[1593/4/58]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our sovereign lord, understanding diverse of the most ancient burghs within this realm to be greatly decayed by want of traffick and such other help whereby they were maintained of before, having small common good and patrimony, not able to maintain the public occasion of his highness's service in parliaments, conventions of burghs and other necessary affairs and assemblies, intervening for the public estate of the realm, far less to maintain the quiet and good estate of the said burghs in peace and war, and nevertheless by procurement of particular persons affecting their private commodity and in no way respecting the welfare of the public the small patrimony appertaining to the burghs has been converted and desired to be converted to particular uses, to the which the same was never converted of before, making thereby the inhabitants of the said burghs (who are become already depauperate) to be unable either for his highness's service or to sustain the estate of the burgh, and that under pretext of certain pretended commissions purchased from his highness, with decreets, sentences and ordinances interposed thereto; for remedy whereof, his highness, with advice and consent of the estates of this present parliament, has determined, concluded and ordained and by this act determines, concludes and ordains that the common good and patrimony of the said burghs† shall be yearly bestowed at the sight of the magistrates and council of the said burghs to the doing of the common affairs thereof only after the yearly rouping and setting thereof as use is, according to his majesty's former acts and statutes made regarding the employing of the common good within the said burghs, and that the same be in no other way bestowed or converted to whatsoever use or alteration made relating thereto in whole or in part notwithstanding of whatsoever commission, charge or direction given by his majesty at any time heretofore by procurement of particular parties in the contrary, and notwithstanding whatsoever statute, ordinance or decreet following or proceeding thereupon, which commissions, charges, decreets and ordinances, with all that has followed or may follow thereupon, his majesty, with advice foresaid, expressly reduces, retreats and rescinds by this act, and ordains publication to be made hereupon to all and sundry his highness's lieges, that none of them pretend ignorance, in the appropriate form.