Ane act and commissioun grantit by parliament upoun the offer maid by the advocatis and utheris memberis off the colledge of justice anent thair taxatioun

Oure soverane lord and estaittis of parliament, having considerit the supplicatioune gevin in befoir thame be the ordiner advocatis befoir the lordis of sessioune, clerkis of sessioun, writaris to the signet, privie and greit seill and four ordinar maisseris, being all ordiner memberis of the colledge of justice, makand mentioune that forsamekill as they having convenit to resolve and advyse anent thair contributioune to the taxatioun to be imposit upoun his majesties liegis att this present parliament, haif att lenth weyit and considerit the motives and causes moving his majestie to the imposing of the said taxatioun, quhilk they fand to be so just, important and necessar and tweiching so neirlie the estait of his majestie and the estait of religioun professit within this realme that they think thame selffis oblist of conscience, without any respect to quhatsumevir thair priviledges, to mak humbill offer of contributioune according to the rait imposit upoun the rest of his majesties subjectis, speciallie seing they fand that thair predicessoures in the moneth of August, jM fyve hundreth fourscoir auctht yeris, quhen the realme and religioun wes threatned be the invasioune of strangeris, did mak the lyik offer of contributioun to his majestie, quhilk his majestie graciouslie acceptit, and that thairfore now they all in ane voice in all humilitie and submissioun makis humebill offer to his majestie and estaittis to pay thair pairt of this present taxatioun to be imposit be the estaittis upoun the rest of his majesties lieges according to threttie s. for the pund land yeirlie for the space off four yeris, with fyve merkis of ilk hundreth merkis of annuelrent pertening to thame during the said space, with this provisioun alwayes: that the said offer suld nawayes prejudge thame nor thair successoures of thair priviledgis and immunities bruikit and possessit be thame and thair predicessoures, bot that the samyn sall remane in the awin strenth as they wer of befoir unprejudgit be the said offer. As als becaus they best knaw thair awin valuatioune and estaitis and ar willing to ingadder thair pairt of the said taxatioun upoune thair awin expenses and charges that, thairfore, it is necessarie that commissioun be grauntit to sum of thair awin number for ingaddering and uplifting of thair pairt of the said taxatioune as att mair lenth is contenit in the said supplicatioun; with the quhilk supplicatioun and desyre thairof, his majestie and estaitis of parliament being weill advysit, they haif acceptit and acceptis the said voluntarie offer maid be the saidis advocatis, clerkis, writaris and remanent memberis of the said colledge of justice upoun and with the conditioun and provisioun thairin contenit. Lykeas his majestie and estaittis willis and declaris that the said voluntar offer of contributioune sall nawayes hurt nor prejudge the saidis advocatis, clerkis, writtaris and utheris memberis of the said colledge of justice in thair priviledges and immunities bruikit and possest be thame and thair predicessouris, bot that the samyn sall remayne in the awin strenth unprejudgit be the said offer. And siclyk his majestie and estaittis gevis and grauntis full power and commissioun to the saidis advocattis, clerkis, writtaris and utheris memberis of the said colledge of justice to chuise, elect and nominat sum of thair awin number, to witt: twa or thrie advocatis and als mony writtaris and clerkis for stenting and taxting of thame and thair britherene and remanent persounes, foirsaidis memberis of the said colledge of justice, and incace of the deceis or absence of any of the persounes to be nominat be thame, to substitute utheris in thair roumes and places to the effect foirsaid. With power to the saidis persounes to be nominat be thame to call and convene before thame (or ony four of thame, thair being alwayis of that number twa advocatis, ane clerk of sessioun and ane writter to the signet) quhatsumevir day or dayes the haill britherene of the advacatis, clerkis, writaris, maisseris and utheris memberis of the colledge of justice, and to stent and taxt thame in thair landis, teindis, pensiounes and annuelrentis proportionallie according to the ordour sett doun in this present parliament. And als with power to the saidis advocates, clerkis, writtaris and utheris memberis of the said colledge of justice to appoint and nominat collectouris, ane or mae as they pleis, for uplifting of the said taxatioun and delyverie thairof to the collectour generall at the speciall termes respective specifit and sett doune in the act of the said taxatioune, for quhome they salbe haldin to be answerabill; and ordanes lettres of horning and poynding to be direct att the instance of the saidis collectouris, ane or mae, to be nominat be thame, for ingaddering of the said taxatioune to the stent roll thairof to be sett doun be the saidis commissioneris.

  1. NAS, PA2/20, f.103v-104r. Back