[A1706/10/51]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
To his grace her majesties high commissioner and the right honourable the estates of parliament,
The petition of John, earle of Craufurd,
Humbly sheweth,
That the deceast William, earle of Craufurd, my father, had the honour to serve as preses in the parliament 1689, for which he had a precept of five hundred pound granted him, and ther then majesties were pleased to continue him in the same station during the parliament 1690, for which he never had any acknowledgement.
Your grace and the honourable estates of parliament know that these who have the honour to serve in that station are usually gratified by the government on account of ther extraordinary charges, which makes me presume to hope that this high and honourable court may judge it reasonable that what was usually given to others on that occassione may be ordored payable to me in such maner as the same may be made effectuall.
May it therfore please your grace and the honorable estates of parliament to consider my present case and to grant warrand for my being payed on the forsaid account of what soumes yow shall judge reasonable, so as the same may be made effectuall to your petitioner.
Crafurd
†Edinburgh, 24 Martii 1707
Her maties high comissioner and the estates of parliament, having heard this petition, they recommend the petitioner to her maties justice and goodnesse for ordering the comissioners to be appointed for distributing the equivalent to make payment to the petitioner of five hundered punds sterling in such maner as they shall find just.
Seafield, cancellar[ius], I.P.D. p[arliamenti]
[A1706/10/52]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
To his grace her majesties high commissioner and right honorable the estates of parliament,
The petition of Thomas Lockhart, surveyor of her majesties customs at Leith,
Humbly sheweth,
That the council of trade haveing in February 1706 commissionat your petitioner to make a scheme of a new book of rates for the ease of the liedges, the former being obscure and difficult by subsequent prohibitorie and other laws, I, with all care and exactness, have inquired into the prime cost of all goods usually imported into this kingdom, and from that have compiled a book of rates, which I laid befor the council of trade, and now lyes with their approbation in their report befor your grace and lordships, in which I have considered what goods are absolutly necessary to our trade, what conveniently necessary and what superfluous, which I have accordingly rated. And for the satisfaction of your grace and lordships have sett down some privat marks (the explanation wherof is in my address at the beginning of the book) by which through the whole the first cost of the goods may be known within a small matter, except some few goods upon which some former parliaments have laid great duties because of their being superfluous, which I have insert exactly as they pay by law. I have also carefully sett down what goods are prohibited, what exeem'd, what free and by what laws, and given a particular account of the several duties all enterable goods are lyable to. This hath been a work very expensive and laborious, and I hope shall yet be found of use, and for the exactness of the book, I most humbly submitt my self to the censure of the parliament or what merchants your grace and lordships shall appoint to examine it.
May it therfor please your grace and lordships to take your petitioner's great pains and expenses to your favorable consideration, and graciously please to recommend your petitioner to her majesties favour to continue me in my present post or for obtaining what other post her majestie shall think fitt to bestow, and to give me allowance for my great pains and charges out of what fund your grace and lordships shall think proper. And your petitioner shall ever pray, etc.
Thomas Lockhart
†Edinburgh, March 24 1707
Her majesty's high commissioner and estates of parliament, having considered the petitioner's great pains and charges in compiling the within mentioned book of rates, with the councel of trade's approbation therof, doe recommend him to her majesty's royall favour, that he be continued in his present post or provyded to what other her majesty shall think fit to bestow, and of her royall bounty to grant him such reward for his great labour and expense in this work as her majesty shall judge proper.
Seafield, cancellar[ius], I.P.D. p[arliamenti]
[A1706/10/53]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Unto his grace her majesties high commissioner and the right honourable the estates of parliament,
The petition of William Dick, ensigne in her majesties foot guards, oye and appearand air to the deceast Mr John Dick, who was eldest lawfull son to the deceast Mr John† Dick of Braid and the creditors of the said Sir William Dick,
Humbly sheweth,
That where in the unhappie civill wars which fell out betwixt the 1641 and 1650 years of God, the said Sir William Dick of Braid, being a man of very great fortune and credit, was engaged to lend very vast soumes to the publick, both of Scotland and England, partly because such loans were commanded by the then power and government, and partly because Sir William did rely upon tha faith of bonds granted by severall noble persons for the soumes, and partly because the soumes lent at the tyme to the publick of England seemed to be lent upon a publick fund.
