| The inhabitants were incorporated under the title of
the Sovereign, Free Burgesses, and Commonalty of the Borough of Ardmagh,
in 1613, by charter of Jas.I, which was taken from them by Jas. II., who
granted one conferring more extensive privileges; but Wm. III. restored
the original charter, under which the corporation consists of a sovereign,
twelve free burgesses, and an unlimited number of freemen, of whom there
are at present only two; a town-clerk and registrar, and two serjeants-at-mace
are also appointed. The sovereign is, by the charter, eligible by
the free burgesses from among themselves, annually on the festival of the
Nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24th); the power of filling a vacancy
in the number of free burgesses is vested in the sovereign and remaining
free burgesses; the freemen are admitted by the sovereign and free burgesses;
and the appointment of the inferior officers is vested in the corporation
at large. |
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| By charter of King James, the borough was empowered to
send two representatives to the Irish parliament, but the right of election
was confined to the sovereign and twelve burgesses, who continued to return
two members till the union, when the number was reduced to one. The
nature of the franchise continued the same until the 2nd of Wm. IV.,
when the free burgesses not resident within seven miles of the borough were
disfranchised, and the privilege of election was extended to the £10
householders; and as the limits of the district called "the corporation"
comprehend 1147 statute acres unconnected with the franchise, a new electoral
boundary was formed close round the town, comprising Only 277 acres: the
number of voters registered, according to the latest classified general
return made to Parliament, amounted to 454, of whom 443 were £10 householders
and 11 burgesses, the number of electors qualified to vote at the last election
was 541, of whom 360 polled; the sovereign is the returning officer.
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