§ A Petition of the rev. John Newman, clerk, Thomas Fenn esq. John Addison esq., Robert Anderson, Robert Daking, Henry Hayward, John Holman the younger, Joseph Herbert the elder, John Burkitt, Edward Burkitt, James Ablitt the elder, and John Barker the younger, freemen of the borough of Sudbury, in the county of Suffolk, was read; setting forth,
§ "That, previously to, and at, the last general election, the petitioners were freemen of the said borough of Sudbury, and had, and claimed to have, a right to vote for members to represent the said borough in parliament; and that, at the said last general election, sir John Cox Hippesley bart. and Charles Wyatt esq., were candidates, and were returned as members having been duly elected for the said borough; and that, after the teste of the writ of summons for the election of proper persons to represent the said borough of Sudbury, and before the said election, and also at and during the time of the said election, and before the return made, the said Charles Wyatt did, by himself, and by his agents and friends, with his privity and consent, and by his directions, and on his behalf, give to divers electors of the said borough, or persons being, or claiming to be, electors of the said borough, and having votes at such election, money, meat, drink, entertainment, and provision, and the said C. Wyatt, his agents and friends, with his privity and consent, and by his directions, did also make and give such persons, so having votes as aforesaid, presents, gifts, rewards, and entertainments, and did also, previously to and at the time of the said election, make promises and agreements, and enter into obligations and engagements, to give and allow such persons money, meat, drink, provision, presents, rewards, and entertainments, in order that the said C. Wyatt might be elected as one of the representatives in parliament for the said borough; and that, by reason of such conduct, the said C. Wyatt acted in defiance of the standing orders of the House, and in violation of the laws and statutes of the realm, and thereby the petitioners submit to the House that the said C. Wyatt became and was incapable of being returned or elected to serve in parliament for the said borough; and that the petitioners submit to the House, that the said C. Wyatt, having so become legally incapable of being returned and elected as one of the representatives for 196 the said borough, such votes as were given to him and in his favour are and ought to be considered as null and void; and that the return and election of the said C. Wyatt, ought also to be considered as null and void; and that the said C. Wyatt ought to be deemed no member duly elected for the said borough; and praying, that a day may be appointed by the House for taking the premises into consideration, and that the election of the said C. Wyatt may be declared null and void, and his incapacity to sit and vote as member for the said borough of Sudbury, be declared, and that the House will otherwise grant to the petitioners such relief in the premises as to the House shall seem meet."
§ Ordered to be taken into consideration on Tuesday the l6th of February.