Swansea shall be the returning officer for the said borough; and that no person, by reason of any right accruing in any of the said five towns, shall have any vote in the election of a member to serve in any future Parliament for the borough of Cardiff.

Description of the returning officers

for the new boroughs.

XI. That the persons respectively described in the said Schedules (C.) and (D.) shall be the returning officers at all elections of a member or members to serve in Parliament for the boroughs in conjunction with which such persons are respectively mentioned in the said Schedules (C.) and (D.);

and that for those boroughs in the said Schedules for which no persons are mentioned in such Schedules Temporary ap- as returning officers, the sheriff for the time being of the county in which such boroughs are respectively situate shall, within two months after the passing of

pointment by

sheriffs,

this Act, and in every succeeding respective year in 2 W. 4, c. 45. the month of March, by writing under his hand, to be delivered to the Clerk of the Peace of the county within one week, and to be by such Clerk of the Peace filed and preserved with the records of his office, nominate and appoint for each of such boroughs Qualification. a fit person, being resident therein, to be, and such person so nominated and appointed shall accordingly be, the returning officer for each of such boroughs respectively until the nomination to be made in the succeeding March; and in the event of the death of any such person, or of his becoming incapable to act by reason of sickness or other sufficient impediment, the sheriff for the time being shall on notice thereof forthwith nominate and appoint in his stead a fit person, being so resident as aforesaid, to be, and such person so nominated and appointed shall accordingly Exemption. be, the returning officer for such borough for the remainder of the then current year; and no person, having been so nominated and appointed as returning officer for any borough, shall after the expiration of his office be compellable at any time thereafter to serve again in the said office for the same borough: [See COMMENTARY, p. 121, 122.]

lified [ex

returning

Provided always, that no person being in holy or- Who disquaders, nor any churchwarden or overseer of the poor empted from within any such borough, shall be nominated or being] to be appointed as such returning officer for the same; officer. and that no person nominated and appointed as returning officer for any borough now sending or hereafter to send members to Parliament shall be appointed a churchwarden or overseer of the poor therein during the time for which he shall be such returning officer: [See COMMENTARY, p. 122.]

Provided also, that no person qualified to be Who exempt. elected to serve as a member in Parliament shall be compellable to serve as returning officer for any borough for which he shall have been nominated and appointed by the sheriff as aforesaid, if within one week after he shall have received notice of his nomination and appointment as returning officer he shall make oath of such qualification before any justice of

viii

WHO EXEMPTED FROM BEING RETURNING OFFICERS.

2 W. 4, c. 45. the peace, and shall forthwith notify the same to the

Proviso that in case of in

the mayor, &c. shall be the

returning of

ficer.

sheriff:

Provided also, that in case His Majesty shall be corporation pleased to grant His Royal Charter of Incorporation to any of the boroughs named in the said Schedules (C.) and (D.) which are not now incorporated, and shall by such charter give power to elect a mayor or other chief municipal officer for any such borough, then and in every such case such mayor or other chief municipal officer for the time being shall be the only returning officer for such borough; and the provisions hereinbefore contained with regard to the nomination and appointment of a returning officer for such borough shall thenceforth cease and deter

Six knights of the shire for Yorkshire;

riding.

mine.

XII. That in all future Parliaments there shall be six knights of the shire, instead of four, to serve for two for each the county of York, (that is to say,) two knights for each of the three ridings of the said county, to be elected in the same manner, and by the same classes and descriptions of voters, and in respect of the same several rights of voting, as if each of the three ridings were a separate county; and that the court for the election of knights of the shire for the North riding of the said county shall be holden at the city of York, and the court for the election of knights of the shire for the West riding of the said county shall be holden at Wakefield, and the court for the election of knights of the shire for the East riding of the said county shall be holden at Beverly.

