EXCEPTIONS TO THE ABOVE.

But if a Committee shall have sat for business fourteen days, twelve Members may proceed therein; and if twenty-five days, eleven Members may proceed.-28th Geo. III., cap. 52.

DETERMINATION OF COMMITTEE TO BE FINAL.

The Committee shall determine finally; and the House shall thereupon confirm or alter the return, or issue a writ for a new election, as the case may require.-10th Geo. III., cap. 16.

PARTICULARS OF REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.

Committees in their reports must mention whether petitions appear frivolous or vexatious; and when statements in writing are delivered in, they must report, with their determination on the merits of the petition, their judgment on such statements; such report shall be entered on the journals, and notice thereof sent to the returning officer. The report on the statements delivered in shall also be final and conclusive at all subsequent elections, unless a petition be presented to oppose the same within twelve calendar months after the report to the House, or within fourteen days after the commencement of the next Session.-28th Geo. III., cap. 52.

PETITIONS TO OPPOSE THE RIGHT OF ELECTION, AS LAID DOWN BY COMMITTEES.

Persons may, within twelve months after the report, petition to be admitted to oppose the right of election by such report established. If no petition be presented, the judgment of the Committee shall be conclusive.

Forty days shall intervene between the presenting and hearing such petitions.

Before the hearing, any person may petition to be admitted to defend the right of election.

Committee shall be appointed to try the merits of such petitions, whose determination shall be conclusive.-28th Geo. III. cap. 52.

RENEWED PETITIONS.

A renewed petition as to the right, must be prosecuted within fourteen days after every new session, and taken into consideration within fourteen days after presenting.

If not renewed within the fourteen days, the judgment of Committees to be final; and renewed petitions delivered in together at the table, shall be read in the order in which they were directed to be taken into consideration in the last session.-34th Geo. III. cap. 83.

PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERS.

The most notorious of these are, privilege of speech, of person, of their domestics, and of their lands and goods; which are as ancient as the times of Edward the Confessor. Members were formerly not only privileged from illegal violence, but also from legal arrests and seizures by process in courts of law. By the Acts of the 5th of Henry IV., and 11th Henry VI. to assault, by violence, a member of either House of Parliament, or his menial servants, is a high contempt of Parliament, and punishable with the utmost severity *.

NO PRIVILEGE IN CERTAIN CASES.

Privilege of Parliament is part of the law of the land, and a member cannot be arrested, except in cases of treason, felony, and actual breach of the peace; but all other privileges derogating from the common law, in matters of civil right (the freedom of a member's person alone excepted), are now abolished.

ACTIONS MAY BE BROUGHT DURING INTERVALS OF PARLIAMENT.

An action may be commenced against any peer, or member of Parliament, or his menial servants, &c. in the interval of Parliament; viz. from and immediately after the dissolution or prorogation of any

In the reign of Charles II. a motion having been made to lay an imposition on the playhouses, the court-party objected, saying, that "The players were the King's servants, and a part of his pleasures."-On this, Sir John Coventry, a gentleman of the country-party, very pertinently asked "whether the King's pleasure lay among the male or the female players?" alluding to Nell Gwynn and Mrs. Davis, two of the actresses who were mistresses to his Majesty. This keen sarcasm gave great offence to the court-party; and several officers of the Guards, in order to ingratiate themselves with the King, waylaid Sir John, and slit his nose down to the bone!The Commons, who were justly inflamed by so cruel an indignity offered to one of their members, immediately passed the act commonly called the Coventry, or Black Act.

Parliament until the meeting of a new one, and from and immediately after any adjournment of both Houses, for above fourteen days, until both Houses shall again meet. The courts where such action shall be brought, may, after such dissolution, prorogation, or adjournment, proceed to give judgment, and award execution thereon, notwithstanding any privilege of Parliament.-12th and 13th William III. cap. 3.

OBEDIENCE TO THE COURTS AT WESTMINSTER.

