The Sun.
London, England, 1831-04-21 00:00:00

,
- . AT a General MEETING of the Free-.
- _ holders, Commissioners of Supply, and Justices
e: '.: of Peace,
.of .the County of Aberdeen, held in the Court-
house of Aberdeen, on the 7th day of April, 1831, called
by the Lord Lieutenant and Convener of the County, for
" taking int) consideration the important measures of
r.l ••, Reform brought forward by his Majesty's Ministers, par-
ticularly as the same are applicable to Scotland f'
- . On the motion of Mr. GRANT, of Monyinusk, seconded
by Mr. Motezirs, of Pitf.aleis, Sir R. D. H. ELPHIN-
STONE, Bart. of Login Elphinstone, was unanimously
• called to the Chair.
• After some preliminary remarks from the Chair, Colonel
MACKENZIE FRASER, of Castlefraser, addressed; the
i: - _ Meetings. and concluded Irk moving the following Resolu-
_ . tions, viz. :-
- REsoLvEn,
I. That this Meeting, while they aemit the expediency of a
rational Reform, and acquiesce in the principle of extending the
e elective franchise, are convinced that the Bills recently brought
into Parliament would not only fail to effbct that object on a safe
footing, but on the contrary, are calculated to produce a change
• in the British Constitution far beyond what is required by the
• existing circumstances of the empire.
11. That the Bill for Scotland in a more especial manner ap-
pears to have been ill digested, and in many of its most important
$ details to be unsuitable for carrying into effect such a salutary
measure of practical Reform as would be found consistent with
the general interests of that part of the United Kingdom.-
111. That the elective franchiie in the Scotch counties during
nearly two centuries has rested upon the well-known valuation
of county lands and fishings, made by Parliamentary Commis:.
sioners, in 1674, which at the Union was taken as the data-for
ascertaining the land tax, and has ever since been recognised
, and acted upon both by Parliament and people, as the measure
-.. of every public and local assessment; and it is the decided
opinion of this Meeting, that, as far as regards the qualification
arising from ownership of lands, no criterion equally safe and ju-
dicious, and at the same time more sound and permanent in its
nature, can be devised.
IV. That in altering the standard of qualification, as settled by
the Act 1031, which was the possession of kinds holding of the
1 ' Crown, and rated by the above valuation of lOU Scots, or at 40s.
of old extent, the Meeting are of opinion that it ought on no ac-
. , count to be reduced below 20/. Scots of that valuation.
V. That the franchise at present exercised in virtue of superi-
ority is a vested right, under the established laws and usage of
Scotland: it thereibre appears just and equitable that the holders
of those superiorities should not be deprived of their right with-
out such equitable adjustment between them and the vassals as to i
the wisdom of Parliament may seem proper.'
VI. That in order to prevent all collision of interests in parishes
wherein burghs are locally situated, having lands partly valued
ii • in the county ccss books, and partly in the burgh, all prorietors
• and tenants not possessed of the qualification before mentioned,
. , ought to be comprehended among the burgh electors, and en-
titled to vote upon a qualification arising from the payment of a
, yearly rent for land corresponding with that of the owners and
occupiers of houses within burgh.
VII. That since the year 1707, the period when the relative
proportion of the county and burgh representation was fixed, the
progress of improvement and consequent investment of capital
- in agriculture have been commensurate with the advancement
of commerce and manufactures in towns, and the relative value
-and importance of the former have thereby been fully main-
tained. If, therefore,the'number of representatives for burghs
is to be increased, so ought also the number for counties in the .
, same proportion ; and instead of being subjected to the proposed
reduction, to have such an additional number of Members for
those counties that are the-most populous as will preserve'the
general represetstalion of Scotland upon the same basis as at the
Union of the two kingdoms.
VIII. That taking into account the very liinited number of
representat i ves for Scotland, under the present system, compared
with that for England and Ireland, the granting of such an ad.
ditional number of Members.to both counties and burghs as may
be proportioned to the increased and rapidly advancing political
importance of Scotland, appears to be no more than it is in justice
entitled to demand and expect, at a time when the more equit-
able distribution of the elective franchise throughout the empire
is the avowed purpose for which his Majesty's Government has
' . brought forward the Reform measures now before Parliament.
