[1633/6/58]¹

Commission regarding the ministers' stipends of Edinburgh etc.

Our sovereign lord and estates of parliament, having considered these particular articles underwritten, given in and produced in parliament, namely: an article given in regarding the payment of the ministers' stipends within the burgh of Edinburgh, desiring that the sum of 12,000 merks may be uplifted yearly off the whole inhabitants and indwellers within the said burgh (the lords of his majesty's council and session being only excepted), and that according to the proportion of the mail they pay or the houses where they reside may pay for a maintenance and stipends to the ministers of the said burgh. Item, a petition by the gentlemen and inhabitants of the sheriffdoms of Elgin, Forres, Nairn and Inverness desiring that some solid order should be taken with the rebels of these bounds and that warrant be granted to [Sir Thomas Hope of Craighall], his highness's advocate, to pursue the said rebels before the justice, according to the said supplication. Item, an article desiring the charter of erection of the burgh of Stranraer, with the harbour thereof, in a free royal burgh, to be ratified in favour of the provost, bailies, council and community thereof and their successors. Item, the supplication, desire and reasons given in and produced to the parliament by the town of Wigtown against the foresaid ratification and desire thereof. Item, an article for the inhabitants of the west and north isles of Scotland desiring all charges and letters, either for civil or criminal causes, which shall be directed against the inhabitants thereof, to be ordained to be directed upon 60 days only. Item, an article for the inhabitants of Orkney and Shetland craving that the removable tenants thereof be free of payment of taxation. Item, it is craved that caution for lawborrows for the inhabitants of Orkney and Shetland be found within the country there and that the letters bear the same. Item, that it be ordained that all poindings used within Orkney and Shetland shall be lawful, being apprised and offered upon the ground to the party and the next Sabbath day at the parish kirk door without going to the cross of Kirkwall or Scalloway. Item, it is craved by the udalers of Orkney and Shetland who have these many ages, conforming to the dense law, possessed their land for payment of scat² and teind, that no man be interposed between his majesty and them to molest them, but that they remain his majesty's immediate vassals for payment of scat and other duties according to their rentals, until his majesty conforms their rights to the laws of this kingdom. Item, that it may be ordained that acts of warding upon sheriffs' decreets in default of moveable goods directly according to the order used within burghs, in respect that the sums being £10 or £12, and the debtor, having no moveable goods poindable, the party is not able to raise horning and caption thereupon. Item, an article given in by Sir John Scott [of Scotstarvit], director of the chancellery, desiring that the consideration of the article given in by him regarding the prices of the writs which pass his office may be remitted to such number of the lords of the articles of the three estates as our sovereign lord and the parliament shall think fit, and that the prices thereof may be established by their act according to the usual form. Item, a petition, with some articles given in by the doctors of physic within this kingdom, desiring our sovereign lord and estates of parliament take the articles and overtures given in by them (for incorporating of the doctors of physic within this kingdom in a college of physicians within the burgh of Edinburgh) into their consideration, and to allow all or such thereof as should be found expedient, as the said particular articles and petitions respectively above-specified bears. Our said sovereign lord and estates of parliament foresaid, being willing that the foresaid particulars above-written and every one of them, with the equity and justness of the desires of the same and expediency and conveniency thereof, be carefully and exactly considered, have therefore remitted and recommended, and remit and recommend, the foresaid particulars above-written and every one of them to the lords of his majesty's secret council of the kingdom of Scotland, to whom our sovereign lord and estates of parliament foresaid give and grant full power and commission to consider, advise and try the foresaid whole particular articles and petitions above-mentioned, and every one of them, with the equity, necessity and expediency thereof, and thereafter to decide, statute and determine regarding the foresaid particular articles and petitions and each one of them accordingly as the said lords of secret council shall think expedient for the good and well of all the lieges and according to the equity, necessity and expediency of the foresaid articles and petitions above-mentioned. Likewise our sovereign lord and estates of parliament foresaid ordain the decreets, statutes, ordinances and determinations to be made, given and pronounced by the said lords of secret council regarding the foresaid particular articles and petitions above-written, or any of them, to have the strength, force and effect of a sentence and act of parliament.