THE PARLIAMENTARY FRANCHISE. The following are the classes of persons who, being males of full age, are entitled to be registered, and when registered to vote at Parliamentary Elections, provided they are not under any legal incapacity, such as alienage, or conviction for corrupt practices, and have not within 12 months preceding 15th July received parochial relief (other than medical relief):— COUNTIES. 1. THE OWNERSHIP FRANCHISE. (a) FREEHOLDERS :- (1) Persons possessed in fee simple or fee (3) Persons possessed of a freehold estate (b) COPYHOLDERS:-- Persons possessed of an estate for life or Note.-Residence on the property is not re- situate in a Parliamentary borough does (c) LEASEHOLDERS: Lessees, their assignees, and sub-lessees Note.-Residence on the property is not re- situate in a Parliamentary borough does N.B.-Joint Ownership.-One only of several joint owners can claim a vote, unless they have acquired the property by inheritance, marriage, or will, or are bona fide carrying on business thereon as partners, in which case all can claim votes if the value is sufficient. Possession. -The claimant must have been in actual possession or in receipt of the rents and profits for his own use for 6 months (in the case of (c) leaseholders, 12 months) preceding the 15th July, unless the property has been acquired by descent, marriage, or will. BOROUGHS. 1.-RESERVED RIGHTS. Persons possessing reserved rights, perma. nently or temporarily reserved by the Reform Act of 1832, such as (1) Freeholders and burgage tenants in cities and towns which are counties of themselves; viz., Bristol, Exeter, Norwich, and Nottingham. (2) Freemen and burgesses by servitude (except in London.) (3) Freemen and liverymen in the City of London. (4) Inhabitants, inhabitant householders, inhabitants paying scot and lot, potwallers, &c. COUNTIES-Continued. Rentcharge. -A rentcharge does not now qualify to vote, except the whole of the tithe rentcharge of a living; but a person registered before 1885 retains his vote. Claims.-Freeholders, Copyholders, and Leaseholders in order to obtain a vote must, if not already registered, send in a notice of claim to the Overseers of the Parish in which the property is situated on or before July 20th. 2.-THE OCCUPATION FRANCHISE. (a) £10 OCCUPIERS: The occupier as owner or tenant for 12 Note.-The word "tenement includes a "studios," or by any other applicable term. Sole occupation of one part will qualify, although another part may be occupied jointly. Residence on the qualification is not required from £10 occupiers. Joint Occupation.-Only two joint occupiers under the £10 qualification can be registered, unless they derived the property by inheritance, marriage, or will, or are bona-file engaged in carrying on business as partners. See also N.B. below. tenant for 12 months preceding the 15th July in any year of any dwellinghouse within the county. Note.-A "dwelling-house" includes, for the purposes of the franchise, any part of a house which is separately occupied as a dwelling," and where the landlord lets out the whole of the house in apartments, retaining no control. A single room may thus be considered a dwelling-house. Sole occupation of one "part of a house qualifies, notwithstanding joint occupation of another part. Residence is required. Joint occupation under this head confers no qualification. A man does not lose his vote by letting his house furnished during a part of the qualifying period not exceeding 4 months in the whole. The Service Franchise.*-Any man who himself inhabits a dwelling-house (as above defined) by virtue of any office, service, or employment, is entitled to a vote in respect of the same, provided that the person under whom he serves does not inhabit the house. The overseers are bound to place the names of all such upon the rate-book as inhabitant householders, notwithstanding that the rent or rates may be paid by their employer. See also N.B. below. N.B.-Occupation of premises in a Parliamentary borough cannot qualify to vote for the county. The occupier as owner or tenant for 12 months preceding the 15th July in any year of any land or tenement within the borough of a clear yearly value of not less than £10. (d) Note. The word tenement" includes a warehouse, counting-house, shop, or any part of a house separately occupied for the purpose of any trade, business, or profession. Such part may be described in claims as office," 66 chambers," 'studio," or by any other applicable term. Sole occupation of one part will qualify, although another part may be occupied jointly. The voter must have resided in the borough or within 7 miles (City of London 25 miles) of its boundary for the 6 months preceding the 15th July. Joint Occupation qualifies all the joint occupiers wherever the clear yearly value is enough to give a sum of £10 for each occupier. Assessed Taxes.-The occupier must also have paid on or before the 20th July all assessed taxes due in respect of the premises up to the 5th January. See also N.B. below. (b) HOUSEHOLDERS: The inhabitant occupier as owner or tenant for 12 months preceding the 15th July in any year of any dwelling house within the borough. (d) Note.--A "dwelling-house" includes, for the purposes of the franchise, any part of a house which is separately occupied as a dwelling," and where the landlord lets out the whole of the house in apartments, retaining no control. A single room may thus be considered a dwelling house. Sole occupation of one such room qualifies, notwithstanding joint occupation of another part. Residence is required. Joint occupation under the above head confers no qualification. A man does not lose his vote by letting his house furnished during a part of the qualifying period not exceeding 4 months in the whole. The Service Franchise.