1782: 22 George 3 c.42: An Act for better securing the Freedom of Elections of Members to serve in Parliament, by disabling certain Officers, employed in the Collection or Management of his Majesty’s Revenues, from giving their Votes at such Elections.
[Preamble.]
FOR the better securing the Freedom of Elections of Members to serve in Parliament, be it enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same,
[From Aug. 1, 1782, no Commissioner or Officer employed in collecting or managing the Duties of Excise, Customs, &c. shall have any Vote in the Election of Members of Parliament.]
That, from and after the First Day of August, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-two, no Commissioner, Collector, Supervisor, Gauger, or other Officer or Person whatsoever, concerned or employed in the charging, collecting, levying, or managing the Duties of Excise, or any Branch or Part thereof; nor any Commissioner, Collector, Comptroller, Searcher, or other Officer or Person whatsoever, concerned or employed in the charging, collecting, levying, or managing the Customs, or any Branch or Part thereof; nor any Commissioner, Officer, or other Person concerned or employed in collecting, receiving, or managing, any of the Duties on stamped Vellum, Parchment, and Paper, nor any Person appointed by the Commissioners for distributing of Stamps; nor any Commissioner, Officer, or other Person employed in collecting, levying, or managing, any of the Duties on Salt; nor any Surveyor, Collector, Comptroller, Inspector, Officer, or other Person employed in collecting, managing, or receiving, the Duties on Windows or Houses; nor any Postmaster, Postmasters General, or his or their Deputy or Deputies, or any Person employed by or under him or them in receiving, collecting, or managing, the Revenue of the Post-office, or any Part thereof, nor any Captain, Master, or Mate, of any Ship, Packet, or other Vessel, employed by or under the Postmaster or Postmaster General in conveying the Mail to and from foreign Ports, shall be capable of giving his Vote for the Election of any Knight of the Shire, Commissioner, Citizen, Burgess, or Baron, to serve in Parliament for any County, Stewartry, City, Borough, or Cinque Port, or for chusing any Delegate in whom the Right of electing Members to serve in Parliament, for that Part of Great Britain called Scotland, is vested:
[Penalty on Persons voting who are disqualified by this Act.]
And if any Person, hereby made incapable of voting as aforesaid, shall nevertheless presume to give his Vote, during the Time he shall hold, or within twelve Calendar Months after he shall cease to hold or execute any of the Offices aforesaid, contrary to the true Intent and Meaning of this Act, such Votes so given shall be held null and void to all Intents and Purposes whatsoever, and every Person so offending shall forfeit the Sum of one hundred Pounds, one Moiety thereof to the Informer, and the other Moiety thereof to be immediately paid into the Hands of the Treasurer of the County, Riding, or Division, within which such Offence shall have been committed, in that Part of Great Britain called England; and into the Hands of the Clerk of the Justices of the Peace of the Counties or Stewartries, in that Part of Great Britain called Scotland, to be applied and disposed of to such Purposes as the Justices at the next General Quarter Session of the Peace to be held for such County, Stewartry, Riding, or Division, shall think fit; to be recovered, by any Person that shall sue for the same, by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint, or Information, in any of his Majesty’s Courts of Record at Westminster, in which no Essoin, Protection, Privilege, or Wager of Law, or more than one Imparlance, shall be allowed; or by summary Complaint before the Court of Session in Scotland; and the Person convicted on any such Suit shall thereby become disabled and incapable of ever bearing or executing any Office or Place of Trust whatsoever under his Majesty his Heirs and Successors.
[Not to extend to Commissioners of the Land Tax, or Persons acting under them;]
II. Provided always, and be it enacted, That nothing in this Act contained shall extend, or be construed to extend, to any Person or Persons for or by reason of his or their being a Commissioner or Commissioners of the Land Tax, or for or by reason of his or their acting by or under the Appointment of such Commissioners of the Land Tax, for the Purpose of assessing, levying, collecting, receiving, or managing the Land Tax, or any other Rates or Duties already granted or imposed, or which shall hereafter be granted or imposed, by Authority of Parliament.
[nor to Offices held by Letters Patentfor any Estate of Inheritance;]
III. Provided also, and be it further enacted, That nothing in this Act contained shall extend, or be construed to extend, to any Office now held, or usually granted to be held, by Letters Patent for any Estate of Inheritance or Freehold.
[nor to Persons who shall resign their Offices before Aug. 1, 1782.]
IV. Provided always, and be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That nothing herein contained shall extend to any Person who shall resign his Office or Employment on or before the said first Day of August, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-two.
[Limitation of Actions.]
V. Provided also, and be it enacted, That no Person shall be liable to any Forfeiture or Penalty by this Act laid or imposed, unless Prosecution be commenced within twelve Months after such Penalty or Forfeiture shall be incurred.
Source: Ruffhead, Statutes at Large, Vol. 14.
Further Reading: Wikipedia.