429. Proceedings in the House of Commons, House of Peers, and in the Queen”s-Bench, in the Great Case of ASHBY and WHITE,* &C. 2 & 3 ANNE, A. D. 1704, 1705. MATTHEW Ashby, having commenced and prosecuted an action at. common law against William White, mayor of Aylesbury, and others, the constables of that town, for refusing to receive his vote at an election of burgesses to serve in parliament, for the said borough ; but * See Salk. 19. 2 Salk. 503. 3 Salk. 17. 6 Mod. 45. Holt, 524, 526. Lord Raym. 1105. 1 Bro. Parl. Cas. 45. Raym. Ent. 479. Harg. Co. Litt. 81, b. n. 2. This Case gave rise to much altercation in pamphlets and otherwise. Among the pamphlets was one (by sir Humphrey Mackworth) entitled, Free Parliaments, or a Vindication of the Fundamental Right of the Commons of England, &c. being a Justification of their Proceedings in Ashby v. White,” and an Answer to it, entitled, The State of the Case between Ashby and White, &c. dedicated to my lord chief justice Holt, occasioned by his late incomparable speech in the Queen”s-bench the last day of the term, when the Aylesbury Electors moved that Court for a Habeas Corpus.” As to the privilege and power of Parliament, and the Lex et Consuetudo Parliamenti, see in this Collection the Cases of major Streater, vol. 5, p. 365. Skinner, vol. 6, p. 709. Barnardiston and Soame,-vol. 6, p. 1063. Shirley and Fagg, vol. 6, p. 1121. Lord Shaftesbury, vol. 6, p. 1269. Richard Thompson, vol. 8, p. 1. Fitzharris, vol. 8, p. 277. Jay and Top-ham, vol. 12, p. 821. Sir Wm. Williams, vol. 13, p. 1369, and the other cases and authori- ties referred to in the cases above-mentioned, particularly Mr. Hargrave”s learned investigations upon those subjects. See, too, Leach”s edition of Hawkins”s Pleas of the Crown, book 2, chap. 15, sect. 73, and the Note. See, also, Parl. Hist. vol. 6, pp. 225-229. 377-382. These Proceedings respecting the Aylesbury-, men were frequently adverted to, and many of the points agitated in the course of them, were discussed at the bar and on the bench with very great ability and learning in the Case of sir Francis Burdett, hart. against the right hon. Charles Abbot, Speaker of the House of Commons, reported 14 East, 1.being cast, he brought a Writ of Error into the House of Lords, who, upon strict examination of witnesses, and upon mature deliberation, gave judgment in favour of Ashby. The Commons looking upon these Proceedings as an encroachment on their privileges, proceeded as follows : DEBATES IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, UPON THE GREAT QUESTION, WHETHER AN ACTION LIES AT COMMON LAW FOR AN ELECTOR, WHO IS DENIED HIS VOTE FOR MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ? January 17, 1704. The House being informed, That there had been an extraordinary judgment given in the House of Lords upon a Writ of Error from the court of Queen”s-bench, in a cause between Matthew Ashby and William White, ty herein the privileges of the House were concerned, appointed some of their members to search the Journals of the House of Lords as to their proceedings upon the said Writ of Error, and to report the same to the House. They also ordered the same members to inspect the Journals of the House of Lords, as to what they had done formerly in the case of Soame and Barnardiston ; and likewise to report that matter to the House. January 18. The House ordered, that the members who were appointed to search the journals of the House of Lords as to their proceedings upon a Writ of Error from the court of Queen”s-bench, in the cause between Ashby and White, should likewise search the several offices of the court of Queen”s-bench, for the record of the judgment, and all other proceedings there in that cause, and report the same to the House. January 20. Ordered, That the Report, with relation to the proceedings of the House of Lords and court of Queen”s-bench, in the case of White and Ashby, should be made on the morrow /nettling. January 21. Mr. Freeman reported, That the members appointed to ”search the Lords” 697j of Ashby and White. Journals, touching their proceedings upon a Writ of Error from the court of Queen”s -bench, in a case between White and Ashby, and what the Lords had done in the case of Soame and Barnardiston, had searched the same accordingly ; and he read in his place what they found therein, and he delivered the same at the table, where the same was read. And Mr. Brewer also reported, That the members appointed had also searched the offices of the court of Queen”s-bench, for the Judgment and proceedings there in the case of Ashby and White, and had obtained a copy of the record of the Judgment, which he delivered in at the table. A COPY OF THE RECORD inter ASHBY AND WHITE, et al. Placita Coram Domino Rege apudi Westmonasterium de Termino Sancti An-no Regan Domini Willielmi Tertii, nunc Regis Aught; &c. decimo tertio, Rotulo 460. Bucks, ss. Mattheus Ashby ponit loco suo Robertum Greenway juniorem Attornatutn suutn versus Willielmum.White, et