110 Transactions. 



The next important undertaking which engaged the attention 

 of the burghers was the remodelling of their place of worship. 

 That the church was not sufficiently commodious liad long been 

 felt, and at length the Council " did enter into contract with 

 Wm. and John Anderson and James Stillie, all joiners in Annan, 

 whereby they, the said joiners, should be obliged to put up seats 

 upon the town's proportion of the Parish Kirk of Annan, and 

 elect a loft upon and over tlie said proportion, and put up seats 

 upon the said loft. The seats upon ye said proportion to consist 

 of twenty-two in number upon the floor, and twenty-one seats in 

 number upon the loft, besides the seats for the magistrates." 



The erection of a gallery in the church was soon followed by 

 another improvement. On 7th December, 1740, the Council 

 unanimously agreed to add to the building a handsome steeple. 

 " The said day the Magistrates and Council of the burgh being 

 determined with all convenient dispatch to build and ei-ect a 

 steeple and put a clock and bells in it for the advantage and 

 ornament of the burgh, and to the end that they may be the 

 better enabled effectually to complete and finish the said work with- 

 out bringing the burgh into more debt, have unanimously resolved 

 to retrench and abridge the public expenses of the burgh, as much 

 as possible consistent with the honour and dignity of the burgh. 

 And therefore they enact and ordain that the jDublic expenses of 

 the burgh at entertainments, giving of burgess tickets, and the 

 meetings of the Magistrates and Council upon any of the burgh's 

 affairs whatsomever shall not exceed the sura of Thirty pounds 

 sterling money yearly from Michaelmas to Michaelmas." The 

 worthy Councillors did not find it easy to reduce their " public 

 expenses," and notwithstanding the good resolution adopted in 

 December, 1740, the liquor bill of the burgh continued to amount 

 to more than thirty pounds per annum. Owing to the state of 

 the town funds, the publicans' accounts often remained unpaid 

 for years. In September, 1763, it was agreed to make an effort 

 to wipe out the accumulated debt of seven years. The treasurer 

 received instructions to pay the publicans' bills in full, though 

 they exceeded the authorised sum. " But as the town's revenue 

 was much impaired, this was to be no precedent in time coming.'' 



Many of the entries in the old Council minutes relate to con- 

 victions at the burgh court for " blood and riot," and otiier 

 offences. Tt amuses one to pour over the yellow [tages in whicli 



