Procedure, 30 December 1701, Edinburgh

Att Edinburgh the tuentieth day of Febrwary J^ai vij^c and one

D1701/2/22

D1701/2/22¹

Procedure

Remitt to the Commissioners of Supplie of Rhenfrewshyre anent Ferguslie

Anent a petition given in to the Lords of his Majesties privie Councill by William Cochran of Ferguslie Humbly Shewing That where according to the appoyntment of the late act of parliament for the new supplie The Commissioners of the shyre of Rhenfrew mett at the Toun of Rhenfrew upon the eighteinth of this instant being the third Tuesady therof And these Commissioners being tuenty in all did choise the Earle of Glencairne to be their preses And then proceided to Choise their Collector And the votes running betwixt the petitioner and the sherrfif deput It so hapned that there were ten for the petitioner And nyn only for the Sherriff deput So that according to the instant will of Law the petitioner was Legally Choisen and ought to have been declared Notwithstanding wherof it pleased the said Earle of Glencairne preses and the votes not eqwall To pretend that he might give his vote and therby to alleadg that the matter was brought to ane just equall Besydes that he and others objected that the petitioner had unwarrantablie voted for himself wherby the meeting brakeing up The petitioner haveing obtained a declaration and the subscriptiones of the ten that voted for him And was necessitat to apply to their Lordships To whom the determination of such qwestions belonged To have his right to be Collector asserted and established And seing it was most certain that no preses in any court could pretend to a vote unless it be a casting vote in caise of eqwallity Because if otherwayes courts of ane even number could have no ishew And that it was most laufull for the petitioner to vote for himself As had been found in many causes And that for verefication of the premisses he had produced both the declaration of his voters and lykwayes ane authentick extract of the sederunt Therfore Craveing that it might have pleased their Lordships To have found the said Election Legall and orderly And to have declaired him Collector of the said shyre And to have prohibited and Discharged any new election to be made in the said shyre or any further meeting for that effect untill that the petitioner were Legally exauterat which could never bee except aither by death of Malversaion As the said petition bears The Lords of his majesties privie Councill haveing considered the above petition given in to them by the above William Conchran of Ferguslie They heirby Remitt the petitioner to a new election before the Commissioners of Supplie within the shyre of Rhenfrew And Appoynts the saids Commissioners to meet wpon the second Thursday of March nixt to come for that effect And all pairties concerned to be present and attend that day And the Commissioners to proceid and make election of a Collector of the Cess within the said shyre And Discharges the saids Commissioners to meitt untill the said day for the effect abovewriten