ELECTION of members of Parliament. Qualification of the candidates. A mem. ber cannot sit in parliament until twenty one years of age ; and must not be alien born ; nor one of the twelve judges, who sit in the lords as attendants upon the house ; but persons who have judi cial places in the other courts, ecclesias tical or civil, are eligible; the clergy are not eligible, because they might sit in the convocation ; nor persons attainted of treason or felony.
By the 30 Charles H. st. 2, c. 1, and 1 Geo. I. c. 13, in order to prevent papists from sitting in either house of parliament, no person shall sit or vote in either house till he hath, in the presence of the house, taken the oaths of allegiance, supremacy, and abjuration ; sheriffs of counties, and mayors and bailiffs of boroughs, are not eligible in their respective jurisdictions, as being returning officers; but a sheriff of one county may be chosen knight of another.
By several statutes, no person concern ed in the management of any duties or taxes, created since 1692, except the com missioners of the treasury ; nor any of the officers following, viz. commissioners of prizes, transports, sick and wounded, wine licenses, navy and victualling ; se cretaries or receivers of prizes ; comp trollers of the army accounts ; agents for regiments ; governors of plantations ; of ficers of Minorca or Gibraltar ; officers of the excise and customs ; clerks or de puties in the several offices of the trea sury, exchequer, navy, victualling, admi ralty, pay of the army or navy, secreta ries of state, salt, stamp, appeals, wine licenses, hackney-coaches, hawkers and pedlars, nor any persons that hold any new office under the crown, created since 1705, are capable of being elected. But this shall not extend to, or exclude, the treasurer or comptroller of the navy ; se cretaries of the treasury ; secretary to the chancellor of the exchequer : secre.
taries of the admiralty ; under secretary of state ; deputy pay-master of the army; or any person holding any office for life, or so long as he shall behave himself well in his office. 15 Geo.II. c. 22.
By 8 Anne, c. 7. s. 26, any member ac cepting an office ofprofit under the crown, except an officer of the army or navy accepting a new commission, his election shall be void : but he may be re-elected. Persons having pensions from the crown during pleasure are incapable of being elected. 6 Anne, c. 7. s. 25.
By the 22 Geo. HI. c. 45, no contractor with the bfficers of government, or with any other person, for the service of tke public, shall be elected, or sit in the house, as long as he holds any such contract, or derives any benefit fromit ; but this does not extend to contracts with corporations, or with companies, which then consisted of ten partners ; or to any person, to whom the interest of such a contract shall ac crue by marriage or operation of law, for the first twelve months ; and if any person disqualified by such a contract shall sit in the house, he shall forfeit 5001. for every day ; and if any person, who engages in a contract with govern mennt, admit any member of parliament to a share of it, he shall forfeit 5001. to the prosecutor. No person shall sit or vote in the House of Commons for a county, unless he has an estate, freehold or copyhold, for his life, or some greater estate, of the clear yearly value of 6001. ; nor for a city or borough, unless he have a like estate of 3001.; and any other can didate, or two electors, may require him to make oath thereof at the time of elec tion, or before the day of the meeting of parliament; and before he shall vote in the House of Commons, he shall deliver in an account of his qualification, and the value thereof; under his hand, and make oath of the truth of the same ; but this shall not extend to the eldest son or heir apparent of a peer, or of any person quali fied to serve as knight of a shire, nor to the members of either of the two universities. 9 Anne, c. 5. 33 Geo. II. c. 20. Qualifica tions of electors. No person shall be ad mitted to vote under the age of twenty one years : this extends to all members, as well for boroughs as counties. 7 and 8 Will. c. 25.