[1706/10/452]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our soveraign lady and the estates of parliament, considering that the burgh of Kinghorne, haveing contracted debts far beyond their common good by upholding their ruinous harbour and building a new one not yet finished, which will be of the greatest use and advantage to all passengers coming and goeing from this place to the north of Scotland, and besyds other great losses the inhabitants have sustained in transporting severall of their majestys forces since the revolution and furnishing them horses, which have been quyte ruined and for which they never received any payment, they are so much impoverished that the toun is in hazard of outter ruine; and seeing ane impositione in favours of the said burgh of two pennies upon each pynt of ale and beer brown and vended within the said burgh and priviledges thereof, for a competent number of years, would be a readie mean for inableing the said burgh to finish the said harbure and preventing the ruin thereof by the great losses alreaddy sustained. Therfor, and for the better inableing to perform the duty and service to the publick which upon all occasions they have been readie to doe, her majestie, with advyce and consent of the estates of parliament, authorizes and impowers the magistrats and toun councill of Kinghorne, and such as they shall appoynt, to collect and ingather ane impositione of two pennies upon the pynt of ale and beer brown and vended, within the said burgh and priveledges, for the space of tuenty-four years from and after the first day of May nixt to come, to be applyed for payment of the debts contracted in advanceing of the said harbure, and to be contracted for finishing thereof in the first place, and in the nixt place for payment of the publick debts of the burgh, with full power to the saids magistrats, toun councill and such as they shall appoynt to poynd and distrenyie, and use such order and execution for inbringing thereof as they are in use to doe for their common good, which imposition of two pennies upon the pynt of ale and beer, dureing the space forsaid, is hereby declaired to be over and above and distinct from the annexed and additionall excyse payable to her majesty, the saids magistrats being obleidged to apply annually what arises from the said impositione in order and to the uses aforsaid att the sight of the earles of Weems, Strathmore, Leven and Melvill, and their airs or any two of them, who are hereby authorized to audite the accounts of the said impositione and to discharge the magistrats upon such charge and discharge to be given in by them, as the saids earles shall see just. And its hereby provyded and declaired that the forsaid imposition shall be burdined with the payment of six hundred pounds Scotts to William Wilsone, one of the under clerks of session, and that for a year and a half's sellary due to him as under clerk of privie councill from Whitsunday 1689 to Martinmess 1690 and for the extraordinary pains and expences he was putt to for the exigency of the government dureing that tyme, and with the lyke sum of six hundred pounds Scotts to James Stephen, usher, for his publick service and attendance payable in six years, being a hundred pounds to each of them per annum, and appoynts the first years payment to be att Candlesmess jM vijC and eight and so yearly at the said terme, till the saids respective soumes be compleitly payd, and ordain the saids magistrats, toun councill and collectors thereof to make payment to them accordingly.