[1609/4/55]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our sovereign lord, estates and whole body of this present parliament, understanding and being informed that the provost, bailies, council and community of the burgh of Perth have so far proceeded in the building of their bridge of Tay as they have begun at the ground and raised the whole pillars thereof above the water, therefore his majesty and estates foresaid and upon the respect and regard they have to the furthering of so good and necessary a work, tending so great to the well of the lieges, policy and decoration of the country, have ratified, approved and confirmed and, by the tenor of this present act, ratify, approve and confirm the gift, donation and disposition given and granted by our said sovereign lord, with advice and consent of his trusty and well-beloved councillor, Sir James Hay of Kingask, knight, his highness's comptroller, under the privy seal of the kingdom of Scotland, to the provost, bailies, council and community of the said burgh of Perth yearly and each year for the whole space of seven years next following their entry of all and whole a yearly duty and sum of 5,000 merks money of North Britain, to be paid yearly during the space of seven years between 1 November 1610 and 1 November 1611, and so forth yearly in time coming during the said space of seven years, to the said provost, bailies, council and community of the burgh foresaid and their deputes, to the reparation of the burgh foresaid out of his highness's property whatsoever and out of the best and readiest of his majesty's customs and imposts within the kingdom of Scotland, beginning the first year's payment of the same yearly duty and sum of 5,000 merks between 1 November 1610 and 1 November 1611, as the said gift and disposition granted thereupon of the date 2 May last more fully purports, in all and sundry points, heads, articles and circumstances thereof. And his majesty and estates foresaid will, decree and declare that this present approbation and ratification is and shall be of as great value, force, strength and effect as if the foresaid gift and disposition were herein word by word at length inserted and engrossed herein, concerning which his majesty and estates foresaid have dispensed and dispense by this act; and ordain his highness's comptroller to visit the bridge yearly and that the work go forward with all possible times, and that every year at the least they employ the said sum of 5,000 merks which they shall receive from the comptroller upon the building of the said bridge. And in case the work be completed in fewer years than in the said space of seven years to come (within the which space the said comptroller is ordained by this said gift to pay the said sum of 5,000 merks yearly for the said space of seven years to the said burgh of Perth), notwithstanding of the completing thereof in fewer years, the same shall be no cause to the comptroller present and to come of retention of any part of the 5,000 merks yearly after the completing of the said bridge, but that the comptroller present and to come shall pay the foresaid sum of 5,000 merks yearly and each year, seeing it is understood to the estates that the burgh of Perth is pledged in great sums of money for building of their bridge already and that the foresaid whole sum will not complete the work of the said bridge.