Act, 28 December 1693, Edinburgh

Edinburgh the Threttie one day of January J^aj vj^c nyntie thrie years. Post meridiem

D1693/1/51

D1693/1/51¹

Procedure: committee formed

Comittie anent the Hearth money.

Anent a Petition given in to the Lords of their majesties privy Councill be James Melvill of Cassingray Collector of the hearth money Shewing That quher the petitioner by his petitione the Eleventh day of February J^aj vj^c nyntie two years Represented to the said Lords That haveing according to his Comissione appointed SubCollectors and done what was posible for him to doe for inbringing of the hearth money Bot the methods for Collecting being Remitted by the parliament to the saids Lords He did Humbly Suplicat for the saids Lords Directione therin both as to the forme of Surveying methods of Compting and what sallerie to allow to the SubCollectors, And the saids Lords haveing only returned then their pleasure for actuall Survey by the Sub Collectors the former proclamationes of Councill haveing appointed heritors and possessors to give in Subscryved lists of their hearths in maner therin prescryved And the Sub Collectors alledging great pains taken be them in obedience to the former proclamationes were unwilling to undergoe the other Espealeie no determined Salleries being appointed for so great travell neither any method for Compting being prescryved nor directione what dilligences shall be taken off the subCollectors hands He made applicatione againe, And the Lords by their proclamatione of the twelth of August last J^aj vj^c nyntie two appointed certaine Commissioners every shyre to receive from the sub Collectors the lists of hearths within the respective bounds as they hade been Collected and taken up by them, And to choise Some persones (whither formerly Imployed or not) with order he Survey the wholl hearths etc within the severall shyres and tounes and upon oath to make ane exact list of them upon occular inspection And to have in the lists therof to the said Commissioners to transmitt to the Clerks of Councill allowing them the twentie pence of what hearth Money were formerly concealled and found out by this new survey which is proven altogither in effectuall In Respect that altho the sub Collectors hade attended (according to the saids Lords order) upon the said Commissioners yet ther is nothing done by any of the Commissioners nor is possible to gett any Surveyers for such a Sellarie Since it may hapen ther may not be a discovery of a hundreth concealled hearths in the longest Shyres of Scotland And no man will be at paines and expences of surveying the wholl shyre for the haill Discoverd hearths much less the twentieth pence of them, The petitioner humbly Layes all these things before the saids lords intreating their direction what methods shall be taken in all these things and that the petitioners accompts may be taken of his hands since the SubCollectors and their Commissioners might hapen to dye or break (as some hade done allready) And So bring the petitioner to very great inconveniencies And Therfore Humbly Craveing the saids Lords would give their directiones as to the sub Collectors Salleries, The methods of compting and what dilligences shall be taken off the subCollecters hands and to take a Speedie Course for clossing the petitioners accompts as the petition bears The Lords of his majesties privy Councill haveing Considered this Petitione given in to them be the above James Melvill of Cassingray read in their presence Craveing their Lordships directione anent the sub Collectors of the hearth money ther sellaries the methods of compting and what diligence shall be taken off the subCollectors hands, And to take Speedie Course for clossing the petitioners accompts, The Saids Lords heirby Nominats the Lord Duke of Hamilton President of Councill, The Earles of Linlithgow and, Brodalbine, The Viscount of Tarbat Lord Raith Thesaurer depute, The Lord Beilhaven, Lord Justice Clerk and the Laird of Grant to be Comittie And Declairs any four of them to be a quorum To Consider the former proclamationes of Councill already emitted anent the hearth money, And to fall upon such farder methods and means as may be most proper for makeing a full discovery of the haill hearths within this kingdome And for the speedie and effectuall inbringing of the hearth money from all the places of the same, And Recommends to the said Comittie to meet the morrow at ten in the forenoon And Report to the Councill at their nixt meetting And Recomends to the said Comittie to Consider what speedie Courss might be taken for ² Clearing and Clossing of Cassingrayes accompts.