THE CHRONICLE. 
mies of reform, the applications 
already made to parliament have 
not met with the success that was 
expected, yet the burgesses of 
Scotland are fully persuaded, that 
when the nature of the grievances 
of which they complain shall be 
completely and fully understood, 
the wisdom and justice of the par- 
liament of Great Britain will not 
hesitate to afford them redress. 
Therefore, resolved unanimously, 
To pursue, with inflexible perse- 
verance, the most legal and consti- 
tutional measures for regulating 
the internal government of the bo- 
roughs, by destroying the present 
pernicious systems, and never to 
abandon these salutary measures 
originating in constitutional right, 
prompted by the deepest sense of 
abuse, and directed to objects of 
the highest public advantage to the 
‘national spirit, industry, and pros- 
perity of Scotland.—While, from 
the great political events of the 
present times, the public mind 
appears to be agitated, and even 
withheld, by a fear of conse- 
quences, from expressing _ their 
sense of known existing abuses, 
the burgesses of Scotland feel the 
greatest satisfaction in reflecting, 
that the object at which they 
aim, in correcting the abuses in 
the internal administration of the 
royal boroughs, by restoring their 
ancient governments, has not the 
remotest tendency to alter or in- 
fringe in any respect the political 
constitution of their country, which 
they hold in the highest venera- 
tion, and are determined to sup- 
port, convinced that its errors 
and defects admit of an easy re- 
medy in the most perfect con- 
sistency with its fundamental prin- 
ciples, which, by the security it, 
99 
affords to private property, and 
the protection it extends to per- 
sonal liberty, and to every essential 
right of the subject, appears to be 
in the highest degree calculated to 
preserve thepublic tranquillity, and 
at the same time, to promote the 
prosperity and happiness of the 
people,—the ultimate end of all 
government, 
Rosert GRAHAME, President. 
John Ewen, Secretary. 
Scots Borough Reform, in Conven-. 
tion, Edinburgh, July 29, 1792. 
Mr. Grahame, of Gartmore, in the 
Chair. 
6 Be Convention having read, 
and deliberately considered 
the bill prepared and brought into 
the House of Commons by the Right 
Honourable the Lord Advocate, 
‘* for better regulating the mode of 
accounting for the commen good, 
and revenues ofthe royal boroughs,” 
Resolved unanimously, First, That. 
without destroying the self-elec- 
tions of the town-councils, it is ut- 
terly impossible ever to establish 
an effectual method for bringing 
the magistrates to.an account in a 
proper manner. 
Secondly, That even although 
this object were attainable without 
the destruction of the self-election, 
yet the bill proposed by the Lord 
Advocate is not only totally inade- 
quate to its professed purpose, of 
better regulating the mode of ac- 
counting for the common good of 
boroughs, but is in effect, theugh 
certainly not in the intention of its 
honoyrable author, a deception on 
the burgesses and the legislature, 
holding out in appearance a com- 
G2 plete 
