WHEREAS by an Act made and passed in the seventh and eighth years of the late King William the Third (intituled An Act for the further regulating elections of members to serve in Parliament, and for the preventing irregular proceedings of sheriffs and other officers in the electing and returning such members,) it is enacted, that the proper officers therein mentioned shall upon the receipt of precepts for the election of members to serve in Parliament forthwith cause publick notice to be given of the time and place of election, and shall proceed to election thereupon within the time by the said Act limited, and give four days notice at least of the day appointed for the election; but it is not in the said Act specified at what time or within what hours of the day it shall be incumbent on the proper officer to give such publick notice as aforesaid: And whereas by reason of such uncertainty great inconveniences may arise from the undue practices of returning officers and others: May it please your Majesty that it may be enacted, and be it enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that from and after the passing of this Act all notices to be given of the time and place of any election for members to serve in Parliament shall be publickly given at the usual place or places within the hours of eight of the clock in the forenoon and four of the clock in the afternoon from the twenty-fifth day of October to the twenty-fifth day of March inclusive, and within the hours of eight of the clock in the forenoon and six of the clock in the afternoon from the twenty-fifth day of March to the twenty-fifth day of October inclusive, and not otherwise; and that no notice to be given of the time and place of elections of members to serve in Parliament shall be deemed or taken to be a good or valid notice for any purposes, or to any effect whatsoever, which shall not be made and published in the manner and within the time of day aforesaid, any law, statute, usage or custom to the contrary notwithstanding.