This became a veritable grievance, and, in 5 Rich. 2, a law was made to hinder these arbitrary proceedings, and several boroughs were, by charter from the Crown, exempted from what they would have esteemed a hardship and burden upon them.
Colchester returned members to Parliament 23 Edward 1; as endorsed upon the writs in 7 Edward 4, only five burgesses, named in the return, chose for that Parliament. At that time, service was thought a burden, and exemption was allowed by way of reward for loyal services rendered; thus Richard II., in consideration of the burgesses of Colchester rebuilding and fortifying the walls of their town against the king’s enemies, granted them an exemption for the space of five years.
Beyond the very modest wages allowed by constituencies to their representatives during their sojourns in London at the three sessions of parliament, it was generally held a matter of courtesy to present the two representatives with a horse apiece to help them on their way; and expenses by the road, at the allowances stipulated, were added in with the fixed pay of so much per day for the duration of parliament, which sum was generally allowed to accumulate, and redeemed at the close of the session, when the members came back to report themselves to their constituents and give an account of their stewardship.
In respect of Middlesex, which has been represented in parliament from the first general summons of the knights of the shire in the reign of King Edward I., a reservation was made. The city of Westminster, where parliament was usually held, being within this county, the knights had only their fees for attendance, and no allowance for coming and going, as in other counties. “In the second year of King Henry V. (1414), the Bishop of London complained that his tenants of Fulham were taxed towards the expenses of the knights of the shire for this county, upon which a writ was issued for discharging the said tenants, in case it should appear they had not been formerly taxed.”
The sums paid to members were in all cases very moderate; but these allowances appear to have varied even for the same place. The interesting “Extracts from the Proceedings of Lynn Regis, 1430 to 1731,” as printed in Archæologia (vol. xxiv.), supply evidence of the dealings of that corporation with their parliamentary representatives, as set down in the “Hall Books.” The parliamentary warrant was read in the mother-tongue, and sealed after the election of burgesses to serve in the Commons. The manner of election by a committee on the jury principle seems to have prevailed; thus, in 1433, the king’s writ was publicly read for electing members of parliament. “And for electing them the Mayor called two of the twenty-four (the court of Livery) and two of the common council, which four chose two more of the twenty-four, and two of the common council, and they chose four others, who all unanimously chose John Waterden and Thomas Spicer, to be Burgesses in Parliament.”
The year previous, the burgesses went to parliament in May, and returned in July, when, as was customary, a report was submitted before the mayor as to the manner in which the corporation had been represented, and how far its interests had been promoted by the members; when accounts were compared and a settlement was agreed upon for wages due, to be raised by a special rate, thus:—
“July 23. John Waterden reported the transactions of Parliament, at which time was granted by the Corporation half a fifteenth, to be paid in at two several payments; viz. at Martinmas next, and at Martinmas then next following. That ye Parliament held from ye 12th day of May to Thursday next before ye feast of St. Margaret, on which day ye Parliament ended, and so ye Parliament held for 70 days. And so there is owing to them, for their appearance for 73 days, 6s. and 8d. for each day, of which they received before their journey or passage one hundred shillings, and there remains £19 6s. 8d.”
From this entry it seems evident that these members received 3s. 4d. each. Ten years later, January 10, 1442, two burgesses were chosen, but, for some unexplained cause, the fees were lowered.
“And it was ye same day ordered, by ye assent of ye whole congregation, that ye Burgesses chosen for Parliament shall be allowed each of them two shillings a day and no more.”
At the same time, various instructions were given touching renewal and confirmation of the Charter; and the burgesses on their return to Lynn—