The house of commons, besides its general power to introduce legis.ative measures. has the sole right to originate bills levying taxes, or affecting the public income and expenditure, and to examine into the validity of elections to its own body. The question whether it has any control over the rights of electors was the subject of a memorable contest between the lords and commons in 1704, in the cases of Ashby and White. and of the " Aylesbury men" (11cdseles Precedents, vol. iii.), it contest ended by the queen proroguing parliament. When inquiring into the conflicting claims of candidates for seats in parliament, the commons have an undoubted power to determine whether electors have the right to vote. The house of commons has the right to expel or eurnmit to prison its own members, and to commit other persons who offend by breach of its privileges, contempt of its authority, disobedience of its orders, or invasion of its rights; but this power is limited to the duration of the session. Expulsion does not, however, ere.ile any.disability to serve again in parliament. The house of commons has also the power of impeaching, offenders, who, however, are tried at the bar of the house of lords.
The number of members of the house of commons has varied greatly at different tames. In the reign of Edward I., it seems to have been 275; in that of Edward 200; and of henry VI., 300. In the reign of Henry VIII., 27 members were added for Wales, and 4 for the county and city of Chester; 4 were added for the county and city of Durham in the reign of Charles II. Between the reign of Henry VIII. nnd that of Charles II., 180 new members were added by the granting of royal charters to boroughs which had not previously returned representatives. Forty-five members were assigned as her proportion to'Seotland at the union, and 100 to Ireland, making the whole number of members of the house of commons of the United Kingdom 658. The reform acts of 1832, 2 Will. IV. c. 45 for England, 2 and 3 Will. IV. c. 65 (amended by 4 and 5 Will. IV. c. 88, and 5 end 6 Will. IV. c. 78) for Scotland, and 2 and 3 Will. IV. c. 88 for Ireland, while leaving unaltered the whole number of members of the house of commons, made great changes in the distribution of their seats. Fifty-six boroughs in England and Wales were entirely disfranchised; 30 which had previously returned two members were restricted to one; while 42 new boroughs were created; of which 22 were each to return two members, and 20 a single member. Seventh small boroughs in Wales were assigned to the city of London, 2 to each of the universities of Oxford and Cam bridge, and one to 133 cities and boroughs. The number of members for Scotland was increased from 45 to 53, 30 being county and 23 borough members, some of the latter representing several combined boroughs. The number of members for Ireland was increased from 100 to 105, 64 representing counties, 34 cities and boroughs, and 2 the university of Dublin. Further extensive changes in the distribution of seats were made by the recent reform acts of 1867 and 1868, 30 and 31 Viet. c. 162 for England. and 31 end 32 Viet. c. 48 for Scotland. The English act deprived of itc second member each borough of less than 10.000 inhabitants, and altogether disfranchised 7 boroughs, givit.g 45 seats for redistribution, of which 25 were given to the larger counties, 11 to new boroughs. 8 to boroughs already represented, and 1 to the university of London. The
Scotch act united the counties of Selkirk and Peebles into one constituency; gave it member to the universities of Edinburgh and St. Andrews, and another to the nruversi Cen of Glasgow aid Aberdeen, a second member to each of the counties of Lanark, Ayr, and and to the town of Dundee, and a third member to Glasgow; and con stituted Trawielt, Galashiels, and Selkirk into a new district of boroughs: the 7 new seats required being provided for by a further disfranchisement of boroughs. The Irish reform act, 31 and 32 Viet. c. 49, made no change in the distribution of seats., The whole number of 658 seats was thus left unaltered, but the disfranchisement of two English and two Irish boroughs for bribery has since reduced the number to 652, which are thus distributed: Counties. Boroughs. Universities. Total.
England and Wales 187 295 5 487 Scotland 32 26 2 60 . .. 64 39 2 105 283 360 9 652 In English counties, prior to the act of 1832, the electoral qualification was founded on the holding of freehold property of the yearly value of 40s.: by that act every person who at the date was seized for his own life and that of another, or for any lives what ever, of a 40s. freehold, or who might be seized subsequently to the act if in occupation, or who might come into such freehold estate by marriage, marriage-settlement, device, or promotion to any benefice or office, could still vote as a freeholder; but a person not included in these classes, acquiring a freehold subsequently to the act, had only the franchise when it was of the clear yearly value of £10, which value was reduced to £5 by the act of 1867. Copyholders holding an estate of £10 a year, leaseholders of that l'a111.3 whose leases were originally granted for 60 years, leaseholders of £50 with 20 3 ears' leases, and tenants at will occupying lands or tenements paying a rent of £50. had the franchise under the act of 1832; and the act of 1867 reduced the franchise of copy holders and leaseholders from £10 to £5, and the occupation franchise from £50 to £12 In boroughs, the old qualification varied according to local usage, and some of the ancient rights, as that of freemen, were retained in 1832, when the franchise 'ens bestowed on all occupiers of houses of £10 yearly value. The act of 1867 extended the borough franchise to all occupiers of dwelling-houses who have resided for 12 months on July 31, in any year, and trave been rated to the poor-rates as ordinary occupiers, and have, on or before July 20, paid such rates up to the preceding Jan. 5, and to lodgers who have occupied for the same period lodgings of the annual value, unfurnished, of £12. In Scotland, the old county qualification consisted in being infeft in lands or superiorities holding directly of the crown of 40s. old extent (see VALUATION), or £400 Scots valued rent; and the Scotch act of 1832 reserved the rights of persons then on the roll of freeholders, or entitled to be put on it, and extended the franchise to all owners of property of the clear yearly value of £10, and to certain classes of leaseholders. By the act of 1868, the county franchise was further extended to proprietors of hinds of S.:5 yearly value, and occupiers of the ratable value of £20. The Scottish burfthal franchise had, prior to 1832, been vested in the town-councils: the act of 1832 substituted a £10 household franchise, and that of 1868 conferred the franchise on all occupiers of houses paying rates.