Star. — London, England, 1819-04-02 00:00:00

of the House,, he would postpone his motion till , some - early dareiter the Recess. Mr. ABERCROMBIE observed, that the absence of the Honourable Member who was the subjqq - Of the motion could be no obction, it being well known, that although he m ig ht now be in London, he could not attend in his place during a discussion in which he himself was personally interested. Mr. BANKES entertained a similar opinion. Mr. B. PEEL recommended a speedy discussion, as it,would be a great hardship on the particular in dividual to suffer him to remain long an a state of doubt and apprehension. It was understood that Mr. Quin had left London in consequence of the last discussion ; and as his absence could not affect their proceedings even were he in town, he therefore hoped that the. Honourable Member would bring forward his motion as speedily as possible. Mr. AGAR ELLIS then named Tuesday next for his motion, WISTMINSTER ELECTION. The SPEAKER intimated to the House, that Ste phen Akerman, and others, who had petitioned against the last return for Westminster, had neglected to en ter into their reccgnizances in the time limited. The order was therefore discharged. SOUTH AMERICA. Sir WILLIAM DE CRESPIGNY, seeing Lord Castlereagh in his place, wished to learn from some of his Majesty's Ministers, whether they gave any countenance to the equipment and hire of certain ships which had been chartered for the service of the Government of Spain? If Government had endea voured to prevent such a contract, it would have been much more consonant to true policy, as he had rod information for saying, that a Deputation from South America was about to be sent, or on its way, to England, in order to arrange for completely throwing open to this country the whole trade of South Aineriea—(hear,hear.)—He hoped,', therefore, that the People of South America would have no caltse for considering the British Government hostile to their views. The ships of which he complained were not only British ships, but chartered by British subjects, commanded by British Captains, and navi gated by British seamen ; and, unless cur Govern ment disclaimed the contract, it might be construed against a pacific disposition on our part. Lord CASTLEREAGH believed that certain ships had been chartered from this country for the service of Spain ; but he positively denied that the measure had received the smallest countenance from our Go ventment. It was, he understood, merely a mercan tile operation ; and the persons who had thus hazard ed their property did so at their own peril. The general instructiQns given to all British subjec.s ad venturing in South America, had been, to tike care to conduct themselves pacifically.—(Hear, hear.) The conversation then ended. SCOTTItiII ECROUCIZS. General Sir R. FERGUSSON, after a few observa tions in vindication of the prayer of the Petition which he then held in his hands, for a reform of the internal government of the Scottish Boroughs, beg. ged leave to present it. The Petitioners were re spsctable inhabitants of *Dunfermline, who, having the interest and indLiamdLi.c , .! of their country at heart, prayed that they might he relea,ed from the despotism under which they laboured 1..; a self-elect ed junto of Magistrates, and that all the iniribitants of the Boroughs of Scotland might have their privi leges as British subjects. fhe Petition was received, read, and Ordered to lie or. the table. Lord ARCHIBALD HAMILTON held in his hand two Petitions, the prayers of which were of the same tendency. The first was from the Royal Cor poration of Suirons of Edinburgh, stating the many rierance* which they, as well as their fellow-sub jects of Scotland, expetienced by the despotism of the self-elected Magistrates. The system which had been too long endured had deprived the Burgesses of their dearest rights and liberties. The self-elected Junto lavished away the public money, and consum ed all the Borough revenues, without any responsi blity to their fellow-subjects. They were their own Treasurers and their own Auditors ; and if any com plaints were made against their public conduct, the patties aggrieved could obtain no redress. They considered the public monks as their own private property—with this difference,. that they were la vishly prodigal of the fornier while the latter was consequently much accumulated. The Petitioners had been informed that the private property of the Magistrates was liable for any deficiencies. But they begged that the House would take their grievances into its serious consideration, and grant them such relief as in its wisdom should seem fit.