The five following returns require no other observation than that the electors are not described, there is no notice of a corporation, and it is a joint and several act, jointly and severally sealed, and bears no mark of a corporate act under a common seal.

Writ, dated the 29th of September, in the 1st year of King Henry VI.

THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH, that by virtue of a certain Writ, &c. proclamation being made in the next County Court of Huntingdon, after the receipt of the said Writ, to wit, &c. John Weldelyngbury [and seven other names], who were present at the proclamation aforesaid, have elected John Coles and Robert Pekkle, two Burgesses for the Commonalty of the Borough of Huntingdon, who have full and sufficient power for themselves and the Commonalty of the aforesaid Borough, &c. In Witness whereof to one part of the Indenture aforesaid, John Wendelyngbury, and all other the Electors abovesaid, have set their seals, and to the other part of this Indenture remaining in the custody of the aforesaid Electors, the said Sheriff hath set his seal. Dated the day, place, and year aforesaid.

Writ, dated the 1st of September, in the 2d

of King Henry VI.

year

THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH, that by virtue of a certain Writ, &c. proclamation being made at the next County Court of Huntingdon after the receipt of the said Writ, to wit, &c. George Gyddyng [and eleven others], who were present at the proclamation aforesaid, have elected John Collys and Robert Dekke, two fit Burgesses for the Commonalty of the Borough of the Town of Huntingdon, who have full and sufficient power for themselves and the Commonalty of the Borough aforesaid, &c. In Witness whereof to one part of these Indentures, the said George Giddyng, and all other the Electors above-named, have set their seals, and to the other part of this Indenture remaining in the custody of the aforesaid Electors, the said Sheriff hath set his seal. Dated the day, place, and year, abovesaid.

Writ, dated the 24th day of February, in the 3rd

year of King Henry VI.

THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH, that by virtue of a certain Writ, &c., proclamation being made at the next County Court of Huntingdon, after the receipt of the said Writ, to wit, &c., George Giddyngs [and eleven others], who were present at the proclamation aforesaid, have elected Robert Pekke and John Colles, two fit Burgesses for the Commonalty of the Borough of Huntingdon, who have full and sufficient power for themselves and the Commonalty of the Borough aforesaid, &c. In witness whereof to one part of this Indenture the aforesaid George and all other the electors above-named have set their seals, and to the other part of this Indenture remaining in the custody, of the aforesaid electors, the said Sheriff hath set his seal, dated the day, place, and year above

said.

Writ, dated the 7th of January, in the 4th year of King Henry VI.

THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH, that by virtue of a certain Writ, &c., proclamation being made at the next County Court of Huntingdon, after the receipt of the said Writ, to wit, &c. George Gyddyng [and eleven others], who were present at the proclamation aforesaid, have elected John Bykkle and John Pekke, the two Burgesses for the Borough of the town of Huntingdon, who have full and sufficient power for themselves and the Commonalty of the Town aforesaid, &c. In Witness whereofto one part of this Indenture the aforesaid George and all other the electors above-named, have set their seals, and to the other part of this Indenture remaining in the custody of the aforesaid electors, the said Sheriff hath set his seal, dated the day, place, and year abovesaid.

Writ, dated the 13th of July, in the 5th year of King Henry VI.

THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH, that by virtue of a certain Writ, &c. proclamation being made in the next County Court of Huntingdon, after the receipt of the said Writ, to wit, &c. George Gyddyng [and eleven others], who were present at the proclamation aforesaid, have elected Robert

Pekke and John Abbotslee, two fit Burgesses for the Commonalty of the Borough aforesaid, who have full and sufficient power for themselves and the Commonalty of the Borough aforesaid, &c. In Witness whereof to one part of this Indenture, the aforesaid William and all the electors abovenamed have set their seals, and to the other part of this Indenture remaining in the custody of the aforesaid electors, the said Sheriff hath set his seal, dated the day, place, and year abovesaid.

We have had, and shall again have, occasion to notice the indifference of the electors of Parliamentary Representatives in former times to that high and important privilege. The electors, indeed, it may be recollected, had to pay their representatives their expenses in attending the Parliament, at an established rate by day; having, therefore, to pay for the exercise of a duty which they did not covet, it is natural that this duty should in fact be considered as onerous and troublesome, which will easily account for the ease with which the avowed select Corporators of after-times usurped the right in question from the indifferent multitude. We have inserted the Sheriff's indorsement to the following Writ as a curious illustration of the indifference with which elections were then treated. The Sheriff stated, he had proclaimed a County Court for the purpose of electing Knights of the Shire, but that none of the suitors, except the Burgesses of Huntingdon, attended. The Sheriff is in no danger in these times of not finding freeholders on a similar occasion. We also take the present opportunity of observing, that this election, like all the rest, took place at a County Court, which is altogether incompatible with a corporate act.

