1815 - 1817 Scroll Book - Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee

Mr Sturrocks motion was carried unanimously with the exception of the Dean of Guild, Mr
Pat Anderson and Mr Small who objected to the motion because it had no reference to the
business connected with the election of the Harbour commissioners.
Mr David Blair Junior intimated the following protest, and took instruments of the hands of
the Clerk.
“ I David Blair Junior Merchant in Dundee hereby intimate to you Patrick Whitson Dean of
Guild under protest that after the election of the Commissioners and any other business under
the Harbour Statute shall have been completed there is certain other business to be submitted
to the consideration of the Meeting, and in particular a motion for authorising and directing
you as Dean of the Guildry Incorporation to sist yourself as a party in the action presently
depending at the Guildrys instance against the Magistrates and Toun Council of this Burgh; I
protest you shall not leave this meeting until such business and motion have been disposed of,
or at least that your doing so shall be considered as an express refusal on your part to sist
yourself in the said process, and may be made use of accordingly. This I do because it has been
judicially denied by the Magistrates and Toun Council and by yourself among the number that
the Guildry ever authorised the said process at all, and because an objection has been started
in the same quarter in consequence of the Dean of Guild not being a party”.
The Dean of Guild stated that he had repeatedly required the Meeting to proceed to the
election of the Harbour Commissioners and he again called upon them to do so.
It was answered by Mr Jas. Ivory that the Meeting had been all along qualifying themselves
for the purpose of carrying through the statutory business in a regular manner, if time had
been taken up it had been with the disputes originating with the Dean himself, and with those
persons who unauthorisedly came forward as the Magisterially elected Clerks of this
Incorporation.
Mr David Miln Banker moved that the Gentlemen who are assembled at this meeting and who
had answered to their names are that body described in the Act of Parliament passed in the
fifty fifth year of his present Majesty’s Reign for the improvement of the Harbour of Dundee
as the Guildry Incorporation of Dundee, and are legally assembled as such in virtue of that Act
to elect their Commissioners under the Statute.
Mr Roberts seconded the motion.
The motion being put from the Chair by the Dean of Guild was unanimously carried.
Mr James Ivory moved that the Meeting do immediately proceed to the election of the
Harbour Commissioners and that the clauses in the Act of Parliament and the advertisements
be read to the Meeting.
Mr John Peter seconded the motion.
He motion was unanimously carried.
Mr James Ivory protested that if in consequence of the omission of the word “Incorporation”
from the advertisement, the election shall be rendered null, or any damage either directly or
indirectly shall be incurred by this Incorporation, that the late Dean of Guild Mr Patrick
Anderson who signs that advertisement shall be personally liable in the consequences and
took instruments on the hands of the Clerk.
The Minutes of the Meeting held on the ninth day of October in the year 1816 being read the
Clerk stated that he had been appointed by the Meeting of the 9 th October 1816 to keep a
faithful record of the proceedings of that Meeting; that he had kept a record of these
proceedings and had necessarily for a short time detained certain protests mentioned in the
Minutes recorded by the Toun Clerks to have been carried away, and when he offered these
documents to the Toun Clerks, they refused to receive them and said the Minutes were closed.
Mr David Blair Junior moved that as the Minutes of that Meeting had been some how or other
garbled, Mr Saunders who was Clerk of that meeting on the part of the Guildry, should, form
the record kept by him, insert a copy of the correct Minute as an appendix to the present
minute.
Mr Lindsay seconded the motion.
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