—The Petition was of considerablilength, and appeared to be a wtll-written dissertation on the subject. The Petition from the Borough of .I.beweleen to the same effect was also presented. Both Petitions were *cad, and ordered to lie on the table. They were also ordered to be printed . Lord ARCHIBALD HAMILTON, before he en tered fully . into the subject of his intended notion, ' thought it incumbent upon him to apologize to the House fur the time which he would .necessarily oc cupy. He was obliged to go into a wide field of particulars ; but he honed that the account which he was about to give of his investigation, would meet with the induli , ,cnce and approbation of / the House. A reform of the internal government of the Scottish' Boroughs was of the greatest importance, not only to Scotland, but to the people of England also, in terested in the welfare and happiness of their fellow. subjects. His Lordship remarked, that it was ne— cessary for him to say what was meant and what was rot meant by the reform of the Scottish Boroughs. It had no connection with a Reform in Parliament, end thereflre the advocates against that measure would be under no apprehensions or fears. The in habitants of every borough or town in Scotland were under the despotism of the Magistrates, and liable to many inconveniencies and grievances hitherto un- Jcnoten in England. The Magistrates or Corporation of Aberdeen, as a public body, had been so prodi gal of the-revenues of the borough, that they were *next to a state of bankruptcy, if not actually so. la order that the Members for-England and Ireland might understand the question, it was requisite for his Lordship to mention, that, as the Petitions had represented, the Magistrates of all the boroughs in Scotland were a self-elected junto ; that they re mained in office one year; that they appointed their ; successors ; and that these Th attention agf a in te-selfap - pointed the fo r mer party.. us doe set o men, elected, had been known to govenifour boroughs for twenty or thirty years, and leave what they con sidered their rights or ropet/, through this me dium, to theirsons or helm These self-elected Ma gistrates, or junta, were paramount to every au thority. Whatever trespass they committed, or what ever injury, so far as regarded their natural rights, or the expenditure of their revenues, the public could obtain no redress . If any misunderstanding took place among themselees,' which was very rare, as they were too much interested in the public spoils, a re ference was made to the Court of Session, who al ways determined in favour of the same rotten sys tem !..(Hear, hear.) --The case of Aberdeen was too notorious to ge passed over with criminal indifference. Complaints had been made against the system by se veral of their constituent. members. A reference was made to the Court of Session, and its decision was, as usual, in favour of the borough system—(Hear.) But his Lordship hoped that Parliament would re move' these grievances, and afford the people of Scotland the enjoyment of their rights and privi leges. The next step had been to petition the King for the renovation of the regular Magistrates, in con sequence of which a Crown Warrant had been is sued, appointing the old Magistrates to elect the new, thus virtually annihilating the verdict of the Court of Session. The Petitions had been referred to the Law Officers of the Crown, who therefore must have given advice inconsistent, either with the state of the case, or the interest; which they were called upon to protect. He should move for the prof duction of the papers which had been laid before the Privy Council and the Law Officers of the Crown, when the latter had adrisel the issuing of the war rant of which he complained. This was one of the results of the system of fraud. injustice, and iniquity which prevailed in the administration of Scotch bo roughs. This was not the first application which had been made for an inquiry into the subject. Thirty years ago it had been referreu to a Committee, who had reported that the abuses complained of did exist; but the breaking out of the war, and the pre. valence of an influence which ruled with imperious sway, had prevented any redress from being ob tained. The burgesses of Aberdeen had recorded it as their opinion . in their Petitions, that it was impos sible to remove .buses unless the whole system should be changed. Yet in defiance of that declaration, the Noble Lord opposite (the Lord Advocate of Scotland) had advised the granting of a new warrant, putting the whole authority into the hands of the authors of those vbry abuses !