(_For the Mirror._)
Chamberlayne, in his _Angliæ Notitia_, says, "Although the lords of
parliament are to bear their own charges, because they represent there
only themselves; yet all the commons, both lay and clergy, that is,
_Procuratores Cleri_, are to have _rationales expensus_, (as the words
of the writ are) that is, such allowance as the king considering the
prices of all things, shall judge meet to impose upon the people to pay.
In the 17th of Edward II. it was ten groats for knights, and five groats
for burgesses; but not long after it was four shillings for all others,
which in those days, as appears by the prices of all things, was a
considerable sum, above ten times more than it is now, (1688) for not
only then expenses were considered, though that was great by reason of
the suitable attendance that then every parliament-man had, but also
their pains, their loss of time, and necessary neglect of their own
private affairs for the service of their country; and when the counties,
cities, and boroughs paid so dear for their expenses, they were wont to
take care to chuse such men as were best able, and most diligent in the
speedy despatch of affairs; by which means, with some others, more
business in those times was despatched in parliament in a week, than is
now perhaps in ten; so that the protections for parliament-men and their
servants from arrests were not then grievous, when scarce any parliament
or sessions lasted so long as one of the four terms at Westminster.
"The aforementioned expenses duly paid, did cause all the petty decayed
boroughs of England to become humble suitors to the king, that they
might not be obliged to send burgesses to parliament; whereby it came to
pass, that divers were unburgessed, as it was in particular granted to
_Chipping_, or _Market-Morriton_, upon their petition; and then the
number of the _Commons House_ being scarce half so many as at present,
then debates and bills were sooner expedited." page 156, 21st. edit.
Halsted, in his _History of Kent_, tells us, "The pay of the burgesses
of Canterbury was fixed (anno 1411) at two shillings a-day for each,
while such burgess was absent from his family attending his duty. In
1445 the wages were no more than twelve pence a-day; two years
afterwards they were increased to sixteenpence, and in 1503 had again
been raised to two shillings. In Queen Mary's reign, the corporation
refused to continue this payment any longer, and the wages of the
members were then levied by assessment on the inhabitants at large, and
continued to be so raised till these kinds of payments were altogether
discontinued."