Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 4.djvu/362

 310 C. 23. Anno fexto Ann^ Reginge. A. D. 1707. 5 Ann, c. 8, 6 Anns, c; 6, Proclamation to be idued for elecling j6 Peers of Scotland to fit in the Parliament of Great Britain. And publiflied at Edinburgh, &c, 25 Days before Ekflion. All the Peers prefent to take the Oaths, Oaths.. CAP. XXIII. An Aft to make further Provifion for elefling and fummoning fixteen Peers of Scotland to fit in the Houfe of Peers in the Parliament of Great Britain; and for trying Peers for Offences committed in Scotland; and for the further regulating of Voters in Eleftions of Members to ferve in Parliament. I. "WJ HERE AS by the two and twentieth Article of the Treaty of Union for uniting the t-vo W Kingdoms oi Ens^land and Scotlajul, ratified and confirmed by the refpetSlive Parliaments of each Kingdom, it was, amongit other Things, provided, That when her Majefty, her Heirs or Succeffors, fhould declare their Pleafure for holding the firft, or any fubfequent Parliament of Great Britain, until the Parliament of Great Britain fhould make further Provifion therein. Writs fhould iffue under the Great Seal of the united Kingdom of Great Britain, diredled to the Privy Council of Scotland, com- manding them to caufe fixteen Peers, who were to fit in the Houfe of Lords, to be fummoned to Par- liament, in fuch Manner as by an Aft of the then prefent Seflion of Parliament oi Scotland, v/as or ihould be fettled ; in which Seffion of the Parliament in Scotland, an Aft was accordingly palTed for that Pur- pofe, intituled, An Ait fettling the Manner of cleSfmg the ftxteen Peers and forty-five Members to reprefent Scotland in the Parliament of Great Britain ; which Aft was afterwards confirmed by the Parliament of England, and declared to be as valid as if the fame had been Part of, and ingroffed in the faid Articles of Union ; by which Aft it is, amongfl: other Things, provided and enafted. That the fixteen Peers, who fhould have a Right to fit in the Houfe of Peers in the Parliament of Great Britain, on the Part of ^c^^- land, by virtue of the faid Treaty, fhould be named by the iaid Peers of Scotland, whom they reprefent, their Heirs or Succefix)rs to their Dignities and Honours, out of their own Number, and that by open Eleftion and Plurality of Voices of the Peers prefent, and of the Proxies for fuch as fhould be abfent, the faid Proxies being Peers, and producing a Mandate in Writing, duly figned before WitnefTes, and both the Conftituent and Proxy being qualified according to ijaw ; and that fuch Peers as were abfent, being qualified as aforefaid, might fend to all fuch Meetings a Lift of the Peers whom they judged fitteft, validly figned by the faid abfent Peers, which fhould be reckoned in thefame Manner, as if the Parties had been prrefent, and given in the faid Lift ; and in cafe of the Death or legal Incapacity of any of the faid fixteen Peers, that the aforefaid Peers of Scotland fhould nominate another of their own Number in Place of the faid Peer or Peers, in Manner as therein is mentioned ; and it was thereby further enafted. That until the Parliament of Great Britain fhould make further Provifion therein, the faid Writs fo to be iffued, fliould contain a Warrant and Command, to command the faid Privy Council to iflue out a Proclamation in her Majefty's Name, requiring the Peers of Scotland for the Time to meet and aflemble at fuch Time and Place within Scotland, as her Majefty and her Royal Succeflbrs fhould think fit, to make Eleftion of the faid fixteen Peers, and requiring the Lord Clerk Regifter, or two of the Clerks of Seflion, to attend all fuch Meetings, and to adminifler the Oaths as were or fhould be by Law required, and to afk the Votes, and having made up tlie Lift in Prefence of the Meeting, to return the Names of the Sixteen Peers chqfen, certified under the Subfcription of the faid Lord Clerk Regifler, Clerk or Clerks of Seflion attending, to the Clerk of the Privy Council of Scotland, to the End that the Names of the fixteen Peers being fo returned to the Privy Council, might be returned to the Court from whence the Writ did iffue, under the Great Seal of the united Kingdom, conform to the faid twenty-fecond Ar- ticle : And whereas by an Aft of this prefent Seflion, intituled. An ASi for rendring the Union of the tvf» Kingdoms more intire and compleat, it is declared and enafted. That from and after the firll Day of May one thoufand feven hundred and eight, the Privy Council of Scotland fhall ceafe and determine, whereliy it is become neceffary that fome further Provifion fhould be made for the elefting and returning the faid fixteen Peers, that are to fit in the Houfe of Peers in the Parliament of Great Britain, purfuant to the faid Treaty ;' Be it therefore enafted by the Qiieen's moff Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confentof the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in Parliament aflembled, and by the Authority of the fame. That at all Times hereafter v/hen her Majefly, her Heirs and Succeffors fhall de- clare her or their Pleafure for fummoning and holding any Parliament of Great Britain, that in order to the elefting and fummoning the fixteen Peers of Scotland, a Proclamation fliall be ifllied under the Great Seal of Great Britain, commanding all the Peers of Scotland to affemble and meet at Edinburgh, or in fuch other Place in Scotland, and at fuch Time as fhall be appointed in the faid Proclamation, to eleft by open Eleftion the fixteen Peers to fit and vote in the Houfe of Peers in the Parliament of Great Britain, in fuel) Manner as by the before recited Aft and herein after is appointed. II. And be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid, That every Proclamation iffued for the Pur- pofe aforefaid, fhall be duly publifhed at the Market Crofs at Edinburgh, and in all the County Towns of Scotland, five and twenty Days at the leaft before the Time thereby appointed for the Meeting of the Peers to proceed to fuch Eleftion. III. And be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid. That all the Peers who meet on fuch Procla- mation, fhall, before they proceed to the Eleftion, and in Prefence of the Peers affembled for fuch Election, take the refpeftive Oaths, videlicet : ' J /i.B. do fincerely promife and fv/ear. That I will be faithful, and bear true Allegiance to her Majefly ' J. Queen Anne, So help me GOD. '1 A.B.