—(hear, hear)—The system had broken up at Aberdeen through its own rottenness. It was hut a few months since that borough had de clared itself bankrupt for I:9.80,000. At the last election the funds had been found deficient by no less a sum than £2,500 to pay the mere interest of the debt. This had been going on for twenty years. A large portion of the debt itself, to the amount of £37,000, consisted of sums borrowed for the pay ment of its interest. It was an annual custom in the borough to call a head meeting to hear the public ac counts stated, yet, at these meetings rot a s i ngle shilling had ever been mentiored of the debt of C 230,000! It had come ont of a sudden, and the burgesses had then fo,:od that they had been deluded for twenty years by the men who hal been entrusted with the adininistraticir of the burgh, and whom the Noble Lord seemed solicitous to retain—!,Hear, hear.) also :iscertained another Inct, oni authority which et a )1(d him to pledge his Jwn; it was this— out of that debt of C 230,001, so contracted and so concealed, a great portion bad been contracted by forged and fine minutes !—Wear, hear, hear)—He should like to hear the Learned Lord deny this-- I(liter, hear).—To give this town to this system was delivering up between thirty and forty thousand in habitants to military execution—it was giving a rade blanche to injustice, fraud, and oppression. He did aver, on authority which was not likely to be contradicted, that a great part of this debt was con tracted or. false and forged minutes. Because they could not prevail on all the Junto, to . enter into all these measures, sometimes a few got together for the purpose of committing these depredations on the public. He would now read what were the senti ments of the Magistrates themselves, when they went out of office. If he hid no other authority than this, he would say, that his Majesty's Ministers had done what was injurious to the country, and disgraceful to themselves—(Hear, hear).—ln 1817, when the system dissolved by its own rottenness, of the nine teen persons elected, only six would accept of the office. So obnoxious had the system become, that the Magistrates who went out thought proper, whe ther from compunction or hypocrisy, he could not tell—(heart —to put on record this Proclamation : COUNC.III. CHANSER, ADVIDEEN, SErT. 19, 1817. " Ir. justice to themselves, however, they are desirous to place upon record their sentiments and opinioes, in reference to son:e of the various topics aming out of the embarrassments of the City Treasury. " This has become the more necessary, from their having dis covered, that, in their efforts for the restormier of public confi dence, their motives have been misconstrued and perverted, and their proposals and plans received with a degree of prejudice and distrust, which they will be bold enough to say, their personal and private characters were sufficient to invalidate ar.d disprove. De this as it may, they are aware, that the sincerity of their in tentions can be known but by few, and may be deubted by many and, therefore, they here reiterate their decided opinion, that the preseut mode of Election of the town Council, and ma nagement of the town's affairs, are radically defective and im provident, tending to give to any individual or patty, who may be sa inclined, an e::cessive and unnatural preponderance ; and to foster and entourage a system of concealment, under which the most upright and best intentioned Magistrates may not be able to acquire that thorough knowledge of the situation. of the Burgh, which is requisite for the due administration of its affairs. The Subscribers are, therefore, of opinlon, that some change ought to be effected in the mariner of electing the Council, and an effectual controutglven to the Citizens ever the enpeuditure of the Town's Office-bearers. (Signed) " ALEX. MAZZA OATO: NAVD.N D. CIIALNEIRs ALEX. DONCAN 341. mAna...v :A.l. CAT TLY ALEX. DD.OWW P. TAYLO:t DOW:. WALKED 434011 , 3 MLitt ALEX. EDIPSON aoszrom CHALLIS ummure awo.Tuownom WK. macsinx. " WILLIAM! LEAD ALEX. OALW Whet these Gendernen say that it encouraged a sys tem of concealment, they alluded to the part, of the debt contracted on false and fabricated minutes, though he dared to say some of the gentlemen who signed the Minute were ignorant themselves of that circumstance.--The Honourable Member then com pared the course adopted towards Aberdeen with that pursued towards the Borough of Montrose, which had been di:franchised and a pollArarrant granted; whilst at Aberdeen thr election eine* Ma replaeedknaw theiglrteas"4 han d s 4 gistratriehwaidshbeertotiie ofdifference eo! d *hick prevailed between those two cases ? In conse quence of the disfranchisement of Aberdeen and the delay in ranting a warrant, that borough was at present without any MeMber in that House. Two other Scotch boroughs, (Edinburgh and Inverness,) were in the same situation. [Here Mr. W. DUNDAS said that he was Member for Edinburgh.] Then the Honourable Gentleman had been elected since the disfranchisement of that borough, and was sitting in the House without electors—(Laughter). He did not mean to apply every thing he had said to every borough in Scotland, but he contended, that if any were better governed, it was not because the system was improved, but because the individuals were more respectable. Since the new warrant for Aberdeen two occurrences had