Convention of Royal Burghs of Scotland Exce Pt Fro M a Cursory Perusal of Reports in the Newspapers Of
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P R E F A C E . N sub mitting to the Pub lic the following Notice of the Convention of Royal B urghs O of Scotland , from its rigin down to the C ompletion of the Treaty of Union between Eng ‘ l and n 1707 s and Scotla d in , as also the mea ures adopted by Which the Royal Burghs came to be repre ’ n sented in Parliament , and the Conventio s gradual de v elo m ent p as a constitutional body, the author has brought the work down to that date in the meantime , t a and in the form adop ed , but should it meet with p proval it will be co ntinued to a later period . At all o f events , the same may give some idea what the Con v ention , in the olden times , did in the promotion and furtherance o f measures tending to the encouragement u of and prosec tion trade and commerce, the general i welfare of the nhabitants of Scotland , and its inde e ndence n p as a ation . N I N T R O D U C T I O . H ERE are not a few Scotsmen resident on — the north side of the Tweed , who knowing little if anything of the institution of The Convention of Royal Burghs of Scotland exce pt fro m a cursory perusal of reports in the newspapers of e in o f es or l o f m et gs committe , the annual conc ave the Con vention u in i — itself , held d ring April , Ed nburgh , to whom the meaning ofthe term Convention o fRoyal Burghs is o o f s r s mewhat a mystery ; while ome others, unawa e of the beneficial results derived from the working and a o f o s dministration the C nvention in the pa t , but looking e entirely at the gr at changes , political and social , that have taken place in the country during the last fifty s year , call in question the utility of the Convention at s the pre ent day , these changes , in their opinion , render ing its continuance as a representative institution unne It has d to occurre the author , that a few s r s o n i W ob e vation the or gin of the Convention , the ork viii INTRODUCTION . f was done , may , while giving some in ormation on the e is i li o s subj ct , ass t in d spel ng erroneous impressi n , and show that the Co nvention of Royal Burghs (includin g e r what are t rmed Parliamentary Bu ghs) , through the annual gathering of the members considering the reports of the numerous committee m eetings held during the year on the various matters remitted to , or brought under — on r notice by them , such as observations bills int oduced l into Parliament of a po itical , social , or sanitary character , or as to the introduction of these through the influence o f the Convention as a body being brought to bear on i e o f — indiv dual M mbers Parliament , is not only at the present day worthy of the support of all Scotsmen , but o n that it is a duty incumbent them to maintain , in full i a v gour, the only remaining and most ancient represent i tive constitut onal body in Scotland , the members of which , to a large extent, being merchants engaged in or l commerce trade, and selected by the Town Counci s of the Burghs , are therefore well qualified to suggest measures beneficial to the no w United Kingdom . C H A P T R E 1. l e O ri in t/ze C onvert/ion R o al B ur /1s and limo t g of of y g , /ze B ar lzs co me to or R e resented in P arliament g p . U RIN G the earlier periods of Scottish History the nobles and barons h ad supreme control over the inhabitants within their respective t o r g i dis ricts territories , the monarch havin l ttle , if o r any , real power, the baron , chief, exercising the c fun tions of a judge , by himself or deputy , over his s s o r n immediate va sal , clansmen ; and eve when a crime ’ i a was comm tted by a v ssal in another s district, the r r l ba on , under a ight ca led repledging , could demand delivery o fthe culprit from the lord o fthe district where the ff alleged o ence was committed , and try him before his o n e w tribunal. In this way mutual benefits wer d secured to lor and vassal , and it was only after the Reformation that any reduction o f these powers was ffe to to e cted, the barons combining resist all attempts s - e re strict or infringe upon their o call d rights. The ( “ma sse us e-A nobles and landowners again entered into , A 2 TH E c o m m ws o r o r ts o of agreemen , called B nds Manrent , by which , when r to one was assailed in any