affairs aforesaid specified in the said writ; in testimony whereof, to the one part of this indenture remaining with the said A. B. to be annexed to, and returned with the writ, he, the said A. B. and C. D. have set their hands and seals, and to the other part of the said indenture remaining with the said C. D. for the use of the before-mentioned shire, the said A. B. has also set his hand and seal, place, day, month, and year of God, and king's reign aforesaid *.

Precept from a Sheriff to a Borough.

A. B. esquire, sheriff-depute (or substitute) of the county of

to

the magistrates and town-council of the borough of

Whereas, by a writ of election to the parliament to be holden at Westminster, on the directed to me, and

day of

bearing teste, the

day of

I am commanded, that of every royal borough of the aforesaid county, I freely and indif

* The indenture of return is annexed to the writ, which, when it regards the return for the shire only, is indorsed "The execution of the within writ is contained in an indenture hereto annexed;"

if there be also a return of a burgess, the indorsement will be "The execution of the within writ is contained in certain indentures hereto annexed."

ferently cause to be elected, one commissioner to elect one burgess of the most discreet and sufficient, for the class or district according to the form of the statutes thereupon made and provided, as in the said writ at more length is contained: therefore I require and ordain you, that with all convenient speed, ye freely and indifferently elect one commissioner, (in the same manner as you was in use to elect commissioners to the parliament of Scotland,) in order to elect a burgess for the class or district of boroughs whereunto your borough does belong, of the more discreet and substantial men; and that ye order the said commissioner so to be elected by you to repair to presiding borough of the said class or district, upon the day of (being the thirtieth day from the teste of the said writ), and then and there to elect the said burgess to parliament, according to the form of the statutes thereupon made and provided, and in terms of the said writ. Given under my hand and seal at day of

the

years, and
year*.

If the election is to supply a vacancy during the course of a parliament, there would be an alteration in the

the

the

seventeen hundred and of his majesty's reign,

precept to correspond with the writ, which would be framed accordingly.

Commission from a Borough to a Commissioner or Delegate to vote for a Burgess to serve in Parliament.

In a council of the borough of

holden in the court-house thereof,

being the ordinary place where the council uses to sit, the

day of

one thousand seven hundred and

years; the which day the magistrates and council of the said borough of

being convened, in obedience to a precept directed to them by

sheriff-depute of the sheriffdom of

esquire,

day of

of date, the requiring them to elect a commissioner for the said borough as they used formerly to elect a commissioner to the parliament of Scotland, and ordering the said commissioner to meet within the town-house of the borough of being the presiding borough of the class or district, upon the day of

at

twelve of the clock in the forenoon, with the rest of the commissioners chosen for the several boroughs of the said district, and there to vote for and elect a burgess out of the discreetest and most sufficient, freely and indifferently, for representing the said district in the ensuing parliament of Great Britain, to be held at Westminster, upon the day of

next, by a writ directed to the sheriff of the shire of bearing date, at

Westminster, the

day of

last; the said magistrates and council being all qualified conform to law, and having heard read the act of parliament against bribery and

corruption, did unanimously (or by a majority) elect and choose, and hereby elect and choose whom they

testify to be a man fearing God, of the true protestant religion, now publicly professed and authorized by the laws of this realm, expert in the common affairs of this borough, and a burgess thereof, their very lawful and undoubted commissioner, to the effect underwritten, giving, granting, and committing to him their full power for them, and in their names, and upon their behalf to meet and convene within the said town-house of

as

being the presiding borough of the class or district of boroughs whereof this borough is one, upon the said day of instant, with the rest of the commissioners chosen for the several boroughs of this district, and there to vote for and elect a burgess of the said class or district out of the discreetest and most sufficient, freely and indifferently to represent the said district in the parliament of Great Britain, appointed to be held at Westminster, day of

the said

next,

promising to hold firm all and whatever things their said commissioner does in the premises; and ordain the clerk to give out an extract of the above commission and to affix the seal of the borough thereto. Extracted forth of the council record, and the seal of the borough is hereby affixed by me. (Signed)

Clerk.

Indenture of Return between a Sheriff and a Clerk of a presiding Burgh.

THIS indenture, made at the borough of

the

day of

one thousand seven hundred and

years, and of the reign of our sovereign lord, &c. year, betwixt A. B. esquire, she

the "

riff depute (or substitute) of the shire of

on the one part, and C. D. common clerk of the borough of and clerk to the election of a burgess to serve in parliament for the class or district after mentioned, specially appointed to make the return of the said election conform to the statutes made in that behalf, on the other part, witnesseth, that by virtue of his majesty's writ of election, bearing teste the day of last, directed to the sheriff of the

and of the said sheriffs, their several precepts thereupon directed to the boroughs of

for choosing each of them a commissioner or delegate to the effect underwritten, and ordering the respective commissioners to meet at the said borough of

as the presiding borough for the time of the class or district of boroughs abovementioned, upon the day and date of these presents, being the thirtieth day after the teste of his majesty's writ of election aforesaid, and to choose a burgess for the said district, to represent them in the ensuing parliament to be holden at the city of Westminster, upon the day of next: the