taken place which had revived the anxiety and discord which had prevailed through out the town under the former Magistrates. The two persons who had joined in the application to the Court of Session for the disfranchisement of the bo rough, were in the enjoyment of pensions from the public funds in the right of being Guild.burgesscs. But no sooner were the new Magistrates appointed than they avenged the cause of the old, and deprived those two individuals of their pensions. The other case was this :—The Provost had called a meeting of the heritors, subsequently to which he declared that they had authorized a new assessment. When this assertion was publicly made another meeting was called by some Gentlemen who had been present at the former one, who declared publicly, and signed their names to their assertion, that at the meeting in question, the proposition of an assessment had not been agreed to, or even brought forward. Now whe ther the Provost of Aberdeen had been guilty of a deliberate falsehood he did not mean to discuss, but the occurrence would shew the spirit which reigned in the town. He apologized for having thus long troubled the House, but he had been induced to do so by the manner in which the question had been treated by the Ministerial side of the House. He would now put it to them, whether they would give their sanc tion to a system founded in fraud, iniquity, and in salt—which he was convinced no twelve men chosen, +'com the side of the House opposite to him would, if acting as jurymen, undertake to support? lie would put it to them, not as Ministers or Members of Par liament, but as men, whether they would wish to perpetuate that scourge to Scetjand ? The produc tion of the papers which he nosy moved for would imply no censure on the Ministers. There was one of the papers before the Privy Council, which would be the last he should move for ; Viz. the Opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown. The opinion which he had been able to form by conversation with the ablest Counsel was, that the decision the Law Officers was illegal. It was doubtful at least—for out of 30 cases in which the old Councils had ex pired, in 24 poll-warrants had been granted, and in six, warrants had been issued to the old Councils. Out of the six in only one had a warrant been issued, after all the preliminary steps as in the present case, and in no one case in all circumstances like that of Aberdeen. AVhether he should move for this paper, lie should reserve to himself the power of considering, as he did not wish to narrow the case to the legal question. The three other papers were—]. The Wai - rant itself. 3. The Petitions in the case. 3. The Precedents on which the proceeding was founded. Tice Noble Lord then concluded by moving an Ad dress to the Prince Regent, for a Copy of the War rant of the Crown, for the Election of Alagistrates for the Burgh of Aberdeen in 1818—(Much cheering-fol lowed the A'oble Lord's Speech). The LORD ADVOCATE of SCOTLAND, hav ing been so personally alluded to by the Noble Lord, though surrounded by abler colleagues than himself, should take the 'first opportunity of meeting the charge of that Noble Lord. He felt no disposition on the ground of legality, of expediency, or discre tion, to shrink from the responsibility which was laid upon his shoulders. He contended, that the persons interested to set the warrant aside had a legal redress by the law of Scotland. He therefore trusted that Parliament would not interfere to judge the ques tion, but would leave it to the Courts of Law to de termine the point of its legality. If it were deemed illegal, it would then be time to visit the offence on those who had advised the measure. He maintained that however the Noble Lord might have disclaimed any connexion of the subject with Parliamentary Re form, he had completely disproved his own assertions by the generality of the charge which he had made against the whole Borough System of Scotland ; for if the Constitution of those Boroughs was altered, a new set of electors would be appointed. He should not enter into the charges respecting the financial operations of the Aberdeen Magistrates, as there was an Honourable Gentleman behind him more able to prove the allegations of the Noble Lord were un founded. Ile should only say, that it had never been asserted that there had been any private peculation on the part of those Magistrates. It had never been denied that the expenditure had been occasioned by their public spirit, which had led them to obtain many Acts of Parliament which the circumstances of the country had afterwards prevented them from carrying into execution. With respect to forged mi nutes, that allegation had never before been brought against the Magistrates. If it were the case, any man who had been induced to lend his money under false pretences might bring his action against them for the