CONVENTION OF ROYAL BURGHS.

For a considerable time after the Royal Burghs were formed, their privileges were very unavailing, owing to the great distance, which several of them lay from one another, and to the turbulence and prejudice of the times. At an early period, the Burghs, the better to overcome the difficulties, which stood in the way of their exclusive privileges, delegated powers, to the four principal Burghs, to act in behalf of the whole. This Association was called the Court of the four Burghs, and was held yearly, for determining all matters relative to the common advantage, of all the Burghs. This primary Court consisted of the Burghs of Edinburgh, Stirling, Roxburgh, and Berwick, but when the two last fell into the hands of the English, Linlithgow and Lanark were put in their place, with a reservation for Roxburgh and Berwick, whenever they were recovered, to their ancient allegiance. This Court, after conducting the business of the Burghs for a considerable time, was at length found to be insufficient, for the duties assigned to it. Accordingly, an Act of Parliament was passed in 1487,* directing Commissioners to be sent from every Burgh, to a Convention to be held at Inverkeithing, where they were to commune, and treat on the welfare of merchandize, and to provide remedies for the injuries which the Burghs had sustained. It does not appear that any account of the procedure at Inverkeithing was kept, as the oldest record, is dated 1552, at which time, the Convention was removed to Edinburgh, where it has remained ever since. The Scotch Parliament having appointed an officer, for the regulation of Foreign trade, which they called a Conservator, the Convention paid him an

* Act James III. cap. 3, 1st October, 1487, " It is statute and ordained be the haill three Estaites that zeirly in time to cum, certaine commissares of ail Burrowes baith south and north, conveene and gadder togidder anis ilk zeir in the Burgh of Innerkething on the morne after Saint James day, with full commission: and thereto commoun and treate upon the weil fare of merchandice the gude rule and statutes for the common profite of Burrowee, And to provide for remeid upon the shaith and injuries susteined within the Burrowes. And quhat Burgh that compeire's not the said daie be their commissaris to paye to the costes of the commisaris five pound. And zeirly to have pur soveraine Lordis Letter to d estreinzie herefor, and for the imbringing of the samin.

yearly salary of £600 Scots. The trade between Scotland and the Netherlands was, for a long period, subject to the regulation of the Convention; it fixed the staple port for trade, which was formerly at Dort, and latterly at Campvere; and in short, it assumed control over the Conservator, and the general superintendence of trade, to such a degree, that an Act of Parliament* was passed, directing the Conservator to come home every year, and answer for his conduct to all persons having an interest. The Convention, in the plenitude of its power, occasionally sent Commissioners to France, England, Denmark and Poland, to negociate matters relative to trade. From the date of its Institution in Edinburgh, to the Union with England in 1707, the Convention seems to have been occupied in regulating' the affairs of trade. Its privileges have been preserved by the xxi. Article of the Union, wherein it is declared, "That the rights and pri

vileges of the Royal Burghs of Scotland, as they now are, "do remain entire after the Union, and notwithstanding "thereof." Soon after this period, the trade of Scotland began to assume a very different aspect, her commerce was carried through new channels, and in process of time, her exports of cured salmon and herrings, to the Dutch and French markets, gave way to an extensive and lucrative trade with the Colonies; and the hanking of handspun yarn, and hawking it from fair to fair, under the fostering hand of the Convention, has been replaced by the Jenny, and the Power Loom. The benefits which were supposed to arise to the Burghs, and to the trade of the country at large, under the paternal care of the Conyention, could not be effected without some expense: The salary of the Conservator required to be paid, the weights and measures of the Burghs to be adjusted, the land tax allocated, and the constitution of certain Burghs revised; a Clerk and Officer were therefore necessarily appointed, and a

* Act James 1V. cap. 82, 11th March, 1503. It is statute and ordained that the Conservatour of Scotland cum zeirly hame, or sende ane responsal procuratour for him zeirly that sall answere to everie ilk man upon all thinges that they have to say to him for all maters and make certification to the King or his Councel of the sending of the saide procuratoures and that under the paine of tinse of his office and payment of twentie pound great to the King.

