100 
plete rémedy for the abuses in the 
administration of the revenues of 
the burghs, when in reality the 
enactments of tle bill, if passed as 
it now stands, omitting many ne- 
cessary limitations on the power and 
management of magistrates ; and 
containing, among many excep- 
tionable regulations, a provision 
that the auditors of the accounts of 
magistrates self-elected shall be no- 
minated by the magistrates them- 
selves, would tend to rivet, if not 
even to extend the abuses which it 
professes to correct. 
Thirdly, That the Committee of 
Convention and the Committee of 
Reformat London, be specially in- 
structed to authorise Mr. Sheridan 
to communicate these resolutions 
to the Honourable House of Com- 
mons,, as containing the fixed and 
decided sentiments of the burgesses 
of Scotland, associated to obtain a 
reform in the internal government 
of the royal burghs in.-that part of 
the united kingdom. 
Mr. Meliss, of Perth,, moved a 
resolution in addition to those re- 
ported by the committee, which 
was seconded by Mr. Bisset of Dun- 
dee ; and after being considered:by 
the convention, was adopted, with 
some variations, and is as follows: 
Resolved, That this convention 
cannot, however, omit to express 
their satisfaction, that this delusive 
andefiicient plan of reform has been 
submitted to the consideration of 
parliament, as it must necessarily 
‘destroy that unaccountable confi- 
dence whicli parliament has been 
inclined to repose in the assertions of 
their enemies. For seven years the 
opposers of reform uniformly persist- 
ed in declaring, that 0 abuses what- 
everexisted; and even in the course 
of last session of parliament, they 
‘APPENDIX TO 
boldly averred that the only griev- 
ance was the want of. a jurisdiction 
of accounts; while the very gen- 
tleman who first had the candour 
to make this admission, did in the 
course of a few weeks, bring in, or 
lend his name to the bringing in of 
the present bill, which not only pro- 
vides for a jurisdiction of accounts, 
but contains regulations for distin- 
guishing the cess from the other 
taxes for making the cess-rolls ac- 
cessible to the burgesses, for regu- 
lating the mode of alienating the 
property of the burghs, and re- 
straining the powers of the magis- ° 
tracy in that respect; thereby virtu- 
aliy admitting that the taxes were 
not distinguished, nor access given 
to the rolls; so that the burgesses 
are at present liable to the illegal 
exaction of taxes, without the pos- 
sibility of ascertaining the extent of 
the illegal exaction, or any means of 
procuring redress ; and that there 
were instances of misconduct and 
dilapidation on the part of magis- 
trates, which required to be regu- 
lated; all of which particulars had 
been formerly denied; and there- 
‘fore, after these recent instances, 
that parliament has been grossly de- 
ceived by the misrepresentations of 
the enemies of reform, the burges- 
ses. confidently trust, that when the 
subject shall be again brought for- 
ward, parliament will no longer re- 
fuse to hear the complaints of ten 
thousand respectable citizens, or 
the evidence they offer of enormous” 
abuses, although any one or all of 
the officers of the crown, or any in- 
dividual or individuals, however re- 
spectable, should be again pleased 
to deny the existence of any griev- 
ance or abuse, or, as formerly, to 
argue that the grievances alleged’ 
are so atrocious as to surpass all be- 
lief, 