recovery of his debt. He contended that the No ble Lord had wrongly applied the word disfranchise ment, when he had alluded to the late occurrences at Aberdeen, on account of which the new warrant had been issued. Aberdeen had not been disfran chised, and the election had been set. aside by the Court of Session on a totally different ground. It was required that forty Members of the Corporation should be present at the election ; but in case of the 'absence oieny one, the Council had, a right to pro ceed with the election, on replacing him by any other individual who possessed the same qualifications as filled. In the election of the petson whose posrlie 1816, a Man of the name of Rae, Whothad the repu tation of being a Burgess, had been employed as ' proxy for another ; he could not, however, produce his burgess-ticket, or prove that be had cvcr been one, arid on that ground alone the Court of Session' had set aside the election.- This was no offence on the part of the Magiitiges, hurt venial mistake,' Anatheieforeawarraiitiar ahotherefeeilOisras issued.' in the ease of the DotinieVof Montrdie;ihett"Was wide different.. For all the Magistrate, rough had united in committing an act platy, by balloting for the choice of th practice which had been declared ' as had been groun d feren Charles l bee course ls rough. He then entered into an er tient Statutes, to prove that by the right of election was vested in the selves, and the Craft, or Livery Corepanies, Act had been represented as closinry— - Burghs, whilst, on the contrary, it', open in a great degree, and pry:io mon Council should be elerval yea, argument clear, he was obliged to very dry details, for which he Bence of the House. At the time of it was stated that the grievances should be redressed. But the mode were to be redressed was not by aF tute of 1469, but by passing an Act passed in the reign of James H. whi Royal Burghs. But no general inc. or proposed, to condemn the syster, the law of 1469, which was now cons tendency of the Act then passed w contrary character. At the time complaint was made of the Act. edi',;try jurkdictions in Scotland w consequence of the Rebellion of 17a way uttered against the Act of 1469 to the period of 1769. But Burgh sent to the winds, and Parliamentary the prevailing topic. Two years age Reform became again the popular the petitioners for Burgh Reform tl a Reform in Parliareent—Weer, he liamentary Reform not being so agr persons as in 1793, the subjects v Burgh Reform was puthed. forty:; so much on the law, he should practice of the cases. Since 17:4; 1 „ had occurred of applications to Go ern Set. In every one of these twelve cn , had been decided not by the poll le of the Burgh. It was on the case of cart that it was deterniMed an elect' place by poll, if there was not an pea) , qu.dified to elect their ElliCeS, case there was a Council, then there all the-;e twelve cases, the warrant upon the Burgesses, but upon the Old Burgh. These instances were therefore the case of Aberdeen ; and to re, were not so, was a cor.linuatiOn of lusion which had been so industru upon this question (Hear.) It was an the old writers of 1469 say who meant upon this subject—Vicar, to administer a modelate reform to much as any man could do ; afid he best method of administering it wan ring their accounts to certain uninterested auditors. He should therefore give of a motion to that effect, in order might hereafter be discussed as fay ance de , .erved. With regard to the had presented so many l'eLitions to this subject, he must be allowed to vation, and it was this—that so far . most respectable part of the different they inhabited, they were distinctly the reverse.—(Loud laughter, and , front the Opposition Benches, re-cchoed from the Ministerial side of the How ed Lord then took an opportunity high compliments to the judicial Aut land, and defended, in very strong duct of the Council of Aberdeen, who no slight commendation from a man' rity," continued he, " with all due Noble Lord and myself, is far superior individual to whom he alluded had his last Circuit, to some of the Burgesses that the best way to reconcile ad would be to sink all discussion—that of Aberdeen was most respectable—and allowed to perform their duties with: the town of Aberdeen would soon recover prosperity. The Judge found it his tleman and a Judge, to say so; and that such an opinion, from such a quarter be considered as high testimony in Magistracy. The Learned Lord again for the length at which he had entered ' cession ; he had not intended to have gone prolixity of detail, if the Noble Lord . not held him up to public ridicule—(hear, denounced the which he had the House en a prior occasion as injurious. —( Laughter from the Opposition accompanied with loud and reiterated The Noble Lord had uttered those dens cause the Bill neither suited the views Lord himself, nor of the party of Refo. he was attached.