William III, 1698: An Act for preventing irregular Proceedings of Sheriffs and other Officers in making the Returns of Members chosen to serve in Parliament. [Chapter VII. Rot. Parl. 10 Gul. III. p. I. n.7]

Reasons for passing this Act

Returning Officer to make Return of Election within 14 Days to Clerk of the Crown; Fees to be paid by such Returning Officer; Such Fees to be charged to the Crown.

For preventing Abuses in the Returns of Writts of Summons for the calling and assembling of any Parliament for the future or Writts for the Choice of any new Member to serve in Parliament and to the end such Writts may by the proper Officer or his Deputy be duely returned and delivered to the Clerke of the Crowne to be by him filed according to the ancient and legall Course Be it enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons in Parliament assembled and by Authority of the same That the Sheriffe or other Officer having the Execution and returne of any such Writt which shall be issued for the future shall on or before the Day that any future Parliament shall be called to meet and with all convenient Expedition not exceeding Fourteene Daies after any Election made by virtue of any New Writt either in Person or by his Deputy make returne of the same to the Clerke of the Crowne in the High Court of Chancery to be by him filed and the Sheriffe or other Person makeing such Return shall pay to the said Clerke of the Crowne the ancient and lawfull Fees of Four Shillings and no more for every Knight of a Shire and Two Shillings and no more for every Citizen Burgesse or Baron of the Cinque Ports returned into the same Court to be by him filed and the said Sheriffe or Officer shall by virtue of this Act charge the same to His Majesty His Heires or Successors and have Allowance thereof in his Account in the Exchequer or elsewhere

II. Recital of 7 & 8 W.III.c.25. § 1

Officer of the Cinque Ports allowed Six Days for Delivery of Precept.

And whereas by an Act made in the Seaventh and Eighth Yeares of the Reigne of His present Majesty intituled An Act for the further regulating Elections of Members to serve in Parliament and for the preventing irregular Proceedings of Sheriffs and other Officers in the electing and returning such Members It is provided and enacted That the Officer on the Receipt of any such Writt shall within Three Daies after such his. Receipt by himselfe or proper Agent deliver or cause to be delivered a Precept or Precepts to the proper Officer of every Borough Towne Corporate Port or Place within his Jurisdiction to whom the Execution of such Precept doth belong or appertaine which by Experience hath been found too short a time for the performance of the same in the Cinque Ports Be it therefore enacted by the Authority aforesaid That from henceforth the proper Officer of the Cinque Ports shall be allowed Six Daies from the Receipt of such Writt for the Delivery of the Precept according to the Purport of the said Act Any thing in the said Act or any other Law Statute or Usage to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding

III. Returning Officer not making Returns,; Penalty £ 500.

And it is further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That every Sheriffe or other Officer or Officers aforesaid who shall not make the Returns according to the true Intent and Meaning of this Act shall forfeite for every such Offence the Sum of Five hundred Pounds One Moiety whereof shall be to His Majesty and the other Moiety to him or them that shall sue for the same to be recovered by Action of Debt Bill Plaint or Information in any of His Majesties Courts of Record at Westminster wherein no Essoigne Protection Priviledge or Wager of Law shall be allowed nor any more than one Imparlance.