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Kay's Originals Vol. 2

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408 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. were not only carried of forcibly about eight days ago, but that the house in which they were assembled last night was assaulted by a mob-the windows broke by stones and other implements from withouLand the whole members of this meeting put in great bodily fear and hazard during the night. They observed, with much regret, the same system pursued this morning, and which was to their knowledge excited and encouraged by Sir John Henderson of Fordel, Bart., a declared candidate for the district on this occasion, and by Colonel James Francis Erskine, and William Wemyss of Cuttlehill, Esq. ; and in particular, the town was crowded, and the peace of it disturbed by the colliers belonging to the said Sir John Henderson, and others his dependants and adherents ; and that for the purpose of exciting alarm and convocating said mob, the church bells were rung, without authority from the Chief Magistrate, as is usual in such cases, about nine of the clock this morning. The members now present did therefore, betwixt nine and ten of the clock this forenoon, repair from the house of John Wilson, vintner in this place, where they were hoping thereby to get into the Council-Room without assault or injury from the mob, excited as aforesaid ; but in which expectation they were disappointed, for several of them were assaulted and jostled by said mob, who were so disorderly that the Provost was under the necessity of reading the Riot Act at the Council-House door. The twelve members now present, having thus got into the Council-Room, were waiting with patience for the hour assigned for proceeding to the election of their dclegate, when the aforesaid William Wemyss, Esq., haviug entered the Council-House, followed by Alexander Law, messenger in Edinburgh, arid several others, who having rushed into the Council-Room, said Law drew a pistol, and said he would shoot any person who would stop him; and thereupon he and his party, without his allowing the perusal of any wamnt he might have had, seized Provost Moodie-Robert Hutton, Dean of Guild-John Hutton, the Old ProvostJVilliam Anderson, the Old Treasurer-and Deacons Charles Anderson and Robert Young, and, dragging them from the Council-table, they were forced into post-chaises, which have been in the employment of Sir John Henderson during his canvass, and were immediately carried from Dunfermline in these chaises, and were accompanied by several parties of Sir John Henderson’s colliers on foot, armed with bludgeons, and others of his dependants on horseback, and were brought by a circuitous course to, and lodged in the black-hole in Inverkeithing jail, commonly used for felons; and they were not liberated therefrom until they had found caution, in the Books of Adjournal at Edinburgh, to stand trial for pretended crimes, of which none of them were guilty. And they are satisfied that this unwarfantable proceeding, so very inconsistent with the liberty of the subject, and the freedom of election, was carried on by the aforesaid Sir John Hendemon and his aforesaid adherents, in order to deprive them of their right of electing a delegate, of which there cannot be a clearer demonstration than the pretended election carried on, as stated in the foregoing minutes [the substance of which we have given], by a minority of the Council, after the members of this meeting were carried off as aforesaid, and without a legal quorum of the Council, as these minutea prove. “ That on their return to this burgh about eight o’clock in the evening, the Provost immediately issued his order for the Council being summoned to this diet, in order to proceed and make a regular election of their delegate at the earliest hour which it was possible for them to do,from the extraordinary occurrences of the day, which have been shortly detailed ; but Bailie James Hunt, who is in the interest of Sir John Henderson, having possessed himself of the key of the Council-House, this meeting were obliged to gain their admission here at this time by breaking open the door, under a warrant of the Sheriff-substitute ; and John Dunsyre, townofficer, having been called in, he, together with Thomas Inglis, police-officer, and Robert Taggart, town-drummer, verified the citations to the haill members of Council in the usual manner. ‘<Thereafter the minute of Council of the thirtieth day of May last, fixing this day for the election of their delegate, was openly read in Council ; but upon inquiry at the clerk for the precept of the Sheriff, founded on in said minute, he informed that he had delivered it up along with a commissiou to the foresaid William Wemyss of Cuttlehill, Esq., as delegate, in consequence of the minutes of the meeting of the minority of the Council, improperly held on the former part of this day, of which this meeting greatly disapprove. “After taking the oaths of allegiance, etc. (according to the usual form, which we omit), the Council being then duly constituted, and all the members legally qualified, and the roll being called for the choice of their delegate or commissioner, They Did, and hereby Do, unanimously
Volume 9 Page 544
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