—( Repetition of theformer laughter.)—He should not have expressed with such confidence on the subject, word which he had used been strict • law as all the ingenuity of the Hon. Gentlemen site could neither gainsay nor contradi- Mr. HUME contended, that the Learned not dared to grapple fairly with any ' ments used by the Noble Lord, but had to elude, and to misstate such parts felt himself unable to controvert. The had stated as an objection to the Noble sition, that it was likely to create a tary influence; for his own part, he whether it would or not, but he certain!. that no harm could possibly accrue even was willing to follow the Lord Advocate through his speech, in the same Learned Gentleman had followed the preceded him; and he must therefore remark in the first place, that the M entirely left out of his consideration question, which was so closely connect burgh system. Such was the rottenness tem, that the funds placed in the luta for the use of these burghs, were n 'sconducted and misapplied. He burgh of Aberdeen as an instance. igrt, * when the notable resolution now was signed—a resolution which, even connected with airy subsequent event! r Esi c C eXeCt • pt tl CI F Aberdeen earl ref It W ..11:1C! MI 1211 ;poem ca,ce 4 la ma 'leak t:~elli ~, tondi lion -And Pztit titna 4.10 % istrate; (..1 th at p rouse d th n act of - Tress 1 , -,, bur gh as of their succe , s his sism ed ille ga l as e „. tied i n co nd on whi c h a - f6 41/°° ' towards th at t. bour fill eaamination of . tent of tl o f Pa e Act of 1469, ~ Act ..r Magistrates . r iviti ul • Compani es . i m n this sing up th e tm, sat—, an : had thrtrrn :.:- ore,' at ;led that the C. t hi s burg trir• To make: *84°2,1 i throu g h go . est imate- quested the i n 4 These Est of the Reyole.: 0 t hey e es of Cn e PT. • sanction c ode in whirl: .: t i ?Arlie abolishing the' 0 0 exec' ct to repeal r..,.: pt the Pt •hich oppresst : Earg h, tl leasure was pi s , for t he CI , tern establi : - .er.' T h e Act mr.plained of. 7 e ir oper t: as decidrdl7 c IA not a of the Ur.i;,..p., Ore. F In 1717, 1 , ..':•.e n r fi ber were alvalithed ' t aany of t 46, not a shin : if he Of 69. This vat .. mot , after i Reform was ~ m e eting try Reform bee t .. though tl v., Parliamen:z. 'acted ' tr sult:ezt, and :- t hat it h then petitioned is ,hat for s ker:r . 1 ) Now F been cart b' ~,eeti- to • - to have c - were inverted, r in his pm 'rd. Having : been a f now advert to .. had been , twelve ins-a: because 1 eernment fora toiug on cases, the elec.% to suspic but by the Ur over the if the iluro 13 h of D fi n d that !lion ought to:::, r eality hi L Old Council p. , va s hoc ssors ; but that • should b re was no poll. ' would be was not bestow ideratioi Old Council of . which he efore consonant by a Get represent that th. was not ' the system of • All that riously propagat. stances c al attempt to ma • had con tat they had rev. was due .•.r. , :r).--He wish able bast u these Burghs, . pealed I re [IIOW-11[ t.".2[t . 71,'t be 11 could be by ref: ci trust :et-es:ed person:, . ibeir ju notice to.mor- , .. whe...eW 7 that the matt: Adverti ugly as its intpr'r ben, th he 'Burgesses wi: ttercise the House tape &ler tl D make one obey e tut/ ar from being [7: are Cat rent towns whir' why a 17 and complete! was ref rl cries of Her I:o2[ent loed for some !i• meat al us..)—The Lear: ieg a w of paying son: Coanci uthorities at .S.:tt 41 we e ele lag receivethec o. . - istena r:ey h e deference to th. tarry 1 nor to ours." Ti expo se in lit "who se ha h 'd o , se auth 3 said, whilst at a case esses of Aberdeer. for a their differences had le; at the Magistracl tomer -and, if they we:e ., bout molestation, %%.e di ecover its ancient it %:b s duty, as a Ge' They md he conceived electic porter, ought to thebu: in favour of the ~- acir again apologised 110 yl ered into the cis had p 4 ~.. ye gone into such tile 1- )rd opposite had port a ihear, hear) —and cases had submitted to tebelh :ose tr , s l it y ion absurdpa and 'lees ; i cries of Hear ! ) dy thi lenunciations, be• ter n iews of the Noble Lett poghtihes, formers to whom etpe r dormer cries, and vie c xpressed himself u 'aid t, had not every du et t h aw , and such Lear; Gentlemen oppo- a Poi edict:— .; .e s ; ,earned condi any of the argil - Mom had endeavoured set a is of them as be t hat he Learned Lora lad ble Lord's prof; c ' .. c• exit (Heor.) had Lord new Parliam -air . • . Ile could not say ~ ..t. ! tainly could say :::-.....; :wen if it did. He az: : , .: irate step by rte? .. e t manner as' t•l'. se al lie Speaker, wtq r:e e ire be allowed 0 Itiri a Noble Lord hail l'e .. il ion the fin n anc: i r t i vo ,nnected with CI •..-i; mess of that $y e , irr, sands of trustees , fair very feeque 1;0 . . I would take tL I e Plai, In Serem be , j' fae ow on their tug ar,t.h m if it were gt ~,,--:, ts., oug ht O ha'l t... . , i