Indeed, during the 18th century the Duke of Newcastle deliberately restricted the number of voters to those on whose loyalties he could depend, and successfully resisted an election petition in 1761 which would have widened the electorate to include all inhabitants not receiving alms. (This would have enfranchised many poorer voters which the petitioner, defeated candidate George Medley, hoped would be amenable to bribery.) Newcastle's control depended on his having a majority on the town corporation, which was responsible for rating inhabitants for scot and lot and therefore could exclude an inhabitant from voting simply by declaring him not liable to the local tax.
In the 18th century, Duke of Newcastle deliberately limited voter participation to those he deemed loyal. He successfully thwarted a petition in 1761 that sought to expand suffrage to all inhabitants, excluding those who did not receive alms. This move aimed to maintain his power by ensuring a majority on the town corporation, which had authority over tax assessments and could exclude individuals from voting based on their financial status.