The first alteration that happened in Sir William's was by the success which Oliver obtained, and which were followed with a kind of surcease of justice; and albeit the said Sir William had secured himself in the ordinary forms of law against the debitors persons and estates for debts due to him here in Scotland, yet protections were given to the persons and estates of the debitors for the debts due in Scotland, which continued till the restauration; and at the same tyme the parliament of England, neglecting Sir William's application for payment of 36,803 lib. 5 sh. and 9 d. sterling due there, Sir William was in his own lyfetyme reduced from a man of a very flourishing estate to dolefull poverty, and with him his children and familie were involved in calamitie; and besydes them, Sir William haveing about 500,000 merks of debts borrowed to serve the publick, which was not equall to a third of his visible fortune, these creditors suffered heavily, and amongst them the widowes and orphans as it happens were still in the saddest condition, and many of them to this day are kept under poverty and calamitie by that misfortune.
Sir William did in his own lyfetyme fairly relinquish his own land estate, which was of very considerable value, to his creditors, who have enjoyed it ever since by themselves or these deryveing right from them, so that the bitterness of these hardships fell chiefly upon Sir William himself and his children.
The petitioners willingly pass over what happened after the restauration, not being desyreous to give any trouble to these noble families who were ingaged in the debts and who enjoy the benefite of severall acts which, without quarrelling the justice of one shilling of Sir William's clame, have cut it off.
But the petitioners doe with all humble submission throw themselves at your grace's feet as representing her most sacred majestie, and at the feet of the right honourable the estates of parliament, most humbly beseeching some releiff in compassion and justice, and doe with all respect presume that the representatives of these noble and worthy persons who were bound in the bonds due by the estates of Scotland, extending to the soume of 900,000 merks and upwards to the said Sir William, will generously assist to see me, the said William Dick, the air apparent, and the saids necessitous creditors in some measure redrest by the publick, for whom their predicessors are alleadged to have interposed.
Wee are the more encouraged to this because there being a representation given in in the name of me, the said William Dick, and Elizabeth Duncan, my deceast mother, in the parliament 1695, the parliament was pleased to grant a recommendation in our favours to his late majestie King William.
To conclude, wee doe with all humilitie presume that when the publick debts of the nation come to be considered, these due to the deceast Sir William Dick and his creditors will not utterly be forgott.
May it therefor please your grace and the right honourable the estates of parliament to take the crying and calamitous case of your petitioners to your serious and compassionat consideration, and to recommend to the parliament of Great Brittain the payment of the said 36,803 lib. 5 sh. 9 d. sterling English debt; as also to take such order with the debts due in this kingdome as may suit with the justice and gentlenes of her majesties reigne and as may supply and releive the distrest condition of the air and of the many poor calamitous widowes and orphans representing the creditors. And your petitioner shall ever pray.
William Dick
Edinburgh, March 24 1707
Her majesty's high commissioner and the estates of parliament, having considered this petition, they recommend the caice [of the] petitioner to her majesty's royall consideration.
