ash-coloured crust, closely united with a hard whitish wood; pinnate leaves break out from the top of the trunk only, in a decussated order, the old ones dropping off as the young ones break forth. The flowers are concealed in stiff, green, coriaceous spathes; they are small, several on the same peduncle; petals whitish green; they have no smell, but a rough taste. The fruit is like a wild plum, with a hard woody point at top, covered with the calyx at bottom. The nut or stone is oblong, marked longitudinally with a deep furrow, containing a bitter kernel. The poorer sort of people chew the nut in the same manner as the areca nut, with the leaf of the beetle and quicklime. The elephants are very fond of the fruit branches, which are sweet. It is a native of the East Indies. ELATER, in natural history, a genus of insects of the order Coleoptera: antennæ filiform, lodged in a groove under the head and thorax: underside of the thorax terminating in an elastic spine, placed in a cavity of the abdomen; by which means the body, when placed on the back, springs up and recovers its natural posture. This genus, which is extremely numerous, is divided into two sections, viz. A. feelers hatchet-shaped; and B. feelers clavate, the club round. Of the latter only three species are mentioned, but of the former two hundred at least have been enumerated. In point of size, the European species are not comparable to those which are natives of the tropical regions. Among the most remarkable may be mentioned E. flabellicornis, which is more than two inches long, and is a native of India, and of many parts of Africa. E. noctilucus, found in South America, and called there cocujas, is not so large as the last, but the spots on the thorax, like those on the abdomen of the glow-worm, are highly luminous, diffusing through the night a bril liant splendour, by which the smallest print may be read, and eight or ten of them in a phial will afford a light equal to that of a common candle. Many species of the elater are natives of our own country; but they are seldom distinguished by any brilliancy of colour, and are far inferior in size to the exotic ones. E. tesselatus, so called from the manner in which it is marked, is not uncommon in the fields during the middle of summer. The larva of these insects are of a slender form, and devour the roots of the grasses. That insect, so destructive to newly sown French beans, the wire worm, is thought to be the larva of the E obscurus. ELATERIUM, in botany, a genus of the Monoecia Monandria class and order. Natural order of Cucurbitaceæ. Essential character: male, calyx none; corolla salver-shaped. Female, calyx none; corolla salver-shaped; capsule inferior, one-celled, two-valved. There are two species. ELATINE, in botany, a genus of the Octandria Tetragynia class and order. Natural order of Inundatæ. Caryophyllæ, Jussieu. Essential character: calyx four-leaved; petals four; capsule fourcelled, four-valved, flatted. There are two species. These are annual aquatic herbs, very low and spreading; the flowers axillary and small. ELDERS, among the Jews, were persons of great age, experience, and wisdom; the denomination is known in the Presbyterian discipline. They are officers, who, with the ministers and deacons, compose the sessions of the kirk. The elder's business is to assist the minister in visiting the congregation upon occasion, to watch over the morals of the the people of his district, and to give them private reproof in case of any disorder; but if the scandal be gross, or the person obstinate, he lays the thing before the session. The elders are chosen from among the most substantial, knowing, and regular people, by the session or consistory of the kirk. There is a ruling elder in every session; he should be a man of spotless character, and of principal consideration and interest in his parish: he is chosen out of the kirk session: the congregation is to approve of the choice the minister ordains him before the congregation: he may be chosen to assist in any church judicatory, and in all manner of government and discipline has an equal vote with the mi nister. ELECTION, in law, is where a person has a choice of one or more things which happen upon several occasions; as where he has by law two remedies, and must take only one: thus, a creditor, in cases of bankruptcy, may either prove his debt under the commission, or proceed at law, but in this case he is compelled to make his election: where also a ¡erson having obtained a judgment is entitled to execution, he may either take his remedy against the goods or the person of his debtor; but if he proved against the person in the first instance, he cannot afterwards have recourse to the goods, but if he take the goods, and these should be found inadequate, to his demand, he may afterwards take the body. ELECTION of bishops. See BISHOPS. ELECTION of ecclesiastical persons. If any person having a voice, take any reward for an election, in any church, college, school, &c. it shall be void: and if any such societies resign their places to others for reward, they incur a forfeiture of double the sum; and the party giving, and the party taking it, are thereby rendered incapable of such place. 31 Eliz. c. 6. See BISHOPS. ELECTION of members of Parliament. Qualification of the candidates. A member cannot sit in parliament until twentyone 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 judicial places in the other courts, ecclesiastical 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 II. 