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Cashel,
Clonmel,

Mr. Pennyfather,

Lord Mountcashel,

Fethard, (Tipperary) Kord Lismore and Mr. Barton,

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Marquis of Abercorn,

Bishop of Clogher,

Lord Wells,

Marquis Abercorne,

Duke of Devonshire and Sir R.
Musgrave,

Duke of Devonshire and lord Shannon,
Mr. Hancock and Sir Richard St.

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Lord Loftus,

Ditto

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Enniscorthy,

Sir V. Colclough,

Gorey,

Fethard, (Wexford)

New-Ross,
Taghmon,

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Wexford Town,

Lord Loftus and Mr. Nevil,

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The thirty-two counties and twelve following boroughs are omitted, as being popular, and therefore the property of no indi

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A class of power according to the preceding catalogue) formed by the negatives that could be commanded into opposition by these

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No. XCVII.

A BILL FOR AMENDING AND IMPROVING THE STATE OF THE REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE IN PARLIAMENT....PAGE 109.

WHEREAS the state of the representation of the people in parliament is greatly defective, and it would tend much to protect the liberty of the subject, and to preserve our excellent constitution, if the people of this realm were more fairly and equally represented in parliament.

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 from and after the expiration or dissolution of this present parliament, the number of knights to be elected and returned to represent each county within this kingdom in any future parliament to be hereafter holden and kept within this realm, be three instead of two knights, as heretofore used and accustomed, and for that end and purpose the freeholders in each and every county within this kingdom, (who have by law a right to vote for members to serve in parliament, and none other) are hereby authorized, empowered, and required, at every general election, to be hereafter holden for members to serve in parliament, to choose or elect three persons to serve as knights or representatives in parliament for said county, which said three persons so elected shall be duly returned as knights or members to serve in parliament for the county; and the said knights or members so elected and returned, shall from henceforth have, possess, and enjoy all the rights, powers, authorities and privileges, which are possessed and enjoyed by the knights, who now sit in parliament within this realm.

And be it enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that from and after the expiration or dissolution of this present parliament, the number of citizens to be elected and returned to represent the city of Dublin in parliament shall be three; and that the number of citizens to be elected and returned to represent the city of Cork in parliament, shall be three; and for that end and purpose, the freemen and freeholders of the city of Dublin, who are by law entitled to vote for members to serve in parliament, and none other, are hereby authorized, empowered, and required, at every general election to be hereafter holden for members to serve in parliament for the said city, from and after the period aforesaid,

to choose and elect three persons to serve as citizens or representatives in parliament for the said city of Dublin; and the freemen and freeholders of the said city of Cork, are hereby authorized and required, at every general election to be hereafter holden for members to serve in parliament for the said city, to choose and elect three persons to be citizens or representatives in parliament for the city of Cork; and the said three persons so chosen and elected as members for the said city of Dublin, shall be duly returned as members to serve in parliament for the said city; and persons so chosen and elected for the said city of Cork, shall be only returned as members to serve in parliament for the said city; and all the said several citizens so elected and returned to serve in parliament, shall from thenceforth have, possess, and enjoy, all the rights, powers, authorities, and privileges which are now possessed and enjoyed by any citizen or citizens already elected and returned to sit in parliament.

Provided always, that nothing herein contained shall be deemed or taken to give to any city or town within this kingdom, which now is, or hereafter shall be made a county of a city, or a county of a town, a right or power of its so being a county of a city or a county of a town, to choose and elect more than two members to serve in parliament for such city or town, it being the intent and meaning of this act, to give and grant the said power of electing and returning three members to serve in parliament to each of the thirty-two counties into which this kingdom is now divided, and to the cities of Dublin and Cork, and to no other counties, cities, or towns whatsover.

And be it hereby further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that when in any future parliament, to be hereafter holden and kept within this realm, any vacancy shall happen to arise during the continuance of the said parliament, by the death, or expulsion of all, or any of the said persons so returned to serve in parliament for any of the said counties, or for either of the said cities of Dublin or Cork, or in case all or any of the said persons so returned, shall be afterwards declared and adjudged not duly elected, pursuant to the laws now in force in this kingdom, for the trial of petitions or controverted elections; or in case that from any other cause whatsover, the seat or seats in parliament of all or any of the said three persons so elected and returned, shall become vacant, in every such case, a new writ or new writs shall issue to the returning officer of the said county or counties, and of the said city or cities respectively, for the purpose of electing and returning one or more person or persons, (as the case may require) in the room or stead of him or them, whose seat or seats have so become vacant, in the same manner as writs now issue to supply the vacancy of any seat or seats in parliament,

and thereupon the freeholders of said city or cities, who by law are authorized to vote for members to serve in parliament, shall respectively proceed to choose and elect one or more person or persons, (as the writ shall direct) to represent the said county or city in parliament, in the stead or room of such person or persons whose seats have become vacant as aforesaid; and said person or persons so chosen and elected, shall be duly returned as a member or members to serve in parliament for said county or city, and so on from time to time as any vacancy shall happen to arise during the continuance of the said parliament.

And whereas, enlarging the districts of the several cities and borough towns within this kingdom, would tend to render their elections of citizens and burgesses to serve in parliament, much more free and independent;

Be it enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that from and after the expiration or dissolution of this present parliament, the limits or precincts of every city, borough, town, or manor, having a right to send members to parliament, shall, for the purposes of this act, only extend, and be deemed and taken to extend to a space or distance of four miles from the said city, borough, town, and manor, which space or distance is to be measured by a line to be drawn from some one place within the said city, borough, town, or manor, as near the center of the present scite of the said city, borough, town, or manor, as.conveniently as may be done, and to extend in every direction to a distance of four miles from the said place, and no further, so as thereby to make the circuit of the district round the city, borough, town, or manor, equal to twenty-four miles in circumference, or thereabouts, and which space contained within the said circuit shall be for the purposes of this act deemed and taken as the district of the city, borough, town, or manor.

Provided always, that where any city, borough, town, or manor, having a right to send members to serve in parliament, shall be so situate, as that a line of four miles cannot conveniently be drawn or measured in the manner herein before directed, by reason of the vicinity of some other city, borough, town, or manor, having also a right to send members to serve in parliament, or by reason of the proximity of the sea, then and in every such case, a certain district shall be measured from the most central place within the said city, borough, town, or manor, in such direction as can be best and most conveniently done, and which shall be equal, or as nearly as may be to a space contained within a circumference of twenty-four miles, and which space shall be marked out and allotted as and for the district of the said city, borough, town, or manor, situate as aforesaid, so as in all cases to give to every city, borough, town, or manor, having a right

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