Seafield, cancellar[ius], I.P.D. p[arliamenti]
[A1706/10/54]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
To his grace her majesties high commissioner and the right honourable the estates of parliament, the petition of Mr Robert Henderson, bibliothecare of the colledge of Edinburgh,
Humbly sheweth,
That whereas I have given frequent and useful attendance, for the space of several years, upon all the sederunts of the commission of parliament holden in the colledge of Edinburgh, for visiting of universities, schools and seminaries of learning, and upon all their comitees appointed to consider the state and advancement of learning, and upon all the many meetings of the delegates from the whole colledges in this kingdome, employed about the regulation of universities and the compiling of a standing and uniform course of philosophy and the revising, correcting and finishing all the parts of it, upon which occasions I was not only at great pains in writing the minutes of what past there, but also in copying and transcribing the amendments made upon the particular parts thereof, together with a number of overtures, observes and reflexions, answers and replyes, and in recording all acts and resolves voted and aggreed to in these meetings, whereby my whole time was taken up and I was quite diverted from minding my own private business, for the forsaid meetings were holden twyce every other day in the library for the space of four months yearly, during ten years, viz: fra the 20 of August 1690 to August 1700, and the sederunts of each day lasted commonly from eight or nine in the morning till twelve or one of the clock, and from two or three in the afternoon to six, seven or eight at night or later, as their affairs required. Besides I was at no small expences during all these long sederunts by being obliged to keep a servant extraordinary, over and above several incident charges for coal, candle, paper etc., pipes, tobacco and what else to refresh the correspondents during their continued meetings, all which is sufficiently attested and instructed by an ample testificate and recommendation from the right honourable the earl of Marchmont, earl of Hyndfoord, Sir Robert Sinclair of Stevinsone, Sir John Maxwell of Pollock, Sir James Smollett of Bonehill, Sir David Hume of Crossrig, one of the senators of the colledge of justice, Mr George Meldrum, Mr George Hamilton, Mr David Williamsone, Mr John Law, Mr William Crightone, Mr John Moncreef, ministers of the Gospell, Mr Andrew Massie, Mr John Tran, professors of philosophy, members of the forsaid commission†, and by a declaration under the hands of James Hamilton of Penketland, clerk thereto, and by the testificates and recomendations from the delegates of our respective colledges of Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and St Andrews, which recommendatory testificates are herewith produced.
I have likewise been at greater pains with the students of divinity and done them more service than my office obliged me to, and more than any of my predecessors were in use to do or ever did. I have also composed a voluminous alphabetical catalogue of all the books in the library of the said colledge of Edinburgh, which is the product of several years excessive pains and fatigue. And seeing the Reverend Doctor Hyde was highly gratified for what he did of that nature in the Bodleian Library, my performance may deserve some consideration, seeing that our library doth now bear a considerable proportion to those that are most famous abroad.
May it therefore please your grace and lordships to take the premisses to your consideration, and either to allow your petitioner such a gratuity and reward for his expences, extraordinary services, pains, diligence and attendance as your grace and lordships shall think fitt, or else to recomend him to her majesty for that effect.
And your petitioner shall ever pray etc.
Robert Henderson, bibliothecare
†Edinburgh, March 24 1707
Her majesty's high commissioner and the estates of parliament, having considered the within petition, they recommend the caice of the petitioner to her majesty's royall favour.
Seafield, cancellar[ius], I.P.D. p[arliamenti]
[A1706/10/55]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Unto his grace her majesty's high commissioner and the right honourable the estates of parliament, the humble petition of Alexander Black, William Henderson and James Wood, merchants in Edinburgh.
That where it is the constant care of all lawgivers to encourage industry within their several countries, in which her majesty and her royal predecessors and the parliament of this kingdom have shown marks of their great wisdom and care, and especially for encouraging the manufacture of the native product the petitioners do therefore most humbly presume to represent to your grace and the high and honourable the estates of parliament that the starch manufactories lately set up within this kingdom do not only make starch equal to any foreign starch imported, but even better, which they have shown by comparing the different samples of foreign and home starch to many members of the honourable court of parliament. And starch being made only of wheat, the manufacture being duly encouraged, several thousand bolls yearly may be consumed that way, which will contribute to the incouragement of the labourer, and fixing, if not improving, the rents paid in that grain. And besides the encouragement and intertainment of those concerned in the manufacture, it will also greatly relieve the poor and neighbours to such manufactories, the souans and gross of the wheat, which is a wholesome and substantial food, being sold to the poor at 4 d. per pint.
On the other hand, foreign starch being imported, it does not only deprive the nation of these advantages, but also it exports the value in money, being imported from places which need little of our manufacture. Beside that, the starch for the most part is imported without payment of duty by the seamen, who carry their small stocks in specie out of the kingdom, and bring it home with them in starch in small quantities, which they easily conceal and run; and the people of this nation, being fond of foreign goods, prefer it to their own, though better.