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 concerned in the management of any duties or taxes, created since 1692, except the commissioners of the treasury; nor any of the officers following, viz. commissioners of prizes, transports, sick and wounded, wine licenses, navy and victualling; secretaries or receivers of prizes; comptrollers of the army accounts; agents for regiments; governors of plantations; of ficers of Minorca or Gibraltar; officers of the excise and customs; clerks or deputies in the several offices of the treasury, exchequer, navy, victualling, admiralty, pay of the army or navy, secretaries of state, salt, stamp, appeals, winelicenses, 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; secretaries of the treasury; secretary to the chancellor of the exchequer; secreVOL. IV. 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 6 Anne, c. 7. s. 26, any member accepting an office of profit 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. III. c. 45, no contractor with the officers of government, or with any other person, for the service of the public, shall be elected, or sit in the house, as long as he holds any such contract, or derives any benefit from it; 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 accrue 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 governmennt, 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 600/.; nor for a city or borough, unless he have a like estate of 3001.; and any other candidate, or two electors, may require him to make oath thereof at the time of election, 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 qualified 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. Qualifications of electors. No person shall be admitted to vote under the age of twentyone years: this extends to all members, as well for boroughs as counties. 7 and 8 Will. c. 25. Every elector of a knight of a shire shall have freehold to the value of 408. a year within the county, which is to be clear of all charges and deductions, except parliamentary and parochial taxes. No person shall vote in right of any freehold ૨૬ granted fraudulently, to qualify him to vote; and every person who shall prepare or execute such conveyance, or shall give his vote under it, shall forfeit 401. 10 Anne, c. 25. No person shall vote for a knight of the shire, without having been in the actual possession of the estate for which he votes, or in the receipt of the rents or profits to his own use,above twelve calendar months, unless it come to him by descent, marriage, marriage-settlement, devise, or promotion to a benefice or office. 18 Geo. II. c. 1. No person convicted of perjury shall be capable of voting at an election. No person shall vote in respect of an annuity or rent-charge, unless registered with the clerk of the peace twelve calendar months before; such annuity or rent charge must issue out of freehold estate. No person shall vote for a knight of a shire, in respect of any messuages, lands, or tenements, which have not been charged to the land-tax six calendar months before. 20 Geo. III. c. 17. No person shall vote for any estate holden by copy of court-roll. 31 Geo. II. c. 14. In mortgaged, or trust-estates, the mortgagor, or cestuy que trust, shall vote, and not the trustee or mortgagee, unless they be in actual possession. All conveyances to multiply voices, or to split votes, shall be void; and no more than one voice shall be admitted for one and the same house or tenement. The right of election in boroughs is various, depending entirely on the several charters, customs, and constitutions of the respective places. By 2 Geo. II. c. 24, this right of voting, for the future, shall be allowed according to the last determination of the House of Commons concerning it. And no person, claiming to vote in right of his being a freeman of a corporation (other than such as claim by birth, marriage, or servitude) shall be allowed, unless he have been admitted to his freedom twelve calendar months before, 3 Geo. III. c. 15. All undue influence whatever upon the electors is illegal, and strongly prohibited. As soon as the time and place of election within counties or boroughs are fixed, all soldiers quartered in the place are to remove, at least one day before the election, to the distance of two miles or more, and not to return till one day after the poll be ended; except in the liberty of Westminster, or other residence of the royal family, in respect of his Majesty's guards, and in fortified places. 8 Geo. II. c. 30. By the 7th and 8th Will. c. 4. to prevent bribery and cor ruption, no candidate, after teste of the writ of summons, or after a place becomes vacant in parliament time, shall, by himself, or by any other ways or means on his behalf, or at his charge, before his elec tion, directly or indirectly, give, or promise to give, to any elector, any money, meat, drink, provision, present, reward, or entertainment, to or for any such elec tor in particular, or to any county, city, town, borough, port, or place in general, in order to his being elected, on pain of being incapacitated. To guard still more against gross and flagrant acts of bribery, it is enacted by 2 Geo. II. c. 24, explained and enlarged by 9 Geo. II. c. 38, and 16 Geo. III. c. 11, that if any money, gift, office, employment, or reward, be given, or promised to be given, to any voter, at any time, in order to influence him to give or withhold his vote, as well he that takes, as he that offers, such a bribe, forfeits 5001. and is for ever disabled from voting and holding any office in any corporation, unless, before conviction, he will discover some other offender of the same kind, and then he is indemnified for his own offence. If the election shall not be determined upon view, with consent of the freeholders there present, but a poll shall be demanded, the same shall commence on the day on which such demand is made, or on the next day at farthest (if it be not Sunday, and then on the day after) and shall be proceeded in from day