Parliamentary Elections (Ireland) Act 1823

LIV Circumstances under which Returning Officers reject Vote of Person claiming to be Freeholder.

And be it further enacted, That if an Entry of the Affidavit or Affirmation at any Election for a Member or Members to serve in Parliament for any County of a City or County of a Town in Ireland, of the Registry of the Freehold of any Person tendering his Vote or offering to poll, required by Law to be registered, shall not appear in the Registry Book, or if any Person tendering his Vote, or offering to poll, shall not either produce such Certificate of Registry as by Law required, or be able to refer to an original Affidavit or Affirmation of his Registry, in the Possession of the Deputy Clerk of the Peace, or if any such Person shall refuse to take the Oath aforesaid, or shall not give a direct Answer to each of the Questions to be put to him by the Returning Officer or Officers, or his or their Assessor, or if it shall appear to such Returning Officer or Officers by the Admission of the Person so offering to vote, or upon a due Examination of One or more credible Witness or Witnesses, upon his or their Oath or Oaths (which Oath or Oaths the Returning Officer or Officers is and are hereby authorized and empowered to administer), that the Person offering to vote by virtue of a Freehold at such Election has polled before at such Election, or has personated another Elector for the Purpose of polling at such Election, or has polled by virtue of a forged Certificate of Registry, or offers to poll by virtue of a Registry of an alledged Freehold, under a Lease for a Life or Lives, made by a Lessor who had not at the Time of making the same a Freehold Estate therein, or by virtue of a Registry of an alledged Freehold, under a Lease for a Life or Lives, which Lease is to end and determine on some such Covenant or Condition, that a Freehold Estate has not been demised by the same, or by virtue of any Freehold Estate of which he shall not be bonâ fide seised, then and in any or either of such Cases, the Returning Officer or Officers shall reject the Vote of the Person so tendering such Vote, or so offering to poll at such Election.