For remead of these and encouragement of manufactories so lately set up, we do humbly address our selves to your grace and the honourable the estates of parliament, that in your wisdom you would provide some expedient, and, if none better occurr, we presume with all submission to beg that all foreign starch at importation be charged with the duty of 12 lib. Scots upon each 100 weight, to be collected without fraud or abatement under the following penalties, viz: 60 lib. Scots to be paid by the importer who shall obtain abatement, for every 100 weight toties quoties, and 60 lib. Scots to be paid by the custom house officer or officers at the port where the said starch shall happen to be imported and duty abated, for the first offence, 120 lib. Scots for the second offence, and for the third offence depravation of his or their offices and incapacity for the space of a year to serve or be concerned in the customs of foreign excise. And farther, that the penalties foresaid shall be divided equally betwixt the fisk and informer; and where there is a concourse of more informers, that any master or partner of a starch manufacture be preferred to any other informer; and that the fisk and all informers do truly and effectually exact the penalties abovementioned, certifieing such fiscal or informers as shall upon any pretext or in any manner whatsomever either connive with the importers or officers of the custom-house for obtaining absolvitors from persons, or who shall abate in the least from the penalties imposed, that they shall be liable to pay for their respective proportions to the first informer, being a master or partner of a starch manufacture, the penalties abovementioned.
And for as much as we have had the charge and expense of the first experiment in bringing the starch works to any kind of perfection, which probably may with due encouragement manufacture and consume a 4th part of the victual rent of the kingdom, and save a greater value of money yearly exported for that commodity, besides the advantage of employing such as are concerned in the manufactories and ease to the poor in their neighbourhoods, we humbly hope that your grace and the high and honourable estates of parliament will think our three works worthy to be erected in manufactories, with the ordinary privileges in the like cases, for such number of years as your grace and the right honourable estates of parliament shall think fit.
May it therefore please your grace and the right honourable the estates of parliament to take the premisses unto your consideration, and, if no better expedient occurr, to pass an act in the terms of our most humble desire abovementioned, for the better encouragement of our native product, and of us and our work-houses, that others may be excited to manufacture the native product of this kingdom in all its branches.
†Edinburgh, 24 March 1707
Her maties high commissioner and the estates of parliament, having heard this bill, they grant the desire therof as to the preference of the petitioners to other informers for the informer's shairs of penalties, and alse as to the penalties demanded to be imposed on the officers of the customs giving abaitment of the duties upon imported forraign stearch, but ordain these duties to be such as are imposed theron by the English book of rates; and refuse the other demands of this petition, and ordain thir presents to be published at the mercat crose of Edinburgh and other places needfull, that none pretend ignorance therof.
Seafield, cancellar[ius], I.P.D. p[arliamenti]
[A1706/10/56]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
To his grace her majesties high commissioner and the right honourable the estates of parliament,
The petition of James Finlaysone, servitor to Mr Robert Alexander, one of the clerks of councill and session,
Humbly sheweth,
That the said Mr Robert Alexander, being of course clerk to the minuts dureing this long session of parliament, whereby I, as his servant, have had the unpresidented trouble of wryting and transcribing the many lists and rolls of the members names as they gave their severall votes, which were from time to time ordained to be marked, recorded and printed, and of wryting and transcribing and prepairing doubles of all the minuts dureing this long session, in performing of which service I have been at considerable charge and expences; and it being agreeable to the honour, bounty and justice of her majestie and the honourable estates to reimburse all their servants expences and gratifie their pains in their service,
May it therfor please your grace and the honourable estates to order me such a gratification and allowance in consideration of my service, pains and expences as your grace and lordships shall judge reasonable.
†Edinburgh, 24 March 1707
Her majesties high commissioner and the estates of parliament, in consideration of the petitioner's service during this long session of parliament, doe hereby recommend the petitioner in a speciall manner to the lords of her majesties thesaurie for ready and effectuall payment to be made to him of the soume of fifty pounds starline money.
