Page:Life of Sir William Petty 1623 – 1687.djvu/306

 and above legal charges and incumbrances particularly lying upon the same, viz. jointure, dowers, annuities, pensions, rent charges and extents upon statutes, recognizances and judgments; as also mortgages, children's portions, &c.; with liberty to any person who thinks himself unduly excluded out of the said two hundred to apply to his Majesty for remedy, and that his Majesty may every seven years thereof renew and alter his said election, according to the changes which shall happen in the landed estates of those who were first chosen. All the freeholders of England (of which certain lists are to be made and determined at the general assizes of each county) may choose one hundred persons out of themselves (whereas there are now chosen but ninety-three for the House of Commons) to make up the aforementioned 200 to be 300, and consequently half of the whole assembly of 600. "Whereas there are now about 9,600 parishes, whereof some are enormously greater than others, it is humbly propounded to cut and divide so many of the said 9,600 parishes as may make the even number of 12,000 precincts or districts, and that in each district all the males of above twenty-one years old may meet upon a certain day to choose a certain person who may represent them as to the ends above mentioned, and that forty of the said 12,000 may meet at 300 convenient places (suppose seven days after their election) to elect 300 members for the Grand Council to make up 600 for the whole as aforesaid. The rules, orders, and methods of debate to be the same in this assembly, as in the present House of Commons.'

'Of all the Men in England of 21 years old,' he saw that 'although they have all Right and Capacity to be made Members of either House of Parliament, yet scarce one-fifth part of them have power to elect Members for the House of Commons; that 70,000 Persons, called London, send but eight Members, while 7 other persons send two, and some counties of equal Bigness and Wealth send ten times as many as others.' This also had to be altered. There were also a great number of other urgent administrative and financial questions, but the immediate 'Work for the