[1581/10/66]¹

Act of remitting betuix the burrowis of Dundie and Perth of the decisioun of the contraversie for prioritie betuix thame to the remanent burrowis

Anent the supplicatioun gewin in be the provest, baillies, counsale and commwnitie of the burgh of Dundie, makand mentioun that quhare within thir few yeiris the commwnitie of the burgh of Perth, without ony ground or gude reassone, sterit upe ane questioun aganis the said burgh of Dundie for the first place in all parliamentis, conventiones and essembleis, the said burgh of Dundie being the mair antient burgh, mekill mair burdenit in the service of oure soverane lord baith in bodyes and gudes, the estait of the said burgh being also governit be the merchandis, excluding the craftismen, fra all office of governament within the samyn, and the said burgh of Dundie being evir in tymes bipast in possessioun of the first place; and becaus the saidis inhabitantis of the said burgh of Perth persistit sa wilfullie in thair said sute, the mater being proponit to oure soverane lord and thrie estatis in the parliament haldin at Edinburgh, the ellevint day of November, the yeir of God j^M v^C threscoir nynetene yeiris, the samyn was remittit, togidder with the renkning and placeing of the haill burrowis within this realme, to the commissionaris of the haill burrowis, to be finallie determinat be thame in the nixt conventioun, as the act of parliament maid thairupoun heir present to schaw at mair lenth proportis; according to the quhilk, the said debait was proponit to the saidis commissionaris, first in thair conventioun haldin at Glasgow in the moneth of Februar, the yeir of God j^M v^C threscoir nynetene yeiris, and secundlie in thair conventioun haldin at Aberdene in the moneth of Julii, the yeir of God j^M v^C lxxx yeiris, at baith the quhilkis tymes thair was nathing procedit of the raritie of the saidis commissionaris and that thair was na convenient tyme than to treate the said mater, and swa, last of all, the samyn was continewit to the conventioun of the commissionaris of burrowis to begin at Edinburgh, the sevintene day of Aprile the yeir of God j^M v^C lxxxj yeiris, and the mater of new being proponit in the said conventioun and the reassones of ather partie being producit in writt, viseit and considerit be the saidis commissionaris, thay upoun the twentie day of the moneth of Aprile, the yeir of God j^M v^C lxxxj yeiris foirsaidis, gaif to the said burgh of Dundie thair resolute answer that thay war not juges competent thairto, nor could nocht convenientlie decyde thairupoun for certane pretendit reassones specefeit in the act of the dait foirsaid; and newirtheles, upoun the morne thaireftir, being the xxj day of the said moneth of Aprile, the saidis commissionares being convenit, declarit that for feir of lettres of horning direct aganis thame thay wald pronunce in the said mater in maner following and upoun the samyn day, for feir of the saidis lettres, as they planelie professit, decernit that the commissionaris of Perth sould have the first place in all conventiones quhill the nixt parliament, to the quhilk tyme they remittit the principall mater but prejudice of the rycht of ather of the parteis, outher at that tyme or ony uther tyme thaireftir; and swa the saidis commissionaris war not onlie contrareous in thair first and last deliverence, bot als have gewin na direct answer to the principall matter according to the said act of parliament, quhilk was thair power and commissioun, bot hes remittit the samyn to the parliament, as the act heir present to schaw beris; and swa this contentioun and pley is yitt undecydit, ather in the pairt of Dundie, Striveling and Sanct Johnstoun, nor yitt in the renkning of the rest of the haill burrowis, eftir the forme and tennour of the said act of parliament, desyring thairfore the kingis majestie and thrie estatis to ressave the reassones, quhilkis the saidis provest baillies counsale and commwnitie of Dundie have presentlie to be producit and to decyde in the said mater, swa that thaireftir na questioun may arrys thairupoun, as at mair lenth is contenit in the said supplicatioun. Quhilk being sene and considerit first be the kingis majestie and lordis of articles, and thaireftir be the thrie estatis, oure said soverane lord, with advise of the saidis thrie estatis of this present parliament, have remittit and remittis the decisioun of the said mater simpliciter to the burrowis, and ordanis thame to proceid and decyde summerlie thairintill but fordar delay, and siclyke upoun the renkning and placeing of the rest of the burrowis, ewerye ane of thame in thair awin places, and as thay sall use the samyn in tyme cumming; and ordanis lettres to be directit heirupoun, gif neid beis, in forme as efferis.