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Prayers said. Rolls called.
Minutes of the last sederunt read.
The fifteenth article of union read and, thereafter, the first clause or paragraph thereof again read. As also, the report brought in from the committee for examining the calculation of the equivalent being as follows: The committee of parliament to whom the considering of the calculation of the equivalent was remitted, having considered the report made to them by Doctor James Gregory, professor of mathematics in the college of Edinburgh, and the report made by Doctor Thomas Bower, professor of the mathematics in the college of Aberdeen, of their several and respective examinations of the calculation and grounds thereof whereupon the commissioners in treating the article for establishing the equivalent did proceed, and also having considered the report of the subcommittee thereupon, they find that the computation of the equivalent mentioned in the article is just and that the calculation is exact and well founded in the terms and in manner expressed in the said article.
Whereupon it was proposed to delay the consideration of the said fifteenth article until reports be brought in in relation to the sixth and eighth articles, from the committee to whom the said articles are remitted. And after debate thereon, it was agreed that the proceeding on the fifteenth article shall not be understood to be any determination of the sixth or eighth articles that stand committed, but that the reasoning and voting on the sixth and eighth articles shall be entire.
Then a state of a vote was offered in these terms, approve of the first paragraph of the fifteenth article or not. But it being moved that the parliament first consider whether we shall be concerned in the payment of the English debts, a second state was thereupon offered, whether we shall engage in the payment of the debts of England, yes or no, and, after some reasoning thereon, it was put to the vote which of the two should be the state of the vote, first or second.
But before voting it was agreed that the members' votes shall be marked and that a list of their names as they shall vote shall be printed and recorded.
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And [John Hamilton], lord Belhaven gave in a protest as follows: I do protest in my own name, and in the name of all those who do adhere to this my protest, that the voting and agreeing to the first clause of the fifteenth article of the treaty of union does in no way infer any manner of consent or agreement that Scotland should be liable to the English debt in general, but that it may be lawful to object against any branch of the said debt not already determined, and he took instruments thereon, and his grace [James Douglas], duke of Hamilton, [Charles Hamilton Douglas], earl of Selkirk, [William Fraser], lord Saltoun, Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun, Sir Humphrey Colquhoun of Luss, David Beaton of Balfour, Major Henry Balfour of Dunbog, Mr Thomas Hope of Rankeillour, Alexander Watson [of Aithernie] and Mr Robert Fraser adhered thereto.
[1706/10/132]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Then the vote was put first or second and it carried first.
And so in the parliament on 7 December 1706 two states of a vote being proposed, the first in these terms, approve of the first paragraph of the fifteenth article of union or not, and the second in these terms, whether we shall engage in the payment of the debts of England, yes or no, and the vote was thereupon put, whether the first or second should be the state of the vote, and it carried first, and the list of the members as they voted first or second (ordered to be printed) is as follows.
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First
Second
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Thereafter it was put to the vote, approve the first clause or paragraph of the fifteenth article or not, and it carried approve.
And so in the parliament 7 December 1706, a vote was stated, approve of the first clause or paragraph of the fifteenth article of union, yes or no, and it carried approve and the list of the members as they voted approve or not (ordered to be printed) is as follows.
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Approvers
Nos
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Her majesty's high commissioner and the estates of parliament did recommend the persons employed in the calculation of the equivalent by the committee to whom the examining thereof was remitted to the lords of her majesty's treasury for a gratification for their pains.
Then the lord chancellor, by order of her majesty's high commissioner, adjourned the parliament until Tuesday next at 10 o'clock.