*-Any man who himself inhabits a dwelling-house (as above defined), by virtue of any office, service, or employment, is entitled to a vote in respect of the same, provided that the person under whom he serves does not inhabit the house. The overseers are bound to place the names of all such upon the rate-book as inhabitant householders, notwithstanding that the rent or rates may be paid by their employer. See also N.B. following. *NOTE.-The following classes of persons are among those who are chiefly affected by this provision:PROFESSIONAL. Resident Governors, Chaplains, or employés of public or other institutions; housesurgeons and officials of hospitals; secretaries, professors, schoolmasters, postmasters; dockyard and coastguard officials; masters and other officials of workhouses, asylums, industrial schools, infirmaries, homes, &c.; officers, non-commissioned officers, and married soldiers of the army or militia; permanent staff of volunteer corps; officers of courts or prisons; police officers and constables; corporation and parish officials of various kinds. COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL.-Bank or business managers, shop-assistants, station-masters, signalmen, toll-collectors, office-keepers, gatekeepers, watchmen, and timekeepers. AGRICULTURAL.-Land stewards, farm bailiffs, outdoor farm servants, gardeners, gatekeepers, gamekeepers, shepherds, &c. DOMESTIC.-Coachmen, Grooms, Lodgekeepers, &c., if occupying residences separate from their employer's. COUNTIES-Continued. Successive Occupation.-If two or more premises in the same division of a county, or in the same county if it is undivided, are occupied in immediate succession, the vote is not thereby lost. If the occupier is omitted from the list, a claim should be sent to the overseer by the 20th August, giving particulars of all the premises so occupied. Poor Rates.-The occupier must have been rated in respect of the premises to all poor rates made during the qualifying period. All poor rates due on the 5th January must have been paid on or before July 20th. If the owner is liable for the rates, and has not paid them, the tenant may pay them, and deduct the amount from the rent. Wherever the landlord pays the rates, the overseers are bound to insert the occupier's name in the rate-book. Claims.-The names of qualified householders and occupiers must be placed by the overseers on the list published by them on the 1st August. No claim is necessary in their case, but if any names are omitted by the overseers, a notice of claim must be sent on or before August 20th. 3.-LODGERS. The inhabitant occupier, for the 12 months preceding the 15th July in any year, of lodgings in the same house within the county (or division) of the clear yearly value, if let unfurnished, of £10 or upwards. Note. The term "lodgings" comprises any apartment or place of residence, whether furnished or unfurnished, in a dwellinghouse, where the landlord resides and retains control over the passages and outer doors. Residence is required. Joint Occupation.-The inhabitant occupier, jointly with others, of lodgings of such clear yearly value, if let unfurnished, as gives a sum of not less than £10 for each occupier, is entitled to claim a vote; but no more than two such joint occupiers may be registered in respect of one set of lodgings. Occupation of lodgings in a Parliamentary borough cannot qualify to vote for a county. The occupation in immediate succession of different lodgings of sufficient value in the same house will qualify. But removal from one house to another disqualifies. Additional rooms may be taken during the year without vitiating the qualification. Claims.-Lodgers not already registered must send to the overseers claims to vote on or before August 20th. Those already registered must renew their claims yearly, on or before July 25th. BOROUGHS-Continued. N.B.-Successive Occupation.-If two or more premises in the same borough (whether in the same division or not is immaterial) are occupied in immediate succession, the vote is not thereby lost. If the occupier is omitted from the list, a claim should be sent to the overseers by the 20th August, giving particulars of all the premises so occupied. Poor Rates.-The occupier must have been rated in respect of the premises to all poor rates made during the qualifying period. All poor rates due on the 5th January must have been paid on or before July 20th. If the owner is liable for the rates, and has not paid them, the tenant may pay them, and deduct the amount from the rent. Wherever the landlord pays the rates, the overseers are bound to insert the occupier's name in the rate-book. Claims. The names of qualified householders and occupiers must be placed by the overseers on the list published by them on the 1st August. No claim is necessary in their case, but if any names are omitted by the overseers, a notice of claim must be sent on or before August 20th. 3.-LODGERS. The inhabitant occupier for the 12 months preceding the 15th July in any year, of lodgings in the same house, within the borough, of the clear yearly value, if let unfurnished, of £10 or upwards. Note. The term "lodgings" comprises any apartment or place of residence, whether furnished or unfurnished, in a dwellinghouse, where the landlord resides and retains control over the passages and outer doors. Residence is required. Joint Occupation.-The inhabitant occupier, jointly with others, of lodgings of such clear yearly value, if let unfurnished, as gives a sum of not less than £10 for each occupier, is entitled to claim a vote; but no more than two such joint occupiers may be registered in respect of one set of lodgings. The occupation in immediate succession of different lodgings of sufficient value in the same house will qualify. But removal from one house to another disqualifies. Additional rooms may be taken during the year without vitiating the qualification. Claims.-Lodgers not already registered must send to the overseers claims to vote on or before August 20th. Those already registered must renew their claims yearly, on or before July 25th. |