Writ, dated the 3rd August, in the 7th year of the reign of King Henry VI.

[To which the Sheriff returns as follows.]

ALSO by virtue of this Writ, at the next County Court of Huntingdon holden after the receipt of this Writ, to wit,

&c., proclamation being made of the day and place of the Parliament aforesaid; and the Suitors of the said Court for this cause being duly summoned, none of the said Suitors or Resients in the same County of Huntingdon on the day of the date of this Writ, or afterwards, who made or would make any election of Knights of the Parliament aforesaid, came to the same Court except the Burgesses of the Borough of Huntingdon resient in the same Borough on the day of the date of this Writ, no one of which said Burgesses was a Suitor of the said Court; by which said Burgesses I have caused to be elected, according to the form of this Writ by Indenture thereupon made, and to this Writ sewed, for the same Borough, Robert Pekke and Roger Raad, Burgesses of the said Borough, and Resiant in the same Borough on the day of the date of this Writ, and therefore at the same County Court of Huntingdon, I could not cause the Knights for the Parliament aforesaid to be elected according to the form and exigence of this Writ; and therefore at the next County Court of Huntingdon thereafter holden, viz. &c., Proclamation being made of the day and place of the Parliament aforesaid according to the form and exigence of this Writ, and the Suitors of the said County of Huntingdon again for this cause being duly summoned, the Suitors of the said County of Huntingdon came, by whom others resiant in the said County of Huntingdon on the day of the date of this Writ, who were present at such Proclamation made in the same County by Indenture thereupon made and to this Writ sewed, I have caused to be elected according to the form of this Writ Nicholas Styvecle, Knight, and Roger Hunte, resiant in the same County of Huntingdon on the day of the date of this Writ, the two Knights for the same County of Huntingdon, as that Writ in itself doth demand and require, and the aforesaid Robert Pekke, Roger Raad, Nicholas Styvecle and Roger Hunte are attached and every of them is attached by himself, by pledge of Thomas Lovell and John Hatton.

The answer of Walter Poll, Sheriff of Cambridge and Huntingdon.

[The Indenture annexed to the Writ.]

THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH, that by virtue of a certain Writ, &c. proclamation being made at the next County Court of Huntingdon, after the receipt of the said Writ, &c. George Gyddyng and eleven others, Burgesses of the Town

of Huntingdon, who were present at the Proclamation aforesaid, have elected Robert Pekke and Roger Raad, two fit Burgesses for the Commonalty of the Town of Huntingdon, who have full and sufficient power for themselves and the Commonalty of the Town aforesaid, &c. In Witness whereof to the part of this Indenture remaining in the custody of the aforesaid Sheriff, the said George Gyddyng, and all other the Electors above-named, have set their Seals; to the other part of this Indenture remaining in the custody of the aforesaid Electors, the said Sheriff hath set his Seal. Dated the day and place abovesaid.

Writ, dated the 27th November, in the 9th year of King Henry VI.

THIS INDENTURE WINESSETH, that by virtue of a certain Writ, &c. proclamation being made in the next County Court after the receipt of the said Writ, to wit, &c., Thomas Misterchamber [and eleven others], and the whole Commonalty of the Town of Huntingdon who were present at the Proclamation aforesaid, have elected Thomas Charwalton and John Chikson, two fit Burgesses for the Commonalty of the Borough of Huntingdon, who have full and sufficient power for themselves and the Commonalty of the Borough aforesaid, &c. In Witness whereof to one part of this Indenture remaining in the custody of the said Sheriff, the aforesaid Thomas Misterchamber and all other the Electors above-named have set their Seals, and to the other part of this Indenture remaining in the custody of the aforesaid Electors the said Sheriff hath set his Seal. Dated the day, place, and year abovesaid.

The observations which seem called for on the next return, are principally that it is more particular in its statement than the rest, though nothing can be inferred from it favourable to the right of a select body. The Sheriff states in his endorsement on the Writ, that he had no power to enter the liberty of the town of Huntingdon (not the liberty of the Corporation of Huntingdon), and therefore he had directed his mandate to the Bailiffs of the same liberty to elect the Burgesses. We have then the mandate as directed to the Bailiffs of the liberty of the town, (not a word about corpo