[A1630/7/20]¹

Procedure: grievances and petitions of the gentry

Greevances givin in be the gentrie

The whilk day the commissioners for the shyres and gentrie gave in the articles and greevances following, whilks they recommendit to the consideratioun of the estaits, of the whilks the tennour followes:

That the lords of the great commissioun would appoint some particular dyet to conveene before thame all suche titulars who hes procured warrand that the valuatioun sall be referred to the heretours oathes, that thair depositiouns may be takin and no forder delay made and what securitie sall be givin.

Item, for remeid aganis suche persons as hes not or will not submitt the teinds of other mens lands, that his majestie would be pleased to prosecute his right aganis thame.

Item, that the lords of the great commissioun would grant ane committee till the fyftene of September for receaving of securitie and cautioun to pay for thair teinds that ar usuallie led according to the valuatioun made or to be made.

Item, that his majestie may be petitiouned by the whole conventioun to consider of the great feare the leigis hes conceaved anent his majesteis revocatioun and summounds alreadie raised, and that his majestie would be pleased to declare himselffe for removing of these feares and that the lieges may be freed thairof.

Item, that all suche persouns guiltie of the wearing of gunnes and pistoll who hes not committed anie violence or oppressioun upon the lieges nor yitt hes not beene formerlie conveened before the counsell may be remitted for all byganes.

Item, that order may be takin for releeffe of the taxatioun of dismembred baroneis where a great part of the lands hes beene of old disponned, and that be a committee.

Item, that the priviledges of the justices of peace may be ratified and of new enlarged to suche a nomber of selected persons within everie shyre as the lords of the counsell sall thinke fitt.

Item, to propone for the changing of the termes of Witsonday and Martimes to Lambmesse and Candlemesse for suche reasons as sall be givin in.

Item, that the estats sall call before thame Thornetouns patent and take to thair consideratiouns how farre the same is prejudiciall to the liegis and liberat thame thairof be reason of the great feare that is conceaved.

Item, that there may be some course takin whairby the extraordinarie concourse of the subjects to court may be repressed, whiche undoes the kingdome and by sinistrous informatioun to his majestie inverts the course of justice in the ordinarie courts and judicatoreis of this kingdome.

Item, that the extraordinarie extortioun of wrytters, commissaries and keepers of the seales may be rectified in tyme comming.

It is petitiouned by the gentrie that the patent grantit for making of powder within the kingdome may take effect, and that the persoun to whome the gift is givin may ather convenientlie and tymouslie take upon him the dew performance or other wayes that his patent be recalled and that the gift may be grantit to some of the subjects who will undertake the same.

Item, the gentrie doeth petitioun that the whole estaits would humbelie intreate his majestie not to relinquishe or alienat to anie stranger king or natioun the territoreis of New Scotland whiche ar annexed to this crowne, since both his majestie and this his antient kingdome ar tyed in honnour and credite to mainteane the same; and that his majestie may be petitiouned to recommend to this state whiche way the same may be most convenientlie done to the honnour of this natioun.

Item, anent measures, becaus the acts of parliament laudablie made thereanent ar in diverse parts of the kingdome neglected and the transgressours thairof not punished according to the saids acts, thairfoir, it would be provydit that ather the shireff within the shyre or stewart within the stewartrie or ellis ane to be appointed be this commissioun within everie parish sall be authorized with power to exact the penalteis aff the transgressers and to be comptable to the exchecker thairfoir, his lawfull charges being deduced.

And siclyke becaus there hes beene great remissenesse in executing the acts of parliament made anent beggers, whilk remissenesse flowes speciallie frome not exacting the penalteis appointed be the saids acts frome suche as does interteane thame and frome suche as does not punishe thame, as also becaus there is no penalteis injoynned upon suche as does not interteane the poore to be commendit to thame be the order of the saids acts, thairfoir it would be provided that both penalteis wer appointed and exacted upon the transgressioun of the saids acts and that one wer authorized with power to exact the saids penalteis in everie parish and to compt for the same ut supra.