Elections (Fraudulent Conveyance) Act 1711
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1711 c. 23 |
(10 Ann.) C A P. XXIII. (31)
'W H E R E A S by an Act of Parliament made in the seventh Year of the Reign of his late Majesty King William the Third, intituled, to serve in Parliament, and for the preventing irregular Proceedings of Sheriffs and other Officers in the electing and returning such Members , it is amongst other Things enacted, That all Conveyances of any Messuages, Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments, in any County, City, Borough, Town Corporate, Port or Place, in order to multiply Voices, or to split and divide the Interest in any Houses or Lands amongst several Persons, to enable them to vote at Elections of Members to serve in Parliament, shall be void and of none Effect; and that no more than one single Voice shall be admitted for one and the same House and Tenement: and whereas (notwithstanding this Provision to the contrary) many fraudulent and scandalous Practices have been used of late to create and multiply Votes at the Election of Knights of the Shire to serve in Parliament, to the great Abuse of the ancient Law and Custom of that Part of Great Britain called England , to the great Injury of those Persons who have just Right to elect, and in Prejudice of the Freedom of such Elections;' Therefore for the more effectual preventing of such undue Practices, be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authorityof the same, That all Estates and Conveyances whatsoever made to any Person or Persons in any fraudulent or collusive Manner, on Purpose to qualify him or them to give his or their Vote or Votes at such Elections of Knights of the Shire (subject nevertheless to Conditions or Agreements to defeat or determine such Estate, or to reconvey the same) shall be deemed and taken, against those Persons who executed the same, as free and absolute, and be holden and enjoyed by all and every such Person or Persons to whom such Conveyance shall be made, as aforesaid, freely and absolutely acquitted, exonerated, and discharged, of and from all Manner of Trusts, Conditions, Clauses of Re-entry, Powers of Revocation, Provisoes of Redemption, or other Deseazances whatsoever, between or with the said Parties, or any other Person or Persons in Trustfor them; and that all Bonds, Covenants, Collateral or other Securities, Contracts or Agreements, between or with the said Parties, or any other Person or Persons in Trust for them, or any of them, for the redeeming, revoking, or defeating such Estate or Estates, or for the restoring, or reconveying thereof, or any Part thereof, to any Person or Persons who made or executed such Conveyance, or to any other Person or Persons in Trust for them, or any of them, shall be null and void to all Intents and Purposes whatsoever; and that every Personwho shall make and execute such Conveyance or Conveyances, as aforesaid, or being privy to such Purpose shall devise or prepare the same, and every Person who, by Colour thereof, shall give any Vote at any Election of any Knight or Knights of a Shire to serve in Parliament, shall, for every such Conveyance so made, or Vote so created or given, forfeit the Sum of forty Pounds to any Person who shall sue for the same, to be recovered, together...
To continue reading
Request your trial