Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/190

174 the mot flourihing towns to end repreentatives to parliament. So that as towns encreaed in trade, and grew populous, they were admitted to a hare in the legilature. But the misfortune is, that the deerted boroughs continued to be ummoned, as well as thoe to whom their trade and inhabitants were transferred; except a few which petitioned to be eaed of the expene, then uual, of maintaining their members: four hillings a day being allowed for a knight of the hire, and two hillings for a citizen or burges; which was the rate of wages etablihed in the reign of Edward III. Hence the members for boroughs now bear above a quadruple proportion to thoe for counties, and the number of parliament men is increaed ince Fortecue’s time, in the reign of Henry the ixth, from 300 to upwards of 500, excluive of thoe for Scotland. The univerities were in general not empowered to end burgees to parliament; though once, in 28 Edw. I. when a parliament was ummoned to conider of the king’s right to Scotland, there were iued writs, which required the univerity of Oxford to end up four or five, and that of Cambridge two or three, of their mot dicreet and learned lawyers for that purpoe. But it was king James the firt, who indulged them with the permanent privilege to end contantly two of their own body; to erve for thoe tudents who, though ueful members of the community, were neither concerned in the landed nor the trading interet; and to protect in the legilature the rights of the republic of letters. The right of election in boroughs is various, depending intirely on the everal charters, cutoms, and contitutions of the repective places, which has occaioned infinite diputes; though now by tatute 2 Geo. II. c. 24. the right of voting for the future hall be allowed according to the lat determination of the houe of commons concerning it. And by tatute 3 Geo. III. c. 15. no freeman of any city or borough (other than uch as claim by birth, marriage, or ervitude) hall be intitled to vote therein, unles he hath been admitted to his freedom twelve calendar months before.