Richardum Talboys, Willielmurn Pell, et Richardum Hey-don. de placito transgressionis super Casum. ss. Willielmus White, Richardus Talboys, Williehnus Bell, et Richardus Heydon ponunt loco suo Johannetri Burnham Attornatum suum versus Mattlieum Ashby de placito predicto. ss. Memorandum qubtl alias scilicet Termino Sancti Michaelis ultimo preterite coram Domino Rege apud Westmonasterium venit Mattheus Ashby per Robertum Greenway juniorem Attornatum strum et protulit hic in Curia died Domini Regis tune ibidem quandarn Billam scant versus Willielmum White, Richardum " Talboys, Willielmum Bell et Richardum Heydon, in custodia Mareschalli, &c. de placito transgressionis super Casum, et sunt pleg. de prosequendo scilicet Johannes Doe et Richard us Roe gum quidem Billa sequitur in liter; verba ; scilicet Bucks, ss. Mattheus .Ashby queritur de Willielmo White, Richardo Tat. boys, Willielmo Bell et %chard Heydon, in custodia Mareschalli Mareschalsite Domini Regis coram ipso Rege de existentibus pro eo, videlicet quiet corn vicesirno sexto die Decembris Anno Regni Domini Willielmi Tertii none Regis Anglie, &c. duodecimo a Curia Cancel-lade ipsius Domini Regis mane aped Westmonasterium in Comitatu Middlesexie ernanavit quoddarn breve ipsius Domini Regis nunc tune Vicecomiti Cotnitatus Bucks predicti directum, recitando quod dictus Dominus Rex de advisement et assensu Concilii sui pro quibusdam arduis et urgentibus negotiis eundem Dominum Regent statum et defensionem Regni sui Anglie et. Ecclesie Anglicane con cernentibus quoddam Parliarnentum suum apud Civitatem suam Westmonasterii sexto die Februarii tune proxim flituro teneri ordinaverit et ibidem cumA. D. 1701. [69S Prelatis Magnatibus et Proceribus dicti Regni sui colloquium habere et tractatunt ; idem Dominus Rex nunc eidem tune Viceeomiti Comitatus Bucks per dictum breve preceptum fir-miter injungens quod facts Proclamation in proximo Comitatu sun post receptionem ejusdem brevis tenenda de die et loco predictis duos Milites gladiis cinctos magis idoneos et discretos Comitatus predicti et qualibet Cidiate Comitatus illius duos Cives et de qualibet Burge duos Burgenses de discretioribus et magis sufficientibus libere et indifferenter per tilos qui bujusmodi Proclamationibus interforent juxta formain Statuti inde editi et provisi eligi et no-mina eorundem Militum Civium et Burgenslum sic eligendornm in quibusdatn intlenturis inter ipsum tune Vicecomitem et illos qui hujusmodi electionibus interforent inde conficiendis licet hujusmodi eligendi presentes forest, vel absentes, inseri, eosque ad dictos diem et locum venire faceret ; ita quod iidem Milites pienarn et suflicientem potestatem pro se et Communitate Comitatus illius ac dicti Cives et Burgenses pro se et Communitatibus Civitatum et Burgorum predictorutn divisim ab ipsis haberent ad factentium et consentientium hiis que tune ibidem de coinnauni Consiliodicti Regni ipsius Domini Regis nunc (favente Domino) contigerint Mined super negotiis antedictis, its quod pro defectu potestatis hujusmodi seu propter improvidana electionetn Militum Civium act Burgensiurn predictortun dicta negotia infect. non retnanerent quovismodo et Electionern illam in pleno Comitatu ipsius tune Vicecomitis factatn distincte et aperte sub sie gillo suo et sigillis corona qui Electionibus this interforent eidem Domino Regi mine in Cancellarium suum ad dictos diem et locum certificaret, indilate remittens eidem Domino Regi alteram partem Indenturarum predictarum eidetn brevi consutarum una corn brevi ill ; quod quidem breve postea et ante predicturn sextunt diem Februarii in brevi predicto men- tionatum, scilicet vicesimo nono die Decembris,anno duodecimo supradicto, apud Burgum de Aylesbury in dicto Comitatu Bucks, cuidam Roberto Weeden Armigero adtunc Vicecomiti ejusdem Comitatus Bucks deliberatum fait in forma Jude exequendum Virtute cujus quidem brevis predictus Robertus Weeden Vice-comes Comitatus Bucks predicti ut prefertur tune et ibidem existens postea et ante predictum sexton” diem Februarii scilicet tricesinut die Decembris Anno duodecimo supradicto apud Burgum de Aylesbury predicturn in dicto Comitatu Bucks fecit quoddam preceptum suum in scriptis sub sigillo ipsius Roberti Weeden Oflieii sui Vieeeemitis Comitatus Bucks predicti Constabulario Burgi tie Aylesbury predicti directum, recitantem diem et locum Parliamenti predicti tenendi, proinde ens requirens et eis in mandato daus clued facta Proclamadone infra Burgum predicturn de the et loco in eodem precepto reeitatis causarent libere et indifferenter eligi duos Burgenses Burgi illius de discretioribus et magis sulficientibus per ipsos gni hujusmodi Proektmationibus interforent 699.1 2 ANNE. Proeveding.s in the Great Case [700 juxta formam Statuti in talibus causibus editam et provisam et nomina dictorum Burgensium sic electormn licet presentes forent vel absentes lased in quibusdam Indenturis fitter dictum Vicecomitem et Rios qui baberent interesse ip hujusmodi Electionibus, et quod eos venire faceret ad...
