Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/501

 Ch. 18 3. By urrender of it's franchies into the hands of the king, which is a kind of uicide. 4. By forfeiture of it's charter, through negligence or abue of it's franchies; in which cae the law judges that the body politic has broken the condition upon which it was incorporated, and thereupon the incorporation is void. And the regular coure is to bring an information in nature of a writ of quo warranto, to enquire by what warrant the members now exercie their corporate power, having forfeited it by uch and uch proceedings. The exertion of this act of law, for the purpoes of the tate, in the reigns of king Charles and king James the econd, particularly by eiing the charter of the city of London, gave great and jut offence; though perhaps, in trictnes of law, the proceedings in mot of them were ufficiently regular: but the judgment againt that of London was revered by act of parliament after the revolution; and by the ame tate it is enacted, that the franchies of the city of London hall never more be forfeited for any caue whatoever. And, becaue by the common law corporations were diolved, in cae the mayor or head officer was not duly elected on the day appointed in the charter or etablihed by precription, it is now provided, that for the future no corporation hall be diolved upon that account; and ample directions are given for appointing a new officer, in cae there be no election, or a void one, made upon the charter or precriptive day.