92 Transactio-iis. 



iug into eflect an Act which the Government pa^ssed in J uly of 

 the same year for raising by ballot 6000 militia in Scotland. 

 This Act provided that this force should l)e raised in quotas from 

 the different counties, and that these should be provided by a 

 ballot taken in every parish from the lists of men between the 

 ages of 18 and 23. Those exempted were those serving in the 

 regular army or on lialf-pay, professors, clergymen, schoolmasters 

 articled clerks, apprentices, sailors, and all who had two children 

 born in wedlock. The number liable to serve in Dumfriesshire 

 was 1094, and the number called on to serve was 247. The 

 carrying out of the Militia Act was everywhere unpopular. The 

 people said that 20,000 Volunteers had been raised, and large 

 sums given in voluntary subscriptions, and it was insinuated that 

 the limitation in regard to being called to serve only in Scotland 

 would be departed from when the force was embodied. In 

 Dumfriesshire the dissatisfaction was great. On the 27th Aug., 

 1797, the Duke of Buccleuch wrote to the Home Secretary from 

 Langholm : — 



I came here on Friday, the 18th, hoping to have some repose after many 

 months' attention to my duty as Lord-Lieutenant of the County of Mid- 

 Lothian. When I left Dalkeith I had no idea the execution of the Miliiia 

 Act would cause any disturbance in our county. If I could have foreseen 

 it, I would have remained at my post. On Sunday, the 20th, I was 

 informed that some persons had pulled down the lists from the church 

 doors in the parish of Canonbie, and that the parish registers were to be 

 burned the next day. I immediately on Monday got together about thirty 

 of the heads of families in the School-house to endeavour, if possible, to 

 prevent any further violence. I was informed that about 300 young men 

 had, on the night of Sunday or early on Monday, taken by force the books 

 from the schoolmaster's house. I said everything I could to bring them 

 back to a sense of their duty. At the same time, I told them I was 

 resolved to bring to justice the rioters. Those present were certainly not 

 concerned, being mostly heads of families, and well known to me. Every- 

 thing has been quiet there since. But in Annandale the mob has been 

 most outrageous, insulted Deputy-Lieutenants, drove them from their 

 meetings, exacted oaths and promises that they will not proceed further in 

 this business — in short, they have been guilty of open rebellion. Tlie con- 

 stal)les dare not appear, and the gentlemen of the county dare not show 

 their faces in the towns and villages. God knows how this will end. 

 Thank God all my tenants are quiet, well-affected people, and attached to 

 my family. I have this moment received an express from the Advocate 

 wishing I would come to Edinburgh immediately. I shall therefore go to 

 Fleurs on my way to know how matters stand in that county. Rutherford 

 has been almost killed ; Mark Pringle and the other Deputies driven out 



