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Show Se&.VII. 428 ACTS RELATING TO THE Commas. 429 Partlll. Another object of this ail is, to regulate the annual and occafional meetings of the dered as one of the greatelt fupports of our liberties-Our petit and grand fellions, our aflizes, are upon this account, as well 'freemen. Thefe meetings, it feems, harl 'been perverted from the original purpole as others, of real and falutary importance; nay, if the Refioration is to be ranked; for which they were inftitnted, and, in- among the national bleflings, even cockfiead of confining themfelves to their own municipal bulinefs, " had been mifled" fays the act, "to treat upon matters of znatches and horfe-races may claim fome {hare of the praife of utility : there it was the royalif'ts held their confultations *9 " the molt general concern, and to pafs " many dangerous and unwarrantable re" folves." To remedy this abufe, two provifions are made; both of which appear impolitic, and one of them impracticable. It is enafiecl, that no occafional meet- Nor was the prohibition of thefe diver- fions the leafi galling a€t of Cromwell's tyranny. Nor is there perhaps a meafurc that would be more likely to roufe the jealoufy, or inflame the pallions of Englilh- men, than an attempt to put the power of meeting, or the exclufive prefcription of, ing, that is, no meeting, except the an~ the matters to be canvailetl when met," in nual ones for the election of officers, and the arbitrary difpolition of the lervants of tthofe for the election of reprefentatives, {hall be fummoned without the confent of the governor. This, no doubt, is prafli- the crown. ' No doubt it was true, as the act allerts, -" that great abufes had been made of cable, but is it jufl: or politic 9 Thus much is, lbelieve, certain, that here in Eng-a land, the frequent meetings of the gentry and freeholders, have always been confi- dered " the power of calling fuch meetings z"- ‘* Dalrymple's Memoirs, vol. 1. p. 74. No |