’ bistorical chronicle. 
The consequences. of this 
werdict will be in some future 
time made known to the.pub- 
lic. 
Scotland. 
' Besides the general reform 
fn parliament, and a reform 
‘with respect to the royal bur: 
roughs, there is another re- 
form in agitation at present in 
Scotland, that_is -more likely 
to obtain the general approba- 
tion of the country,.and the 
sanction of parliament than ei- 
ther of the others. 
For many years past a prac- 
. tice has prevailed, which was at 
last becoming very general, for| 
men of great landed property 
to give femporary. dispositions 
to the superiority of eertain 
lands, belonging of right to 
themselves, to such persons as 
they kaew to be .well affec- 
ted towafds them, by which 
means a man of large landed 
property, who.can by law have 
only_a right to give one. vote 
_in.any county of Scotland, for 
- @ member to. serve in. parlia- 
_™ent, acquired the command 
_of a great number. of votes; 
which many persons believed 
gave these great men an un- 
due influence fin the county. 
The votes thusacquired, as they 
give no real polsefsion, have 
been called nominal and fictati- 
ous yotes. Many law suits have 
been instituted with a view to 
set these aside; but the deci- 
sions of the courts in Scotland 
shave uniformly tended to su- 
s 
>. 
§ constitution. 
Xkil 
stain them, until of fate that a 
decision of the house of peers 
threw the validitv of these 
votes into doubt. Since that 
time the general sense of the 
people in this country . seems 
to.accord with that decision ; 
and meetings of. pelegates, from 
all the counties of Scotland, 
have of late been held in .E- 
dinburgh; to devise a law by 
which this evil may be best 
remedied, without making any 
hurtful encroachment on the 
‘The proceed- 
ings of this body have been 
regular and temperate; and, 
with a commendable caution,, 
they have resolved to submit 
every proposition to the deli- 
berate .consideration of the 
public at large, allowing due 
time for reflection, before they 
adopt. any resolution. The 
progrefs in this case is slow; 
but it appears to be. the only 
rational plan by which the 
real.sense of the country can 
be obtained, and _ therefore 
may be deemed the wisest and 
most constitutional mode of 
proceeding. When they have 
agreed. as to the leading pro- 
positions, these will then be 
submitted to the consideration 
of parliament. At some. fu- 
ture. period the conclusions 
adopted in this case fhall be 
communicated to our readers. 
In consequence of the. un- 
common demand for operative 
hands in every department of 
businefs, in the present floy- 
