614 C. 14. Anno vicefimo tertio Henrici VI. A. D. 1444. The Statutes of a H. 5. c. 1. 7 H. 4. c. 15. Sc '8 H. 6. c. 7. •-confirmed. The Sheriffs fhall lend out Precepts to the Mayors and Bai- liffs of Cities and Boroughs, to ekcl Citizens and BurgefTes to t'erve in Par- liament. The Penalty on a Sheriff" making an undue Return of a Member of Parliament. 11 H. 4. c. 1. Carth. 132. 1 Shower 353. Hob. 78. - Lev 1 14. 3 Lev- 30. 1 Lut. 60. 5 Mod. 3IT. 2 Vent. 37. Farr. 13. 2^Salk. 502. Carth. 132. The Penalty on a Mayor or Bai- liff making an undue Return. 4 Mod. 119. Citizens, and BurgefTes have been returned, which were never duly chofen, and other Citizens and Bur- gefTes than thofe which by the Mayors and Bailiffs were to the faid Sheriffs returned; (6) and fometirne's , the Sheriffs have not returned the Writs which they had to make Election of Knights to come to the Parliaments, but the faid Writs have imbefiled, and moreover made no Precept to the Mayor and Bailiff, or 10 the Bailiffs or Bailiff where no Mayor is, of Cities and Boroughs, for ths Election of Citizens and Burgefies to come to the Parliament, by the Colour of thefe Words contained in the fame Writs; ghiod in plena, comitatii tuo eligi facias pro comitatu tuo duos Mtlites, et pro qualibet civitate in comitatu tuo duos ' Cives,, et pi quolibet bur go in comitatu tuo duos Bur- geiifes'; (7) and alfo becaufe fufficient Penalty and convenient Remedy for the Party in fuch Cafe grieved is not ordained in the faid Statutes agai-nft the Sheriff, Mayors, and Bailiffs, which do contrary to the Form of the faid Statutes :"' (8) The King confidering the Premiffes hath ordained by Authority aforefaid, That the faid Statutes fhall be duly kept in all Points; (9) and moreover that every Sheriff, after the Delivery of any fuch Writ to him made, fhall make and deliver without Fraud a fufficient Precept under his Seal to every Mayor and Bailiff, or to Bai- liffs or Bailiff where no Mayor is, of the Cities and Boroughs within his County, reciting the faid Writ, commanding them by the fame Precept, if it be a City, to choofe by Citizens of the fame City, Citi- zens, and in the fame Manner and Form, if it be a Borough, by the BurgefTes of the fame, to come to the Parliament. (10) And that the fame Mayor and Bailiffs, or Bailiffs or Bailiff where no Mayor is, fhall return lawfully the Precept to the fame Sheriffs, by Indentures betwixt the fame Sheriffs and them to be made of the faid Elections, and of the Names of the faid Citizens and Burgeffes by them fo chofen, and thereupon every Sheriff fhall make a good and rightful Return of every fuch Writ, and of every Return by the Mayors and Bailiffs, or Bailiffs or Bailiff where no Mayor is, to him made. ,(11) And that every Sheriff at every Time that he doth contrary to this Statute, or any other Statutes for the Election of Knights, Citizens, and BurgefTes to come to the Parliament before this Time made, fhall incur the Pain contained in the laid Statute made the faid Eighth Year, and moreover fhall for- feit and pay to every Perfon hereafter chofen Knight, Citizen, or Burgefs in his County, to come to any Parliament, and not duly returned, or to any other Perfon, which in Default of fuch Knight, Citizen, or Burgefs will fue, an Hundred Pounds, whereof every Knight, Citizen, and Burgefs fo grieved, feve- rally, or any oiher Perfon which in their Default will fue, fhall have his Action of Debt againft the faid Sheriff, or his Executors or Adminikrators, to de- mand and have the faid Hundred Pounds, with his Colts (pent in that Cafe. (12) And that in