Charles II, 1672: An Act to enable the County Palatine of Durham to send Knights and Burgesses to serve in Parlyament.

Recital that C. P. of Durham hath not hitherto sent Members to Parliament.

The C. P. of Durham to send Two Knights, and the City of Durham to send Two Burgesses, to Parliament.; How the Elections are to be made, and by whom.; Members to be returned by the Sheriff.; Privileges of the Knights and Burgesses so returned.

Whereas the Inhabitants of the County Palatine of Durham have not hitherto had the liberty and priviledge of electing and sending any Knights and Burgesses to the High Court of Parlyament, although the Inhabitants of the said County Palatin? are lyable to all Payments, Rates and Subsidies granted by Parlyament equally with the Inhabitants of other Counties Cities and Burroughes in this Kingdome, who have their Knights and Burgesses in the Parlyament; and are therefore concerned equally with others the Inhabitants of this Kingdome to have Knights and Burgesses in the said High Court of Parlyment of their owne election to represent the Condition of their County as the Inhabitants of other Countryes, Cittyes and Burroughes of this Kingdome have, Wherefore may it please your Majestie that it may be enacted and bee it enacted by the Kings most excellent Majestie by and with the advice and [consent (fn. 1) ] of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Commons in this present Parlyament assembled and by the authority of the same That from time to time and at all times from and after the end of this present Session of Parlyament, the said County Palatine of Durham may have two Knights for the same County, and the City of Durham two Citizens to be Burgesses for the same Citty, for ever hereafter to serve in the High Court of Parlyament to be elected and chosen by vertue of your Majestyes Writt, to be awarded by the Lord Chauncellour or Lord Keeper of the Great Seale of England for the time being, in that behalfe to the Lord Bishop of Durham, or his Temporall Chauncellor of the [said (fn. 2) ] County of Durham and a Precept to be thereupon grounded and made by the Lord Bishop of Durham, or his Temporall Chauncellor for the time being; to the Sheriffe of the said County for the time being, and the same Election from time to time be made in manner and forme following, that is to say, the Elections of the Knights to serve for the said County Palatine from time to time hereafter to be made by the greater number of Freeholders of the said County Palatine of Durham which from time shall be present at such Elections accordingly as is used in other Countyes in this your Majesties Kingdome, and that the Election of the said Burgesses from time to time to serve in the High Court of Parlyament for the City of Durham to be made from time to time by the major part of the Maior, Aldermen and Freemen of the said City of Durham which from time to time shall be present at such Elections; which said Knights and Burgesses and every of them soe elected and chosen shall be returned by the said Sheriffe into the Chauncery of England in due forme and upon the like paines as be ordained for the Sheriffe or Sheriffe of any other County of this Kingdome, to make his or their Returns in the like cases, and that the said Knights and Burgesses and every of them soe elected and returned, shall be by authoritie of this present Act, Knights and Burgesses of the High Court of Parlyament to all intents and purposes, and have and use the like Voice, Authority and Places therein to all intents and purposes, as any other the Knights and Burgesses of the said High Court of Parlyament have, use and enjoy, and likewise shall and may by vertue of this present Act take, have, use and enjoy all such and the like Liberties, Advantages, Dignities and Priviledges concerning the said Court of Parlyament to all intents, constructions and purposes, as any other the Knights and Burgesses of the said High Court of Parlyament have taken, had, used or enjoyed, or shall, may or ought hereafter to have, take or enjoy.