Four Knights

of the Shire

for the parts

XIII. That in all future Parliaments there shall for Lincoln be four knights of the shire, instead of two, to serve shire; two for the county of Lincoln, (that is to say,) two for of Lindsey, the parts of Lindsey in the said county, and two for two for Kes- the parts of Kesteven and Holland in the same county; and that such four knights shall be chosen in the same manner, and by the same classes and descriptions of voters, and in respect of the same several rights of voting, as if the said parts of Lindsey were a separate county, and the said parts of Kesteven

teven and Holland.

and Holland together were also a separate county; 2 W. 4, c. 45. and that the court for the election of knights of the shire for the parts of Lindsey in the said county shall be holden at the city of Lincoln, and the court for the election of knights of the shire for the parts of Kesteven and Holland in the said county shall be holden at Sleaford.

vided, and to

the Shire for

XIV. That each of the counties enumerated in Certain counthe Schedule marked (F.) to this act annexed shall ties to be dibe divided into two divisions, which divisions shall return Two be settled and described by an act to be passed for Knights of that purpose in this present Parliament; which act, each division. when passed, shall be deemed and taken to be part of this act as fully and effectually as if the same were incorporated herewith; and that in all future Parliaments there shall be four knights of the shire, instead of two, to serve for each of the said counties, (that is to say,) two knights of the shire for each division of the said counties; and that such knights shall be chosen in the same manner, and by the same classes and descriptions of voters, and in respect of the same several rights of voting, as if each of the said divisions were a separate county; and that the court for eleccourt for the election of knights of the shire for each tion of knights division of the said counties shall be holden at the place to be named for that purpose in the act so to be passed as aforesaid, for settling and describing the divisions of the said counties.

of shire.

ties to return

XV. That in all future Parliaments there shall be Certain counthree knights of the shire, instead of two, to serve ThreeKnights for each of the counties enumerated in the Schedule of the Shire. marked (F. 2.) to this act annexed, and two knights of the shire, instead of one, to serve for each of ths counties of Carmarthen, Denbigh, and Glamorgan.

severed from

XVI. That the Isle of Wight in the county of Isle of Wight Southampton shall for the purposes of this act be a Hampshire, county of itself, separate and apart from the county to return a of Southampton, and shall return one knight of the shire to serve in every future Parliament; and that

member.

2 W. 4, c. 45. such knight shall be chosen by the same classes and descriptions of voters, and in respect of the same several rights of voting, as any knight of the shire shall be chosen in any county in England; and that all elections for the said county of the Isle of Wight shall be holden at the town of Newport in the Isle of Wight, and the sheriff of the Isle of Wight, or his deputy, shall be the returning officer at such elections.

Towns which

are counties

county elections.

XVII. That for the purpose of electing a knight of themselves or knights of the shire to serve in any future Parto be included liament, the East riding of the county of York, the in adjoining counties for North riding of the county of York, the parts of Lindsey in the county of Lincoln, and the several counties at large enumerated in the second column of the Schedule marked (G.) to this Act annexed, shall respectively include the several cities and towns, and counties of the same, which are respectively mentioned in conjunction with such ridings, parts, and counties at large, and named in the first column of the said Schedule (G.)* [See COMMENTARY, p. 19.]

Limitation on

the right of voting for counties and

for cities be

XVIII. That no person shall be entitled to vote in the election of a knight or knights of the shire to serve in any future Parliament, or in the election ing counties of a member or members to serve in any future of themselves, Parliament for any city or town being a county of freeholds for itself, in respect of any freehold lands or tenements whereof such person may be seised for his own life, or for the life of another, or for any lives whatsoever,

in respect of

life.

Exception of occupiers.

except such person shall be in the actual and bonâ fide occupation of such lands or tenements, [See COMMENTARY, p. 4, 9, 12, 13, 14.]

or except the same shall have come to such person

But this must be taken subject to the exception of persons having a possible right to vote in the city under Sec. 24 and 25: or it may be questionable whether by the operation of this clause the corporate rights of returning members, as counties, is not merged in the new privilege. This, if it be a question, is a serious one.