Parliamentary Elections (Ireland) Act 1823

XLIX Deputy to refer to Registry Book, and Certificate of Registry deemed conclusive Evidence, and in default thereof, the original Affidavit.

And be it further enacted, That in every Case in which any Person shall tender his Vote, or offer to poll at any Election for a Member to serve in Parliament for a County of a City or a County of a Town, by virtue of a Freehold, the Returning Officer shall, in the first Place, refer to the Entry of the Registry of the Affidavit or Affirmation, in the alphabetical Book furnished by the Clerk of the Peace in which the same shall be contained, and write down opposite to the same the Initial Letters of his Name, and then he shall refer to the Certificate or Affidavit of the Registry of the same; and that if any such Person shall produce a Certificate of the Registry of his Freehold corresponding with such Entry of the original Affidavit or Affirmation, without any Erasure or Interlineation therein, signed as required by Law, such Certificate shall, without further Proof, be deemed of equal Authenticity with the original Oath or Affirmation, and conclusive Evidence that such Person so tendering his Vote, or offering to poll, had registered such Freehold, and the Returning Officer's Deputy shall write down the Initials of his Name upon the Margin of such Certificate; and that in all Cases wherein no such Certificate shall be produced by the Person tendering his Vote, or offering to poll, or wherein such Certificate, if produced, shall appear to the Returning Officer's Deputy not to be in Manner and Form as aforesaid, it shall and may be lawful for the Returning Officer's Deputy, and he is hereby required to direct the Deputy Clerk of the Peace to produce the original Affidavit or Affirmation of the Registry of the Freehold of such Person so tendering his Vote, or offering to poll.