small sum laid on each Burgh, to defray the annual expense, known by the name of Missive dues. This expense continued reasonable, with little variation, even for some time after the Union, till at last, the Convention finding, that the trade of the country had very much increased, thought proper to extend the duties, and increase their expenditure. The Missive dues, which, at the Union, were equivalent to a fair remuneration to the office bearers, and for stationery and correspondence, have very rapidly increased. In 1710, Provost Aird paid £14 10 as the Missive dues, for the Burgh of Glasgow. In 1754, the sum of £111: 8: 4 was paid by Provost Brown. In 1813, the Missive dues, on the whole Burghs, amounted to £1,000; and in 1818-19, they were increased to £1,400. Of this sum, £556: 5: 10 is charged for what is called the fixed establishment, notwithstanding that the salary to the Conservator ceased at the Union; and the balance is for grants, in aid of improving the Harbours and Jails of certain Burghs, &c. on the principle that such improvements, are of great national advantage. As the mode of raising, and distributing the sum, known by the name of Missive dues, is by no means generally understood, the following explanation will give some idea of it. The Convention consists of 67 Members, viz. one from each Burgh, and two from Edinburgh. In consideration that the Burghs are not all able to pay an equal proportion of the Missive dues, the Convention have allocated the sum, which each is to pay, conformable to the undernoted Scheme:*

*For every Hundred Pounds, which the Convention chooses to lay on the Burghs annually, in name of Missive Dues, the respective Burghs are subjected to pay the Sum opposite to their names.

At the Annual Meeting in July, the Convention usually receives petitions from small Burghs, craving assistance for building and repairing their Harbours, Jails, &c.; and as the Commissioners from the Burghs, have all an equal vote in conventional matters, however insignificant the Burgh which they represent may be, it frequently happens, that those who are obliged to pay by far the greater part of the tax, are left in the minority. The Convention exerts this extraordinary, and unconstitutional power, on the sole principle, of long continued practice; whereas, it is evident that the principle originated

in feelings of friendly liberality, and amounted, in former times, to nothing more, than voluntary aids or gifts, agreed to by all those who were to pay nearly an equal share, but which, in the course of time, have been insisted on as a matter of right, by a majority of the votes of the Commissioners of particular Burghs, who have almost nothing to pay. Example: For every hundred pounds of tax which the Burgh Senate chooses to lay on their constituents, Glasgow pays twenty-seven pounds five shillings, while the Burgh of Inverary, and seventeen other Burghs, pay only one shilling each; and the powers assumed by the Commissioners are such, that a charge of Horning brings immediate submission from the refractory. In 1816, the Convention was so arbitrary and exorbitant in its grants, that the Missive dues for this city, and the expense in Edinburgh connected therewith, amounted to £606: 19: 8. For the last twenty years, the Missive dues alone, have averaged £337: 12: 8 per annum. This state of things constitutes a grievance, which should no longer be submitted to. The practice is altogether unconstitutional, in as much, as it amounts to the imposition of a tax, without the authority of Parliament. The tax is also unjust in its principle, because it is laid on, without due regard to the means, which the Burghs have for paying it. It is also oppressive, because if the power exists at all in the Convention, it may be exercised to an indefinite extent. As the experience of past years leaves but little hope of relief from the Convention, the Burghs of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, and Perth, should apply to Parliament, for redress from a tax, which, in a Burgh like Glasgow, is a public grievance, as the sum exacted for Missive dues, would otherwise be employed in local improvements; and from the foregoing considerations, it is presumed, that the Legislature would grant relief from that part of the tax which relates to levying monies for building, or improving harbours, jails, &c. in particular Burghs, leaving all such, to the wisdom of Government, and the exertion of the local authorities. With regard to the necessary sum, for conducting the legitimate duties of