Seafield, cancellar[ius], I.P.D. p[arliamenti]
[A1706/10/57]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Unto his grace her majesties high comissioner and the right honorable estates of parliament,
The humble representation and addresse of John Hamilton, sometyme wryter in Edinburgh, now clerk of Irving,
Humblie sheweth,
Whereas in the second session, first parliament King James 7th, held att Edinburgh anno 1686 by the earle of Murray, lord high commissionar, a proposeal wes made to abolish the penal statutes against papists (the only lawes which secured the Protestant religion to this nation) and wes brought in before the lords of the articles, and a great many popish fathers, preists and Jesuits then att Edinburgh and Holyrood House, in the habits and qualities of gentlemen, had used all imaginable solicitations and artifice to gett these statutes abolished, which they termed the sanguinary and bloody lawes in all their traffickings and conversations, upon designe to gett papists advanced to places of publick trust within this kingdome, wherein some papists at the same tyme were eminently posted, and popery threattening then, like to a flood, to over-runn this whole nation if these statutes had bein then abolished, and the court and papists had left no stone unturned to obtain their designe,
The said John Hamilton did thereupon wryte a long paper entituled Reasons why a consent to abolish the penal statutes against papists could not be given by any who owned the then government in church and state, which being read, seen and heard of by the greatest pairt of the honorable members of that parliament, and being found and esteemed by them to be a wryte giveing all due deference to the king's majestie and govermnent and containing most strong and convinceing arguments, many whereof deduced from the obligations of the oath, the Test, which all the estates of that parliament had sworn, and the said reasons so extreamly takeing with all the honorable estates (except a few who were either themselves popish, or were friends to papists), all the Protestant nobility, barrons and commissioners from burghs royall asserted that the said paper wes most reasoneable and necessary to be published and printed in that juncture when the Protestant religion and lawes and liberties of the nation were in eminent hazard of being overturned and the parliament and nation, having no other light by writing or printing to direct them in that momentous affair but what they had from the saids reasons, and therefore desyred the said John Hamilton might cause print the said paper.
But in regaird no printer would or durst undertake to print these reasons (a man being then counted ane offendar for a word), the greatest pairt of the representatives of the nation did earnestly influence and urge the said John Hamilton to cause wryte and disperse als many doubles thereof as might serve the whole members of parliament (which accordingly hee did), and adventured to convoy some coppies written with his oun hand to his majesties comissioner, the earle of Perth, lord chancelour, the bishops of St Andrewes, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and to other courtiers at Holyrood-House, the force of which reasons so straitned them that they wrote ansuers thereto (fathered upon Sir Roger Le Strange, then at the abbay), which were also doubled and dispersed in great numbers by the preists and Jesuits and their agents. But the whole parliament members by that tyme being previously furnished with coppies of the said reasons, the honorable estates, from their zeal for the true Protestant religion and their regard for the lawes and liberties of this nation and from the force and influence of the most strong and pungent arguments contained in the said dispersed paper, did peremptorly refuise to give their consent to abolish the saids penal lawes, they and the whole nation being then justly in great fears and danger of poperie's entering this land if these statutes had bein then abolished and the dispenseing power allowed. And some of the honorable members were att the same tyme imprisoned for their freedom of speech in that affair and were made either to give bonds or to crave pardon.
This Christian, heroick and magnanimous behaviour of the forsaid parliament 1686 being very surprizeing to the court and unexpected by them and extreamly galling and vexing to the popish fathers, priests and Jesuits then att Edinburgh and att court and altogether unexpected by them also, the court and they did ascrybe and attribute all their missfortune in this affair to the disperseing of the forsaid reasons; wherefore the court furthwith ordored strict inquiry to be made for finding out the wryters and dispersers of such papers as (they said) had obstructed his majesties affairs in parliament, and discovery being made that the first coppies had come from Mr Archibald Nisbet of Carfin, wryter to the signett, his chamber, where the said John Hamilton wes a wryter, the lords of privy council were conveened to that very effect, who caused apprehend Carfin and the whole wryters in his chamber (except the said John who wes upon his keeping), who, being all imprisoned and imediatly after examined, did lodge the wryteing of the first coppies of the said reasons and the disperseing of the whole upon the said John, and dissmissed all the prisoners, but Carfin wes made to give bond under the penalty of fyve thousand pounds to present the said John, which obleidged him to lurk until the ferment wes in pairt over, and thereafter hee presented himself prisoner and wes obleidged to give ane other bond of presentation under ane other great penalty, and wes necessitate for the same cause to leave his imployment att Edinburgh, and afterwards to reside in Ireland until King James's indemnity and the happy revolution therafter. All which premises, being matter of fact literally true, are known to such of the members of that honorable parliament as are yet on lyfe, and to many of the cheif citizens of Edinburgh.