fuch Action taken by Virtue of this Statute, the Defendant fhall not wage his Law of the Demand aforefaid in any wife, (13) and that no Defendant in fuch Action fhall have any Effoin. (14) And in the fame Manner at every Time that any Mayor and Bailiffs, or Bair liffs or Bailiff where no Mayor is, fhall return other than thof; v/hich be chofen by the Citizens and Bur- Cotton MS. eflieux, et autres cittzeins et burgeifez, que ceux que per mairs et baillifs as ditz vifcountz furc-nt retournez : Et afciin foitz lez vifcountz ne ount retourne les briefs qi's avJent pur faire elections dez chivalcrs a venir as parkmentz, einz lez ditz briefs ount embTdlez, et ouftre nulle precept as mair et baillifs, ou as baillifs on baillif ou mair neft, dez citeez et burghs pur elections dez cite- zeins et burgeifez de venir as parlementz firent, per colour de ceflz parolx contenuz en lez ditz briefs, quod in pleno comitatu tuo eligi facias pro comitatu tuo duos milites et pro qualibet civitate in comitatu tuo duos cives et pro quolibet burgo in comitatu tuo duos burgenfes : Et auxint pur ceo que fufficeant peyne et covenable remedie pur la partie en tiel cas greve ne fount pas ordeignez en lez ditz efcatutz vers lez vifcountz et mairs et bail- lifs qui facent encountre la fourme dez ditz eftatutz: le Roi confiderant lez premiffez, ad ordeigne per ..udforite Tuifdit, que lez ditz eftatutz foient due- ment gardez et obfervez en toutz pointz. Et ouftre ceo qtie chefcune vifcount apres la livere de chefcune tiel briefe a luy fait, ferra et delivera faunz fraude un fufficeant precept defouth fon feal a chefcune mair et baillif, ou as baillifs ou baillif ou mair neft, deinz citeez et burghs deinz fon countee, recitant le dit briefe, eux commandant per mefme le precept, deflier, fi foit citee, percite- zeins de mefme la citee deux citezeins, et en mefme la fourme ft foit burgh, burgeifez, de venir al parlernent. Et que mefmez lez mair et baillifs, ou baillif ou mair neft, dez citeez & burghs retour- nent loialment le dit precept a mefme le vifcount per endenturez entre mefme le vifcount et eux affaire, ' de lez ditz elections, et dez nouns dez ditz citezeins et burgeifez iffint per eux eflutz. Et fur ceo que chefcune vifcount face bone et droit retourne de chefcune tiel brfefe, et de chefcune re- tourne per mair et baillifs, on baillif ou mair neft, a luy fait. Et que chefcune vifcount, a chefcune foitz qui il face le contrarie diceft eltatut ou dafcun autre eltatut pur election dez chivalers citezeins et burgeifez de venir al parlernent devaunt cez hoeu- rez fait, encourge la peyne contenu en le dit efta- tut fait le dit an oeptifrne. Et ouftre ceo forface et paie a chefcune perfone en apres eflieu chivaler ci- tezein ou burgeis en fon counte de venir a afcun parlernent, et nemye pur luy duement retourne, ou a afcun autre perfone que en defaute de tiel chi- valer, citezein, ou burgeis, fuer le voet Cli. dont chefcun chivaler, citezein, et burgeis iffint greve feveralment, ou afcun autre perfone qui en. lour defaulte fuer voet, eit fa action de dette envers le dit vifcount, ou fez executours ou adminiftratours, a demaunder et aver lez ditz C li. ove fez coftagez en c:ft cas defpenduz. Et que en tiel action pris per vertue diceft eltatut le defendaunt ne gagera fa ley de la demaunde fuifdit en null manere. Et que nulle defendaunt en tiel action avera afcun effbyn. Et en mefme le manere a chefcune foitz que afcune mair et baillifs, ou baillifs ou baillif ou mair neft, retournent ou retourne autres que ceux qui font dluz per lez citezeins et burgeifez dez citeez et burghs,