The Sun.
London, England, 1830-12-07 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Stn,•—As a constant reader, and occasional correspon-
dent, I need hardly add, an admirer of The Sun, allow
me to call your attention; at this crisis, to the slavish
situation of Scotland. To you, who know the actual
state of the Scottish representation, it is needless to enter
upon the subject at large; but I trust you will find room
to insert the annexed letter to Earl Grey in your first
number, and thereby oblige
Your most obedient servant,

N.B. I have suppressed the nanie of the burgh in the
fidlowing letter, on accuunt of local influence—that bane
of Scotland.

TO THE RICHT 110'N. EARL mgr.

MY LORD.—Now that your Lordship fills the situation
for which your eminent abilities, and still more, • your
liberal and unflinching principles of independence, to
nobly entitle you, allow an humble individual, a Scots-
man, to lay before your Lordship a brief sketch of the
burgh in which lee lives,—rand which sketch, humiliating
as it is, he nevertheless feels confident will apply to many
other burghs, as well as the one be alludes to, in this
division of the United Kingdom.
I am well aware that any thing that I can state must
have but little weight with your Lordship; hut when
consider that, as an Englishman, your Lordship ran have
no idea of the universal degradation in which Scotland
lays, I kel it a duty inpumbent upon me to 'tett! the truth,
without concealment or embellishment, in order that in
your Lordship's proposed Reform of the commons House
of Parliament, you may keep in view the changei abso-
lutely requisite in Scotland, so as to prevent its being a
clog to your Lordship's plans fur the salvation of your
country.
In the remarks and statements I am about to snake, I
beg to remark that I intend considering the burgh as it
was, immediately previous to the last (so whammed) eke-
don of Magistrates, at the term of Michaelmas.

The burgh was then governed by a provost, three
wiles, dean of guild, treasurer, eleven councillors, and
,own.elerk, in all eighteen individuals ; of these two
boi,e, the dean of guild, treasurer, one councillor, and
town.clerk, ree'de within the burgh; the other bailise, and
one councillor, at distance from town, but within the
pariah; the remaining nine councillors are scattered over
the kingdom, some in one county, some in another, but
not one of them connected, in so far ca property iM con•
corned, either with the burgh, or county in which it is
situated. The provost, and indeed ell ►yho have tilled the
civic chair, for some thirty years past, resides another
couoty, hos no property within the burgh, and never looks
near it, except to attend a meeting of his council, for po.
litical purposes of his own,. in which the inhabitants have
no more interest than those of the South Sea I.lands. Of
this council most have retained their emits for 10,1/5, or
20 years; In fact, they are as immoveable an•l unalterable
, the laws of the Illedes and Persians no changes take
place, except when death causes a vacancy.
The provostehip is changed every two years, and has
been for the last twenty vested exclusively betwixt the
patron (as be is called) of the burgh, his brother, and
brother-in•law. The parties are yet complete fixtures,
one has filled his situation fur 14, another for above 20
years, and the other considerably longer than that period.
During -this -long reign, what has been done for this
burgh ? Nothing, absolutely nothing ! except damping
public enterprise, whenever it attempted to rear its bead;

hut thee, my Lord, it would be the height of injustice
not to acknowledge, that during that time sundry appoint-
ment% such as cadet-ship-a to India, and commissions in his
Majesty's service, have been obtained by bailies, council-
lors, and town-clerks, for their families ; and no doubt, in
due time, the young gentlemen will return from the East
to fill the shoes of their worthy predecessors in the Coun-
cil and magistracy of the burgh-.
Your Lordship may perhaps think it but reasonable
that I should state how the inhabitants at large have got
on during this long period of patronage to their rulers?
The reply is short—they have been neglected in every
point—their own and public money granted by Govern-
ment for public purposes, squandered and thrown
away—the revenue of the burgh rigorously exacted, hut
never accounted for—the landed property belonging to the
burgh either sold, and the proceeds unaccounted for, or
quietly resigned to neighbouring proprietors, without
value or acknowledgment.
Under such a system of misrule, your Lordship may
perhaps be inclined to ask, has then the patron of the
burgh reaped the sole benefit of all these spoli,tions ? I
am inclined to say no—or at all events, only in part ; and
my reasons for thinking so will he best explained to your
Lordship by shortly mentioning the few changes that have
taken place in the burgh council fur the last W years.
In 1811 or 1812 the town-clerk was displaced for
drunkenness, his books and papers seized by the then chief
bailie—what deficiency may then have occurred the public
never heard—hut soon after the treasurer was removed in
a similar summary manner, leaving a sum owing the
burgh of about 1001. A new treasurer was then ap-
pointed, who was in like manner removed, in course of a
few years, with a similar arrears—and in 1816, the chief
bailie's mercantile affairs having fallen into confusion, he
was in like manner sent to the right about. His trustee,
one of his brother councillors, gave in a claim against hi.
estate for 1000/, but such was the admirable clearness of
the burgh hooks, that he at once agreed to restrict his
claim to 1001. ! thus at once yielding up nine-tenths of
the whole claim In 1825 the town-clerk was dismissed,
and another heavy loss sustained—but having been care-
fully concealed, the particulars have never come before
the public. Now, my Lord, I trust I have, stated facts
enough to prove the necessity of reform in this burgh ;
what reform that should be it is not for me to poiut out,
but if the welfare of the town ba at all considered, the
first and chief reform must be, --the removal of in irre-
sppusible magistracy and council, and the vesting the
euttnagement of their own affairs in the hands of the intuit.'
bitants themselves.

What share of the r epresentation, should be allotted
to the burgesses or in what manner arranged, I leave to
youi Lordship, fully and confidently trusting that your
Lordship will take such measurva as wid he most fur the
advantage of the empire generally, and of Scotland in
particular. I have the honour to be, my Lord,
Your Lordship's most obedient and devoted admirer,
N—, Nov. 30, 1830. VEItAX.