way , the others we e bound a ssist him with their retainers , if need be , even in a d questions with the Crown . Various n numerous attempts had been ma de by successive monarchs to ff . control the nobles , but with little e ect The Royal ma Burghs, it y be said , were the main source from h u r w ich o earlier monarchs derived material assistance . o f 1124- 1153 During the reign David the First , , sixteen Royal Burghs had been created , these being Aberdeen , u Inverk eith Dumfries , Edinb rgh , Forfar, Haddington , in . Jedb ur h t s e g, g , Lanark , Linlithgow , Mon ro e , Peebl s , l Perth , Rutherglen , St Andrews , Selkirk , Stir ing. Royal Burghs held their charters direct from the r Crown , the magistrates had judicial autho ity within i defined limits , and the burgesses therein certain priv f o r 1 5 leges in the way o trade manufacture . In 29 we u find the first nion among the Royal Burghs , when the u i w and b rghs of Edinburgh , St rling, Ber ick , Roxburgh (termed the Parliament o fthe Four B urghs) met in con v entio n r o , to concert measu es for the mutual support f th e all Burghs , and to treat , ordain , and determine , upon all things concerning the Lord Chamberlain Cou rt The was f Lord Chamberlain a high o ficer of State, presided h at the Parliament of the Four Burg s , had the inspection of all the burghs and right to in quire into the conduct a e of the m gistrates, saw that the rev nues were properly O G 3 R YAL B U B H S o r SCOTLAND . a l pp ied , heard disputes between burgesses and gave de i of c sion thereon. These meetings the burghs were held d w to 132 - 28 n o eu o n 7 , when Ki g R bert the Bruce deavo ured to o f z o r secure the support the citi en class , o ad burghal c mmunity, by giving them a share in the ministration o f the affairs of the kingdom ; and at a parliament then held by him in Holyrood , ordered that representatives from the then Ro yal Burghs be admitted fo r into the Three Estates o fthe Kingdom . But long after l that date , they had ittle , if any, political power, further i l than be ng , as it were , authorised by Par iament to see t t ai n hat the demands of the Sta e , in the r si g of a certain m war o r or nu ber of men during , quota of taxes , levy , was suppli ed by the respective burgh s This admission o f representatives from the Royal Burghs was the first break made in the compact body Of the feudal nobility l 1368 as s . an exc usive and dominant cla s In , Berwick and r n t Roxbu gh bei g hen in the possession of England , a t l o f a par iament or Convention Burghs held at Perth , u d ring the reign of David the Second , Lanark and Lin lithgow were selected to fill the places of Berwick and r e Roxburgh , and the Convention was orde ed to me t at 1405 n Haddington. Robert the Third , in , exte ded the n number of representatives in Convention , by ordai ing that two o r three sufficient burgesses from each Royal Burgh on the south side o f the water o f Spey appear X“ \N& \ yearly at Convention to be held in S in k i ng . TH E CON VENTI ON O F the Court of the Parliam ent o f the Four Burghs was i r c m s appointed to be held in Ed nbu gh , with o missioner “ ” s . and as essors , in manner used and wont This was 5 done by Letters Patent under the Great Seal , dated th 1454 h o r his November , commanding the C amberlain , i deputy , to call the Convention together. K ng James d h a d the Thir , also , many contentions with his nobles , , to to and endeavoured restrict their power, at same time as 1469 encourage the agricultural or tenant cl s ; and in , i n at a parl ament held by him , an act was passed , givi g tenants under lease from the nobles security fo r the possession o f their lands during the curren cy o f their s s r e ff m r t r lea e , and p otection of th ir e ects fro the c edi o s o f o r who u the nobles proprietors of the land , , previo sly , u z was o n b e co ld sei e whatever the land , whether it n no t h lo ged to the tenant or , thus causing muc hardship to the tenant For assista nce received from the burgh O f Edinburgh , in his contentions with certain of the o f nobles , the king granted a charter liberties to the f city , the provost being made hereditary sheri f within the bounds ; the council were also empowered to make bye - laws for the good government of the town ; and the b ann er trades or incorporations were presented with a , “ ” l u .