Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/191

Ch. 2. 2.&ensp; econd point is the qualification of perons to be elected members of the houe of commons. This depends upon the law and cutom of parliaments, and the tatutes referred to in the margin. And from thee it appears, 1.&ensp;That they mut not be aliens born, or minors. 2.&ensp;That they mut not be any of the twelve judges, becaue they it in the lords’ houe; nor of the clergy, for they it in the convocation; nor perons attainted of treaon or felony, for they are unfit to it any where. 3.&ensp;That heriffs of counties, and mayors and bailiffs of boroughs, are not eligible in their repective juridictions, as being returning officers ; but that heriffs of one county are eligible to be knights of another. 4.&ensp;That, in trictnes, all members ought to be inhabitants of the places for which they are choen: but this is intirely diregarded. 5.&ensp;That no perons concerned in the management of any duties or taxes created ince 1692, except the commiioners of the treaury, nor any of the officers following, (viz. commiioners of prizes, tranports, ick and wounded, wine licences, navy, and victualling; ecretaries or receivers of prizes; comptrollers of the army accounts; agents for regiments; governors of plantations and their deputies; officers of Minorca or Gibraltar; officers of the excie and cutoms; clerks or deputies in the everal offices of the treaury, exchequer, navy, victualling, admiralty, pay of the army or navy, ecretaries of tate, alt, tamps, appeals, wine licences, hackney coaches, hawkers, and pedlars) nor any perons that hold any new office under the crown created ince 1705, are capable of being elected members. 6.&ensp;That no peron having a penion under the crown during pleaure, or for any term of years, is capable of being elected. 7.&ensp;That if any member accepts an office under the crown, except an officer in the army or navy accepting a new commiion, his eat is void; but