And now sieing the said John Hamilton wes authorized and influenced unto the forsaid dangerous undertakeing and greatly expensive service by the most pairt of the honorable members and estates of the said parliament 1686 in that critical juncture in his wryting and otherwayes acting as said is for the vindication and preservation of the penal lawes of this kingdoms against papists (the only hedge of the sacred and religious liberties therof), especially when threattened to be abolished, thereby exposeing his lyfe, lyveliehood and fortune and all dear to him to eminent hazard, for which causes hee yet lyes under the tuo bonds forsaid; and that his said service, being favoured of God with eminent successe, did prove extreamly beneficiall to this and our nighbouring nation, the happy fruits whereof these whole kingdomes doe reap att this day, and that her majesty and honorable estates of this parliament current, in the last session therof, were pleased to record and reward the services done by several of our countreymen in wryting for the vindication of the civil liberties of this kingdome.
May it therefore please your grace her majesties high commissioner and the honorable estates of parliament to grant warrand to the clerks of privy council to delyver up to the said John Hamilton Carfin's bond granted on the said John's account, and his oun bond of presentation forsaid, and to consider his service above represented in his wryting and otherwayes acting for the vindication and preservation of the sacred and religious liberties of this kingdome, which did prove so very beneficial to this and our nighbouring kingdome of England in the forsaid critical juncture, the dangers hee wes exposed to and his vast expenses in that service, and losse of tyme and imployment sustained thereby to the value of ane thousand pounds sterling and upwards, and to doe therein as the wisdom of the nation shall think fitt.
John Hamilton
†Edinburgh, 24 March 1707
Her maties high commissioner and the estates of parliament, haveing heared this petitione, they recommend the petitioner for payment of the losses and damnadges sustained by him for the caues within mentioned, in such way and maners as her matie in her royall bounty shall think fit; and ordains the clerks of privie councill to delyver up to the petitioner the tuo severall bonds within mentioned, which he lyes under for the services within written, gratis.
Seafield, cancellar[ius], I.P.D. p[arliamenti]
[A1706/10/58]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Unto his grace the duke of Queensberry, her majesty's high commissioner, and the right honourable the estates of parliament, the petition of John Corss, writer in Edinburgh,
Humbly sheweth,
That the deceast Andrew Martin, writer in Edinburgh, from the great respect he bore to his native country, and particularly for the preservation of the ancient records thereof, having in the year of God 1650 (at which time he had the care of the records of the privy seal) absconded himself with them in the highlands of this kingdom, where he preserved them from the enemy with a great deal of expenses and fatigue, there being upwards of 100 large books, and that for the space of ten years at least, to the hazard of his life and irrecoverable ruin of his family; and the saids books being some time ago fallen in your petitioner's hands throw the death of the said Andrew Martin, and of his son, whom your petitioner was necessitate to supply in advancing considerable sums to him on the faith of these books, and conceiving they might be of publick use, especially seing they contain the records of charters, precepts, gifts of tiends, presentations to kirks and benefices in the several provostries, priories and prebendries from the year of God 1499 to the year of God 1650, together with their minut-books during all that time, duely corresponding, as also a record containing the taxation upon the clergy of Scotland for sending their delegats to the council of Trent, and other old taxations. Your petitioner also humbly conceives that these records are of the more use and value because of the loss of the registers of the commission of parliament for plantation of kirks and valuation of tiends, which were burned in the late great fire that hapned in this place, and also because the records of the chancery and other records suffered much when they were transported to England, and much more by the misfortune that befel them at sea in their return.
May it therefore please your grace and lordships to order the foresaid records to be put into publick custody, and to appoint your petitioner such a reward for the expences and great pains that has been bestowed in preserving these records out of some sure fund, as your grace and lordships, in your great goodness and bounty, shall think fit.
And your petitioner shall ever pray, etc.
