1. IT hath alwayes been held a special Priviledge belonging to the Bishoprick and Countie-Palatine of Durham , To be Exempt from sending any Knights or Burgesses to sit in Parliament for that County .

2. All the Bishops of Durham , at their first Entrance and Inthronization , take a Solemne Oath to Defend and Preserve all the accustomed Rights , Priviledges , and Immunities ( whereof the aforesaid Priviledge and Exemption is One ) appertaining to his Bishoprick and Countie-Palatine . And this Oath the Bishop is bound to Observe ; nor doth he yet know any Expedient that will free him from it .

3. If any Law should be now Made to take away that Priviledge , it would prove to be a great Innovation , and alter the Condition and Constitution of that Bishoprick .

4. The Election of Knights and Burgesses cannot be made in that County without the King 's Writ . But Breve Regis non currit in Comitatu Palatino Dunelmensi : Which is the usuall Returne that the Bishop of Durham maketh to any Writ sent unto him , in case any of his Liberties and Immunities be infringed by it .

5. The City of Durham , and all other Corporations in that County hold their Charters from the Bishop : to the observance of whose Priviledges they are all Sworne , and Bound not to Attempt , or Act any thing to the contrary .

6. This Attempt for Knights and Burgesses was first of all ( about fifty three years since ) Projected and Made by a few discontented Gentlemen , who sought thereby , as they then threatned , to lessen the Bishops Power in his Courts and Jurisdiction over that County Palatine . But , their Attempt prevailed not at that time , nor ever since , in any Parliaments following to this day . Neither could the King's Royal Progenitors ever be perswaded to give way to any such New Attempt or Innovation .

7. The whole County hath heretofore withstood that Innovation , when it was first begun without the Consent of the Bishop : And in like manner many of the Freeholders and Gentlemen there withstand it now , though some others among them shew themselves vehemently desirous of it , and for the better obtaining of their Purpose , have , by their Agents offered the Bishop for the time being , that he shall have the Nomination of One Knight , and One Burgess , if by Consent an Act of Parliament may be passed for it .

8. There was never yet any Precedent for sending such Knights and Burgesses out of his Bishoprick and Countie-Palatine , but onely in the time of CROMWELL the Vsurper , who violently took away the Rights and Priviledges of it , and gave leave to the disloyall and disaffected Party of the Country to choose One Knight , and One Burgess , after the Murther of the late King .

9. The Persons who now labour to set up Knights and Burgesses in this Countie-Palatine ( and tell the Bishop that they hope and expect to prevaile in it , whether he will give his confent to it or no ) have neither any Right nor any Necessity to do it .

10. For though they pretend to have the same Claim and Right , which all other Countries have in this particular , yet the Prescription , Custome and Practise in this County-Palatine is against them .

11. And whereas they complaine that divers Taxes and Royall-Aides are impos'd upon them in Parliament , without their Consent , having no Knights and Burgesses there to sit and vote for them ; Yet this Imposition is no other then hath been alwayes heretofore used , nor hath any Exception till now of late been taken against it , Neither herein do they suffer any Injury or Inconvenience , having had speciall care taken of them in all times by the Bishops of Durham concerning the proportion of their Taxes , whereof ( being equally rated with Other Counties , they have no reason to complain : ) And having received the Benefit of all other Lawes made for the Kingdome ; and in particular the late Law of freeing them from Wardships , when they had no Knights and Burgesses of their Own to speak for them in it , or to give Consent thereunto , as all the rest of the Kingdome did . Add hereunto for further answer to that Objection and Complaint , That divers such Taxes and Impositions are laid upon the Clergy in that Bishoprick and County-Palatine , who have no Representatives admitted to consent and vote for them in Parliament but onely their own Bishop of Durham .

12. But the Bishop of Durham in declining to give his Assent unto the present Desires of some Gentlemen in this Countie-Palatine , who endeavour to make themselves Knights and Burgesses after the Example of the Countie-Palatine of Chester ( which is a Case farr different from this of Durham ) is tender herein of the Good and Welfare of the County , in saving them much Trouble , Expences and Charges , which might otherwise be brought upon them ; and carefull to preserve the Ancient Constitution and Custom of his Bishoprick , and County-Palatine , which He and his Predecessors have held by Prescription for many ages ; being well assured , that the People and Inhabitants within this Countie-Palatine do receive a great Benefit , Ease , and Quietness by the Immunities and Priviledges which they continually enjoy there under the Bishop of Durham . Of which Priviledges and Immunities , this is and ever hath been One , to be Exempt from Sending any Knights or Burgesses to Parliament .