Att Edinburgh the Tenth day of December J^aj vj^c nyntie tuo years At my Lord Chancelors Lodging

A1692/12/13

A1692/12/13¹

Letter: royal

Letter to the King anent the election of the magistrates of Edinburgh

The Letter underwreitten from the Councill to the Kings Majestie being read votted and approven wes signed as followes and ordered to be recorded In maner underwreitten
May it please your Majestie
The Chancellour Haveing acquanted us of your Majesties pleasure That wee should represent to your Majestie the state of that case betueen some of the Inhabitants of Edinburgh for annulling the Late electiones of that Citie before wee should proceed to any determinatione therein And In case there be any sentence alreadie past befor it Came to hand That the privie Councill stopt a new electione of magistrates till they represent the matter Wee conceave it our duety to give your majestie ane accompt of our proceedings therein, on tuesday the tuenty nynth of the Last moneth There wes a Lybell Given in be severall of the² Inhabitants Compleaning of Irregularetyes in the electiones of the Magistrates of this Citie For severall years bygone And especiallie in this last year And of six persones in particular who hade been Instrumentall therein viz George Stirling James Bouden William Meinzies Sir Archibald Mure Patrick Johnstoun and Patrick Halyburtoun To which the magistrates gave no ansuers that day Desyreing they might have tyme to draw there ansuers thereto till the next Councill day which wes granted And Thursday being the next Councill day They gave in there ansuers And both Lybell and ansuers being read And Lawyers fully heard upon both sydes which took a long tyme So that the Councill put off the advyseing of the Cause till tuesday following being the sixth of this current And ordained them to produce the records of the toun Containing the method of there proceedings And the originall sett which is the Foundamentall setlement of the method of there Electiones and wes accorded to by a solemne decreet arbitrall of King James the sixth In anno J^aj vj^c Eightie three and ratifyed in parliament to be the rule in all there elections for the future, Wpon the said tuesday The Councill proceeded to the advyseing the cause and after full consideratione Did Find That George Stirling and William Meinzies Councillors and James Bouden hade violated the sett And therefore declared them Incapable to elect or be elected pro hac vice And that by turning out of some proxies the tyme of the Last electione who hade been present the tyme of the Leitting And putting new proxies in there places to serve there designe hade been ane extraordinarie violation of the sett The Councill declared the said last electione only voyd and null and ordained the Imediatly preceeding Councill to proceed to anew electione by Leitting on the Thursday following And Electing on the Frydday thereafter on wedinsday upon a petitione for a further delay by the persone Complained of And ane other petitione from the Complainers That the Councill might proceed upon there Complaint To determine the other three persones Compleaned of and ansuers Given in thereto The Councill putt off the electione for Leitting till Frydday and Electing till Saturday and upon Thursday The Councill found That Sir Archibald Mures being eminently Instrumentall in turning out of the proxies wes a violatione of the sett For which they Declared him Incapable to vote in the new electione as they hade done the other three But did not find the Complaint against Patrick Johnstoun and Patrick Halyburtoun relevant according to which tuo acts of Councill The last years magistrats and Councill having mett yesterday Elected there new Councill and made there Leitts And this forenoon Elected there Magistrates which are Sir John Hall to be proveist And three of the same bailzies And the same Theasurer and Dean of Gild who hade been chosen in the last Irregular electione which shewes that the Complaint wes made rather for redress of Irregular elections then out of any disrespect to the persones There being not one magistrat changed but Bailzie Bouden and Duncan Mcintosh chosen in his place which wes all peaceablie and quyetly performed befor your Majesties Letter came to the Chancellours hand who haveing Called us this night together wee thought it our duety to give this above wreitten accompt to your Majestie haveing sent to the secretarie the Informationes If your Majestie shall requyre it, Butt the process haveing come to a Sentence (although wee gave more dyetts and Longer delayes then are accustomarie befor us) And the electione of the magistrats being over and past befor your Majesties Letter wes Communicate to us And the persons newly chosen being men of undoubted Loyalty and affectione to your majesties persone and Government And well beloved in the Citie There remaned no more for us to doe in this effair But Humbly to Lay it befor your Majestie And what further comands shall be given therein or in anything else by your majestie shall receave most duetyfull obedience from May it please your Majestie Your majesties most Loyall most Faithfull and most obedient subjects and servants sic subscribitur Tweeddale cancel: Linlithgow Forfar Breadalbaine Tarbatt Stair Beilhaven William Anstruther Robert Sinclair William Lockhart Patrick Murray