to day (Sundays excepted) until finished, and shall not continue more than fifteen days (Sundays excepted); and the poll shall be kept open seven hours at least each day, between eight in the morning and eight in the evening, 25 Geo. III. c. 84. The sheriff shall allow a cheque-book for every poll-book for each candidate, to be kept by their inspectors at the place of taking the poll, 19 Geo. II. c. 28. By the 34 Geo. III. c. 73, in order to expedite the business at elections, the returning officers are enabled, on request of the candidates, to appoint persons to administer to voters the oaths of allegiauce, supremacy, the declaration of fidelity, the oath of adjuration, and the declaration or affirmation of the effect thereof, previously to their coming to vote; and to grant the voters certificates of their having taken the said oath; without which certificate they shall not be permitted to vote, if they are required to take the oaths. ELE Every freeholder, before he shall be admitted to poll for a knight of the shire, shall, if required by a candidate or any elector, make oath of his qualification to vote; in which case the sheriff and clerks shall enter the place of his freehold, and the place of his abode, as he shall disclose the same at the time of giving his vote; and shall enter jurat against the name of every such voter who shall have taken the oath, 10 Anne, c. 23. s. 5. After the election, the names of the persons chosen shall be written in an indenture, under the seals of the electors, and tacked to the writ. The election being closed, the returning officer in boroughs returns his precept to the sheriff, with the persons elected by the majority. And the sheriff returns the whole, together with the writ for the county, and the names of the knights elected thereupon, to the clerk of the crown in Chancery, before the day of meeting, if it be a new parlia ment; or within fourteen days after the election, if it be an occasional vacancy; and this under the penalty of 5001. If the sheriff do not return such knights only as are duly elected, he forfeits, by stat. Henry VI. 1007. and the returning officer of a borough for a like false return 401. and by the late statutes ELE they are liable to an action at the suit of LIAMENT. ELECTION, is a term frequently used in mathematics, to signify the several different ways of taking any number of things proposed, either separately, or as combined in pairs, in threes, in fours, &c.; not as to the order, but only as to the number and variety of them. Thus, of the things a, b, c, d, &c. the elections of S(a) 1=2'-1 (a, b, ab) 3=21—1 (a,b, c, ab, ac, bc, abc ) 7=23—1 And generally of any number n, all the ELECTIVE attraction. The attractions which take place in the chemical operations of art and nature are, for the most part, effected under circumstances of such complexity, that it is extremely dif ficult to deduce the general laws by which they are governed, or even the particular habitudes of the bodies so acted upon. In general it appears to us, from the facts, that some among the bodies upon which we make our experiments are attracted by each other, and enter into combination, while others seem to have no disposition to form this union, (See CHEMISTRY) and from this principal observation the attractions of chemistry have been called elective attractions, or elective affinities. See ATTRACTION. The phenomena of attraction, as distinguished under the heads of simple elective attraction, and double or more complex elective attraction, have been sketched under our article CHEMISTRY. It is clear, that no results of this nature can be foretold, or indicated, unless the order and energy of the powers of bodies upon each other be first known. Geoffroy, in his table of simple elective attractions, first led the way in this research; and he was followed by Bergman, who greatly improved both the tables and the method of philosophizing, in his treatise on the elective attractions; and, lastly, that most perspicuous chemist, Berthollet, has pursued the subject to a much greater extent, in his "Statique Chimique," of which we have an indifferent translation by Lambert. We have, at the article last quoted, made mention of the variations in results of combination arising from the propor tion of the principles, the influence of solvents, of cohesion, of elasticity, of ef florescence, and from the compounded nature of the principles themselves, the state of saturation, the effect of heat, &c. These variable considerations must necessarily render all tables of the effects of attraction inapplicable, excepting with allowances; but they may nevertheless be considered as exhibiting very valuable summaries of facts. A like uncertainty must be considered as belonging to all numerical or other inferences of the relative energies of the elective attractions; for determining which, it must be confessed, our means are far from being adequate, even if we were fully acquainted with the disturbances, to which it is probable they are subject from the Galvanic action. See GALVANISM. Tables I. to VI. contain in substance the two tables of Attractiones Electiva Sim. plices, placed at the end of Bergman's treatise upon elective attractions, with such corrections and additions as subse quent discoveries have rendered necessary. These tables require no other explanation, than that the substances enumerated are considered to be simple, as far as relates to the facts exhibited in these sketches. The order of position denotes, that the higher any substance stands in any column, the stronger is its elective attraction to the substance at the head of that column. The under part of each table exhibits the attractions in the dry way, and must be considered as entirely distinct from the upper part. |