Procedure: minutes read

Minutes of the last sederunt read.

Procedure: article of commission for public accounts debated

The article of the report of the commission for public accounts relating to [John Hamilton], lord Belhaven's tack of excise from September 1695 to March 1697, read. The petition for the Lord Belhaven and his partners, read, and the petition for George MacKenzie, one of the Lord Belhaven's subtacksmen read. The parliament, having considered the petition given in by Belhaven and his partners, with the report of the commission, they find that the sum of £17,181 11s 7d sterling was never paid in by the country to the said tacksmen or subtacksmen, therefore, they discharge them and the country of the said sum in the terms of the deliverance of parliament upon their petition, which is as follows.

Moved that the principal tacksmen be discharged of the sum of £526 11s 10d sterling, uplifted by them and not yet counted for and, after debate, it was put to the vote discharge the tacksmen of the said sum or not and carried discharge, as is expressed in the act underwritten.