~
.. I". That for the masons stated in the formoing Resolutions,
and considering that the laws and feudal 'tenures airect.ylg the
civil and political interests of Scotland are necessarily as different
from those of England as the relative position of the two coun-
tries, in respect of soil, climate, and capital, it becomes impos-
sible to assimilate the political institutions of both so closely as
is proposed by the Bills in question, without manifest injustice,
,
I and an extensive sacrifice of the elective and agricultural inte-
rests of this part of the empire.
X. That on former occasions, when any proposed legislative
measures affecting the rights and privileges of the people of
Scotland were introduced into Parliament, the salutary practice
was observed of affbrding the counties full time for discussion
and deliberate consideration, as in the cases of the Bills for alter-
.
° ing the system of juries, entails, &c. The Meeting therefore
cannot help expressing their disappointment that a different
course should have been pursued in bringing forward a measure
• by far the most momentous which has been agitated in modern
times, and involving alterations, in so far as Scotland is con-
cerned, of many of its oldest and most venerable institutions.
• Xl. That an Address, embracing the import of these Resolu.
„ , tions, be present d, in name of this Meeting, to his Majesty, and.
Petitions transmitted to both Houses of Parliament, to the same
1': • erlbet. The Address to his 'Majesty and Petition to the House
of Peers.to be forwarded to the Lord Lieutenant, and that to'the
House of Commons, to the Hon. Captain Gordon, Member for
the County.
That these Resolutions be published in the Aberdeen Journal,
_ - . Chronicle, and Observer- in the Edinburgh Scotsman, Courant,
North Briton, Evening Post, and General Advertiser : and in
• the London Sun, Courier, Standard, Times, and Albion.
The foregoing Resolutions were seconded by Mr. BAN.
NEIMAN of Crimonmogate, after stating the reasons which
. induced him to support the motion of Colonel Fraser.
t Sir MICHAEL BRUCE, Bart. of S.enhouse and Scots-
..
s . • town, then addressed the Meeting, and moved the follow-
iug Resolution, by way of Amendment, in place of the
a
Resolutions proposed by Colonel Fraser, viz.:_ Resolved,
" That this Meeting highly approves of the principles of the
• Reform Bill now before Parliament, having perfect confidence
that, in all its details, it will meet with every considerate atten-
e tion in a Committee of the Honourable House."
Sir Joint Foanys, Bart. of Craigievar, seconded the
t . motion of Sir Michael BruCe.
The Meeting having then been addressed by Mr. Lums•
It den of Piteapl-, Mr. Patrick Bannerman, Mr. Gordon of
a; Cairtibulg, Mr. Latnond of Strandulf, Mrs Gordon of
t Craig, Major Leith Hay, Mr. Adam Urquhart, Mr.
Menzies of Pitfodels, Mr. Forbes of Brux, and Sir R.
t Elphinstone, the question was put, when the Resolutions
i moved by Colonel Fraser were carried by a majority of
92 to 49.
• Against the Resolutions carried by the foregoing vote,
L Major HAY stated that he begged to enter his decided
dissent, for the reasons which he had already urged on
the consideration of the Meeting, and such ()theta as...he
and those who had supported the Amendment by Sir
i, Michael Bruce, may afterwards adduce. '
I ‘ Thereafter, on the motion of the Hon. WALTER FORBES
of Brux, seconded by Mr. GoanoN of Cairnbulg, a spe-
cial Committee was appointed to watch the progress of
•
the Bill, and to communicate to the Member for the
. County, such observations as may from time to time occur
to them on the subjec., with instructions to take under
p. their consideration such remarks as may be submitted to
s`., them by the Landholders.
r,l On the motion of Sir MICHAEL BRUCE, Bart. duly
seconded, the Meeting unanimously voted their thanks to
c'. Sir R. Elphinstone, for his highly correct, impartial, and
independent conduct in the Chair.
I Thereafter, on the motion of Colonel FRASER, also se-
i vondefl, the unanimous Thanks of the Meeting were ex-
pressed to his Grace.tlie Lord Lieutenant of the County,
i for affording them an opportunity of taking into considera-
tion a‘measure of such vital importance to the country.
' THO. and N. BUIINETT, C. C.

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