Edinburgh, 24 March 1707
Her maties high commissioner and the estates of parliament, haveing heared this petitione, they recommend the petitioner to her matie for payment of the expenses and paynes bestowed in preserving the within recordes out of what fund her matie shall think fitt, and ordaines the saids recordes to be put in publict custodie in the Lower Parliament House on a recept thereof.
Seafield, cancellar[ius], I.P.D. p[arliamenti]
[A1706/10/59]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Unto his grace the duke of Queensberry, her majesties high commissioner, and the right honourable estates of parliament,
The petition of John Smith, some time muster master depute,
Humbly sheweth,
That whereas your petitioner having in his grace the duke of Argyl's session of parliament fully satisfied the committee appointed for revising and inspecting into the application of the publick fonds of the nation (as their report in the clerk's hands bears), of the truth of my complaint against Mr Thomas Bruce, formerly muster master general, being an abreviate of respites or deficient men in the army from the first of November 1694 to the first of November 1698, whose pay amounted to a considerable summ, should have been stopt, conform to the lords of treasaury, their instructions to Mr Bruce, I now beg leave humbly to represent that in prosecuting the said Mr Bruce upon my above complaint (which is most justly found by the committee of parliament not to be calumnious), I have undergone the hardest difficulties imaginable; and I, having spent these seven or eight years since in a continued attendance of the dyets of the high court of parliament, committees of the samen and the lords of treasaurie, besides a long and expensive journey to London, and there suffering imprisonment upon a shamm action, no less then the neat summ of 500 lib. sterling alledged due by me to him, and other hard treatments since, too tedious to trouble your grace and estates of parliament with, by the procurement of Mr Bruce and his doers, sinistruously indeavouring to have thereby incapacitate me to have carried on, or designing to have wearied me out of my honest purposes of detecting the abuses committed against the publick interest of the nation, and which is now set down in a clear light to all unbyassed and impartial judgements. By all which, and in procuring King William's letter recommending me to the lords of treasaurie to be heard before them upon the whole grounds of my above representation, I am reduced to very great straits, having these seven or eight years been obliedged to a closs attendance in Edinburgh, whereby I neglected any other bussiness by which I might have got subsistance to my self and numberous family, and spent the small stock I had, Mr Bruce still denying payment of what he justly owes me, which, with my charges and expenses in the said matter, has brought your petitioner to such a low condition as that I am ashamed to acquaint your grace and the right honourable the estates of parliament with, being upon the very brink of miserie, unless prevented by such a consideration as your grace and estates of parliament in your wisdoms shall think the service done to my countrie and my caise calls for. How far the maleverses proven by your petitioner be directlie the transgression of a law or not, I leave it to the wisdom of your grace and estates of parliament to determine, but, with all deference to the report of the committee of parliament, I humblie conceive that the 4th act of parliament 1693 is very clear and deserves the consideration of your grace and estates, especiallie when the true report of the state of the armie was never given in to the lords of treasaurie.
Upon the whole, I ever did and still does understand the abuses complained of and now fullie proven against Mr Bruce before the committee of parliament to be the transgression of a law, the treasauries most positive instructions, a trick put upon the government and a loss to the nation, in having the summ of 140,000 lib. Scots and upwards of the publick fond for payment of the forces imbazled; and therefore thought my self bound in humble dutie to my sovereign and native countrie to discover these abuses and represent to your grace and estates of parliament how to prevent the same in time coming.
May it therefore please your grace and the right honourable the estates of parliament, in consideration of the committee's most just report and the great fatigue, trouble, expenses and hard treatment from time to time put upon your petitioner in discovering the sum of 140,000 pounds Scots of imbazlement of the publick fonds of the armie (being good service done to my sovereign and native countrie), to ordain such a consideration and out of such a fund as your grace and the right honourable estates of parliament shall think fit.
And your petitioner shall ever pray, etc.
†Edinburgh, 24 March 1707
Her maties high commissioner and the estates of parliament, haveing heared this petitione, they recommend the petitioner to her maties gracious and royall consideration to doe in the mater within represented as her matie in her royall bounty shall think fit.
Seafield, cancellar[ius], I.P.D. p[arliamenti]