Privy Council Acts 1565 - Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee

formed according to thair directioun and red in thair audience, thay all allowit of the missive, and in taikin thairof
subscryvit the same with thair handis."
There had been no business of such public importance in Scotland for a long while as that which occupied the extraordinary conference of the Council and the
Nobility begun on the 24th of November and ending in this unanimous resolution on the 27th. What had happened is clear enough from the Minutes, but may be
here capitulated :-At the first meeting on the 24th, sixty-one persons in all being present, only a proportion of whom were of the regular Council, while the rest
were Nobles who had obeyed the summons issued on the 25th of October preceding his Majesty's proposal of a voluntary contribution for the defence of the
Palatinate, to be raised
among the Nobles in the first place, but with help, as Spotswood tells us, from the Judges of Session, the Town of Edinburgh, and others willing, was evidently
received with consternation. Out of respect to his Majesty, however, the matter was referred, for consideration and report, to a Committee, consisting of the fifteen
named in the Minute of that day, with such others of the Nobility and Council as chose to attend. At the meeting of this Committee the next day, Chancellor
Dunfermline, Secretary and President Melrose, the Earl of Morton, and Archbishop Spotswood "had their harauugs," as Calderwood expresses it (vii. 452), and
there was, as Spotswood assures us (541), “a great forwardness to satisfy his Majesteis desire," but a unanimous agreement that his Majesty's proposed plan of a
voluntary contribution would end in total failure, and that therefore the only feasible procedure would be to call a Parliament and impose a regular taxation in the
ordinary way on all the Estates and all classes of the lieges. This resolution of the Committee having been reported to the whole body on the 27th, in a paper
stating objections in detail, chiefly as they affected the Nobles, had now become the decision of the whole body, and a missive to that effect had been drafted for
despatch to his Majesty.
Edinburgh, 25th January 1621.
Sederunt -Chancellor; Treasurer; Bishop of St Androis; Bishop of Glasgu; Angus; Rothes; Mortoun; Menteithe;
Eglintoun; Buchane; Nithisdaill; Wyntoun; Kinghorne; Abircorne; Tullibairdin; Roxburgh; Bugeleugh; Melros;
Lauderdaill; Bishop of Abirdeene; Bishop of Ross; Lord Erskine; Forbes; Cathcairt; Yester; Semple; Ogilvie; Ross;
Torphichine; Spynie; Balmerinoch; Colvill; Scoone; Burlie; Coupar; Halirudhous ; Kintaill; Cranstoun; Carnegy;
Ramsay; Master of Elphinstoun; Privy Seal; Treasurer Depute; Clerk of Register; Justice Clerk; Advocate; Kilsaythe;
Bruntiland; Marchinstoun; Ridhous; Currihill; Fostersait; Sir Andro Ker; Sir PeterYoung; Mr Peter Rollok.
The quhilk day Alexander, Erll of Dun[fermling, Lord High Chancellor] of Scotland, produceit and exhibite unto [the
Nobilitie and Counsaill] presentlie convenit the Kingis Majesties first mi[ssive and propositioun] directit to the Lordis
of his Majesties Pre[vie Counsaill anent a volun]tair contributioun to be grantit for defen[ce of the Pallatinat, being]
the dowrie of his Majesteis darrest doght[er and patrimonie of his Majesteis] grandchildrene [ante, p. 366]; as alsua he
produceit [blank] copie of the letter writtin and directit fra the [Nobilitie and Counsaill] present for the tyme to his
Majestie in ansuer to his Majesteis letter foirsaid [ante, p. 380]; and in lyke maner he produceit his Majesteis missive
letter writtin bak agane to the saidis Lordis in ansuer to the letter foirsaid directit, to his Majestie from his said
Nobilitie and Counsaill [ante,p. 390]: quhilkis three letteris being all red in the saidis Lordis audience and dewlie
considderit be thame, the said Lord Chancellor propouned to the Conventioun the equitie, expediencie, and necessitie
of his Majesteis desire. And, sindrie of the Nobilitie and Counsallouris being desirit to delyver thair opinionis, quhilk
faithfullie wes done be thame, and after some tyme spent [this] way it wes universallie thoght best that some xij or xiij
of gritest judgement and experience sould conveene upoun the morne thairefter to advyse upoun the best and reddiest
meanis to gif unto his Majestie most reall contentment. Quhairupoun the Lordis Chancellair and Thesaurair, the
Archiebischopis of St Androis and Glasgu, the Erllis of Angus, Mortoun, Nithisdaill, Roxburgh, the Lordis Ogilvie,
Scoone, Cranstoun, and Carnegie, and the Bishoppis of Abirdeene and Ross, without excluding suche otheris of the
Nobilitie as pleissis to come, wer nominat and appointit to that effect, and thay wer ordanit to reporte thair opinionis
to the publict meeting upoun the morne, the xxvj of this instant."
[The following notes from the Book of Sederunts add some particulars to the record of the proceedings of the
Convention of this day as just given from the Register of the Acta.]
The Lordis nominatis and appointis the Lordis Chancellair, Thesaurair, St Androis, Glasgu, Angus, Mortoun,
Nithisdaill, Roxburgh, Ogilvie, Scoone, Cranstoun, Carnegy, the Bishopis of Abirdene and Ross (not excluding suche
otheris of the nobilitie as pleissis to come), to conveene and meete the morne at nyne of the cloke in the foirnoone in
the Laigh Counsalhous of Edinburgh, and thair to confer, ressoun, and mak overtouris upoun his Majesteis
propositioun anent a voluntair contributioun to be grantit for defence of the Pallatinat and quhat is fitt to be done
thairintill for his Majesteis satisfactioun and honnour of the cuntrey, and to reporte thair opinioun to the publict
meeting." "The Lordis excuissis the absence of the Marques of Huntley, the Erllis of Errole, Mershaell, Craufurde,
Montrois, Lynlythgw, Perthe, Murray, Wigtoun, Lotheane, Home, the Lord Gordoun, the Lordis Hereis, Lovatt,
Loudoun, Elphinstoun, Madertie, Boyd, in respect of thair missives conteining thair laughfull excuissis."
Edinburgh, 26th Jan. 1621.
Antemeridiem:- The quhilk day the Lordis appointit for the conference [ante, p. 404], with sindrie otheris
of the Nobilitie, haveing convenit and at lenth reasouned upoun the most probable and liklie meanis how to gif unto
his Majestie contentment and satisfactioun in the mater demandit be his Majestie, and sindrie overtouris being maid
thairanent, it wes propounit that this Conventioun myght appoint some of thair nomber to stent the Nobilitie and
Counsaill : [QuhairuInto it wes ansuerit that this Conventioun had no pouer nor auctoritie [to] mak ony such
impositioun nor to nominat stentouris to that effect, and that it wes aganis his Majesteis command and directioun to
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