Il di Lei Umiliss. Dev. Servo."
"Frattanto la prego di volermi credere nella piu ampla estentione del termine B. L. M.
Il di Lei Ubbo. ed Obligato Servitore."
I need not add more examples. There is nothing in Graglia's Collection of Italian Letters that explains it.
J. W. T.
Dewsbury.
Member of Parliament electing himself.—In the biographical notices of the author of an Inquiry into the Rise and Growth of the Royal Prerogative in England, 1849, I find the following curious circumstances:
"The writ for election (of a member for the county of Bute) was transmitted to the sheriff, Mr. M‘Leod Bannatine, afterwards Lord Bannatine. He named the day, and issued his precept for the election. When the day of election arrived, Mr. Bannatine was the only freeholder present. As freeholder he voted himself chairman of the meeting; as sheriff he produced the writ and receipt for election, read the writ and the oaths against bribery at elections; as sheriff he administered the oaths of supremacy, &c., to himself as chairman; he signed the oaths as chairman and as sheriff; as chairman he named the clerk to the meeting, and called over the roll of freeholders; he proposed the candidate and declared him elected; he dictated and signed the minutes of election; as sheriff he made an indenture of election between himself as sheriff and himself as chairman, and transmitted it to the crown office."
Can any of your correspondents furnish me with a similar case?
H. M.