=Source.=--_Statutes of the Realm_, 23 Henry VI., c. 14.
_The statute recites 1 Henry V. c. 1 (see p. 13), and 8 Henry VI. c. 7
(see p. 35), then proceeds_:
... By force of which statutes elections of knights to come to
Parliament sometimes have been duly made and lawfully returned until
now of late that divers sheriffs, for their singular avail and lucre,
have not made due elections of knights, nor in convenient time, nor
good men and true returned, and sometime no return of the knights,
citizens and burgesses lawfully chosen to come to the Parliaments;
but such knights, citizens, and burgesses have been returned which
were never duly chosen, and other citizens and burgesses than those
which by the mayors and bailiffs were to the said sheriffs returned;
and sometimes the sheriffs have not returned the writs which they
had to make elections of knights to come to the Parliaments, but the
said writs have imbesiled, and moreover made no precept to the mayor
and bailiffs, or to the bailiffs or bailiff, where no mayor is, of
cities and boroughs, for the elections of citizens and burgesses to
come to the Parliaments, by colour of these words contained in the
same writs--"_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 burgenses_;" and also
because sufficient penalty and convenient remedy for the party in
such case grieved is not ordained in the said statutes against the
sheriffs, mayors, and bailiffs, which do contrary to the form of the
said statutes: The King considering the premises hath ordained by
Authority aforesaid, that the said statutes shall be duly kept in all
points: and moreover that every sheriff, after the delivery of any such
writs to him made, shall make and deliver without fraud a sufficient
Precept under his seal to every mayor and bailiff, or to bailiffs
or bailiff where no mayor is, of the cities and boroughs within his
county, reciting the said writ, commanding them by the same precept, if
it be a city, to choose by citizens of the same city, citizens; and
in the same manner and form, if it be a borough, by burgesses of the
same to come to the Parliament. And that the same mayor and bailiffs,
or bailiffs or bailiff where no mayor is, shall return lawfully the
precept to the same sheriffs by indenture betwixt the same sheriffs,
and them to be made of the said elections, and of the names of the said
citizens and burgesses by them so chosen; and thereupon every sheriff
shall make a good and rightful return of every such writ, and of every
return by the mayors and bailiffs, or bailiffs or bailiff where no
mayor is, to him made.