Obedience to the Courts of King's Bench, Common Pleas, and Exchequer, may be enforced against persons having privilege of Parliament, by Distress Infinite.-10th Geo. III. cap. 50.

FRANKING LETTERS.

All members of Parliament have the privilege of franking a certain number of letters daily through the post office, whether the House be sitting or not. After a dissolution, however, Peers may not frank until the Parliament meets :-the Commons are privileged to do so immediately on their election. Franking began in 1661, in order to facilitate communication between the representatives and the represented. It was abridged in 1764 and 1775.

PROCEEDINGS AGAINST MEMBERS, AS MERCHANTS.

The Act 43rd of George III. to amend Act 4th of the same reign, cap. 33, recites the inconveniences which had arisen from persons having privilege of Parliament; and enacts that traders having such privilege, shall within two months after summons, enter an appearance, or be adjudged bankrupt.

On proceeding by summons without affidavit, appearance may be entered by the defendant.

Appearance may also be put in for defendants having privilege of Parliament, in Courts of Equity, on return of process of sequestration.

In default of answer to any Bill in Equity, against persons having privilege of Parliament, the Bill shall be taken pro confesso: such Bill shall be read in evidence, as an answer admitting the fact.

Traders having privilege of Parliament, disobeying orders in Chancery to pay money, shall be declared bankrupts.

A

DIGEST

OF THE

STANDING ORDERS

OF THE

HOUSE OF COMMONS

RELATING TO

PRIVATE BILLS, AND OTHER MATTERS.

PRIVATE BILLS, GENERALLY.

TIME FOR PRESENTING PETITIONS FOR PRIVATE BILLS.

1. All petitions for private Bills must be presented within 14 days after the first Friday in every session of Parliament.

CONTENTS AND SIGNATURES OF PETITIONS.

2. No private Bill shall be brought into this House, but upon a petition first presented, truly stating the case; at the peril of the parties preferring the same. Such petition must be signed by the parties who are suitors for the Bill.

PRIVATE BILL OFFICE AND REGISTER.

3. A book, to be called "THE PRIVATE BILL REGISTER," shall be kept in a room, to be called "THE PRIVATE BILL OFFICE," in which book shall be entered, by the Clerks appointed for the business of that office (who shall not be employed, or act, as agents in the management or conduct of any Bills in the House of Commons; nor be in partnership with any person so employed) the name, description, and place of residence of the Parliamentary Agent in town, and of the agent in the country (if any) who solicits the Bill;

and all the proceedings, from the petition to the passing of the Bill:-such entry to specify, briefly, each day's proceeding in the House, or in any Committee to which the Bill or petition may be referred;-the day and hour on which the Committee is appointed to sit; the day and hour to which such Committee may be adjourned; and the name of the Committee Clerk. Such book to be open for public inspection daily, in the said office, between the hours of eleven and five.

PLANS, &C. TO BE LODGED IN THE PRIVATE Bill office.

4. All plans, elevations, sections, and other papers, required by the Standing Orders of the House, must be lodged in the Private Bill Office, before petitions are presented:-the receipt thereof to be acknowledged by one of the clerks of the said office.

PARTICULARS TO BE INSERTED IN THE SUBSCRIPTION LIST.

5. Every subscription list deposited in the Private Bill Office must contain the christian and surnames, places of abode, and quality or calling of the subscribers to the work, as well as the sums by them respectively subscribed.

TIME OF DAY FOR DELIVERING NOTICES AT THE PRIVATE BILL

OFFICE.

6. All notices to be delivered into the Private Bill Office, before 8 o'clock in the evening.

PETITIONS FOR BILLS, REQUIRING TOLLS OR DUTIES, TO BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE OF STANDING Orders.

7. No Bill (except for the continuation or amendment of any Act for making, maintaining, keeping in repair or improving Turnpike Roads) shall be ordered to be brought in, on petition, for any work proposed to be carried on by tolls or duties to be levied on the subject, in particular places, till such petition has been referred to a Committee; who shall in the first instance examine whether the Standing Orders have been complied with, and report the same, together with the matter of the said petition, to the House.