[A1649/1/61]¹

[Report of the committee of dispatches concerning Sir James Learmonth of Balcomie]

The committee of dispatches, in pursuance of the power committed to them by the parliament remitting to their consideration the precept issued out against Sir James Learmonth of Balcomie, knight, one of the senators of the college of justice, and execution thereof, and with power to take trial of his carriage and behaviour in relation to the late unlawful Engagement and of his guiltiness of the four classes of the act of parliament of 23 January last, or any of them, having met and taken trial thereof, do find that the said Sir James, beside many others, did subscribe a paper relating that they having seen and considered the petition drawn up to the honourable estates of parliament or committee of estates by the committee of war of the shire of Fife, desiring that the parliament would not proceed to any levy or engagement unless the grounds thereof were cleared to the church and they satisfied relating thereto, which did proceed upon several supplications exhibited to the said shire by the presbyteries, university of St Andrews and several burghs of the said shire, therefore they, for the reasons contained in the protestation made against the same by John [Lindsay], earl of Crawford [Lindsay], for himself and various noblemen and gentlemen of that shire upon 18 and 19 May last, did adhere to the dissent, protestation and appeal made against the same, and that upon 2 June last the said paper so subscribed is read in parliament and thanks returned to the subscribers thereof after the reading of a contrary protestation, by which (over and above the notoriety of the said Sir James' carriage in prosecuting of the said Engagement in committees and other ways), it does evidently appear that the said Sir James Learmonth is manifestly guilty of those crimes contained in that article of the second class made anent those who concurred in petitions, protestations, remonstrances or letters for moving of the parliament or committees to carry on the Engagement, and anent those who protested against petitions of presbyteries against the same Engagement, and therefore has incurred the censure to be imposed upon those who should be found in the second class.

10 March 1649

Read, voted and approved in parliament and accordingly determined.

[John Campbell, earl of] Loudoun, chancellor, in the presence of the lords of parliament