Judicial Proceeding, 10 December 1700, Edinburgh

Att Edinburgh the Fiftein day of August one thousand seven hundred years

D1700/8/14

D1700/8/14¹

Act

Act Captain John Slezer

Anent a Petition given in to his Majesties high Commissioner and the Lords of his Majesties privy Councill be Captain John Slezer Shewing That the petitioner haveing the reiterated faith of the nation towards the Carieing on of a work which by the act of Tunadge J^aj vj^c nyntie fyve Is declared to be for the advantage honor and reputation of the nation he did so much rely theron and hath used such dilligence to bring his work to perfection, That beside the first volume which was published some years agoe other two volumes were laid before the parliament; in the year J^aj vj^c nyntie Eight, both of which were ready for the press and ingravers and by the saids Lords act upon the twenty Eight of June J^aj vj^c nyntie Eight ther is a ballance of ane thousand and nyntie pounds sterling of depursments due to the petitioner For want of which the publishing of his work is retarded, the petitioner not only haveing spent his privat stock Bot deeply ingadged his Credit both at Home and abroad in prosecuteing his work upon the faith of the said act of Tunadge Wherby he and his family did extreamly suffer and more especially his Childrein in their education, and seing that the small accompt that is made by the Collectors of the product of the tunage is a very great prejudice and that the true accompt quherof is of great Concerne to the petitioner, and to all others concerned in the Tuneage and that the execution of the act Imposeing the tunnage is remitted to the saids Lords, and that tho the said Tunnage (as the petitioner was Creditablie informed) hade been rigerously exacted, yet the same hath not been so duely payed to the Cash keeper, and therfore for redressing of any bygone abuse, and for preventing the Like in time comeing, The petitioner In Respect of his great intrest in the Tunneage, and that the same may be made effectuall for the uses designed Does with all humilitie offer to the saids Lords the expedients following Primo that the Lords would authorize the petitioner and any they should think fitt to enjoyne with him to Call for and² Inspects all books and recepts in relation to the Collection of the Tunnage since the year J^aj vj^c nyntie fyve to the effect ther may be a Charge made up against the Collectors since that time, and that he and any others Commissionat might report their dilligence to the saids Lords and Conveen before their Lordships such Collectors as hade neglected their duty in this affair secundo That the saids Lords would be pleased to Issue out a proclamation Requyreing all Collectors since the Tunnage was Imposed to transmitt to the Cashkeeper betwixt and such a day as the saids Lords should think fitt a true and exact abreviat signed by them of the Tunnage Collected by them, and that the petitioner and any others with him to be Commissionat by the saids Lords be allowed to inspect the same, and the petitioner was very hopefull to demonstrat to the saids Lords very many abuses in collecting of the said Tunnage As also that the saids Lords would appoint the Collectors to transmitt a signed list of all scots ships above Twelve tunn burdein within their precints and that no Collector be allowed to depone upon the verity of their abreviats Untill the petitioner revise the same seing the petitioner hade good grounds to beleive that some³ concerned in the Collecting the Tunnage could not safely depone upon the abreviats already given in be them, and the petitioner does make these proposalls on no other designe bot that the true product of the Tunnage might be knowen he haveing a Considerable intrest therin and his Credit deeply ingadged upon the faith therof, and albeit by the saids Lords act ther was due to the petitioner as said is, upwards of ane thousand pounds sterling yet the petitioners Zeall to have the work advanced was such, and the assured hopes he hade that the saids Lords would not suffer him and his family to perish by a publict undertaking, He offered upon present payment only of Thrie hundred pounds Sterling to put his work in the hands of the best printers and ingravers in London in order to be published, and would not demand more money of the saids Lords untill their Lordships ware satisfied of the progress he made from this time and merit of this work And Therfore humbly Craveing the Saids Lords would be pleased to Consider the premisses and to authorize the petitioner and any others with him the saids Lords should think fitt to call for and in respect the Collectors books or any other wrytes for makeing a due charge of the Tunnadge upon them and to Conveen any of them before the saids Lords who hade neglected their duty therin; and to Issue furth a proclamation appointing the saids Collectors to transmitt to the Cashkeeper signed abreviats of their intromissiones with the Tunnage and of the burdein of the scots ships and barks within their respective presinks above Twelve Tunn of Burdein and that no Collectors depone upon their abreviats untill the same be revised by the petitioner and others Commissionat by the saids Lords with him And in respect That by the saids Lords act ther was due of depursments to the petitioner in June J^aj vj^c Nyntie Eight the sume of ane thousand and nyntie pounds sterling, and that since he hade been at more expences, That the saids Lord would in the mean time appoint only thrie hundred pounds Sterling to be payed to the petitioner out of the first and readiest of the product of the Tunnage to be Imployed for printing and ingraveing his work, and for releiving (in some Measure) the Straits and pinches wherein to the petitioner was⁴ reduced, By Imploying his own privat Stock and the ingadgeing of his Credit deeply both at home and abroad and in prosecuteing his work upon the publict faith of the Tunnage act As the petitione bears; His Majesties high Commmissioner and the Lords of Majesties privy Councill haveing Considered the above given in to them by the above Captain Slezer, The hereby Grant Commission to the said petitioner, John Adair Georgrapher and Hew Cunninghame wryter to the signet Joyntly to call for and inspect the Collectors books of the above Tunnage or any other wrytes for making a due Charge of the said Tunnage upon them preceeding the act of parliament of the first of September J^aj vj^c Nyntie eight with power also to (⁵all from the respective Collectors signed abreviats of their intromissiones with the tunnadge preceeding the said first of September J^aj vj^c Nyntie eight, and of the burden of the scots ships and barks within their respective presinks dureing that space above twelve tunn of burdein Dischargeing hereby any Collectors to depone upon their abreviats of the tunnage preceiding the first of September J^aj vj^c Nyntie Eight untill the same be revised by the Commissioners who be mentioned, And ordaines Letters of horning under the Signet of Councill on fiftein dayes and others needfull to be direct at the said Commissioners instance against the saids Collectors in forme as effeirs Conforme to a subscryved List under the hands of the saids Commissioners to be given in by them to the Clerks of privy Councill of the saids Collectors.