IN the Borough of Corfe-Castle, by antient Custom, the Electors for Burgesses of Parliament are all Inhabi­tants that pay Scot and Lot, and all that have any Estate of Inheritance, or Freehold, or Leasehold, determinable upon Life or Lives.

At the last Election there were four Candidates, viz. Wil­liam Culliford, Edward Clavill, Richard Founds, and John Banks Esquires; and there were given Eighty five Votes for Mr. Cul­liford, Sixty three for Mr. Clavill, Fifty two for Mr. Fownds, and Seventy (talia qualia) for Mr. Banks.

In this Borough are fourteen Tenements, which were granted by Leases for Lives to so many several Tenants, and they according to Cu­stom and Right voted at the Election. Notwithstanding which, Mr. Dackcomb, who had granted these Leases, did a little before the Election, convey the Reversion to fourteen several other Persons, on purpose to vote for Mr. Banks, and were admitted by the Mayor. When the Words of the Act Septimo & Octavo Gulielmi Tertii, for further regulating Elections of Members to serve in Parliament, are as followeth. ‘That all Conveyances of any Messuages, Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments, in any County, City, Borough, Town Corporate, Port, or Place, in order to multiply Voices, or to split and di­vide the Interest in any Houses or Lands amongst several Persons, to enable them to vote at Elections of Members to serve in Parliament, are hereby declared void, and of none effect; [and that no more than one single Voice shall be admitted for one and the same House or Tenement.]’

In this Borough likewise are some Lands given to the Poor of the Parish of VVimbourn, which are under the Ma­nagement of several Trustees, five of which were admitted to vote for Mr. Banks.

Besides these nineteen Voters, divers others, who had no Right in this Election, were brought to vote for Mr. Banks, who having the Mayor in his Interest, is returned instead of Mr. Clavill, who had the Majority of legal Votes.