are to
officiate at the first assembly), and to look to the performance of
the same according to what was directed in the ballot of the parishes,
saving that the high constable setting forth the urn shall have five
several suits of gold balls, and one dozen of every suit; whereof the
first shall be marked with the letter A, the second with the letter B,
the third with C, the fourth with D, and the fifth with E: and of each
of these suits he shall cast one ball into his hat, or into a little
urn, and shaking the balls together, present them to the first overseer,
who shall draw one, and the suit which is so drawn by the overseer shall
be of use for that day, and no other; for example, if the overseer drew
an A, the high constable shall put seven gold balls marked with the
letter A into the urn, with so many silver ones as shall bring them
even with the number of the deputies, who being sworn, as before, at
the ballot of the parish to make a fair election, shall be called to the
urn; and every man coming in manner as was there shown, shall draw one
ball, which, if it be silver, he shall cast it into a bowl standing at
the foot of the urn, and return to his place: but the first that draws a
gold ball (showing it to the overseers, who if it has not the letter of
the present ballot, have power to apprehend and punish him) is the first
elector, the second the second elector, and so to the seventh; which
order they are to observe in their function. "The electors as they are
drawn shall be placed upon the bench by the overseers, till the whole
number be complete, and then be conducted, with the list of the officers
to be chosen, into a place apart, where, being private, the first
elector shall name a person to the first office in the list; and if the
person so named, being balloted by the rest of the electors, attains
not to the better half of the suffrages in the affirmative, the first
elector shall continue nominating others, till one of them so nominated
by him attains to the plurality of the suffrages in the affirmative, and
be written first competitor to the first office. This done, the second
elector shall observe in his turn the like order; and so the rest of the
electors, naming competitors each to his respective office in the list,
till one competitor be chosen to every office: and when one competitor
is chosen to every office, the first elector shall begin again to name
a second competitor to the first office, and the