Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-05-16
Lenre. Dc cnehs, in scotland.

Scotland is generally supposed TO he a country
IN which personal freedom is eminently priced
But custom prevails in that portion of the
British dominions, which, we should imagine.
has no parallel elsewhere under the government
OF Queen Victoria. 1t is custom which recalls
at once the old lettre de clchet, which was CON
sidered to be among the most infamous of the
many abuses of power that led to the outbreak
of the first French revolution 1t is a custom
which would be infinitely more "honored in the
breach than in the observance" and it is one of
the existence OF which. we should suppose the
majority Of the British people are entirely 10.
norant. Nevertheless, it is one under which, at
the present time, we are informed victims are
lying in the civil prisons of Edinburgh, and
have lain there for many years.
In Scotland there exist what are termed, in
the quaint Scottish legal pbraseology "letters of
law burrows" the object and operation of which
will be seen by the following statement: One
person AYERS that another puts him in fear by
threats or acts of violence. In England as in
most countries, the threatening person would be
bound over in certain penalties 10 keep the peace
towards the person who was afraid, and there
IN most cases, would be an end Of the matter
But in Scotland the person who AYERS that he
mas Deen put IN fear employs an agent, who
writes the Letters of law burrows" ret them
signed, and hands them to a messenger-at-arms
VINO calls at the house of the complaining party
and administers formal oath that such Is the
accused person, ordaining him or her within six
DAYS to find caution (that is, security for rood
Dehaylor) TO the extent of so many hundred
merks Scots. Should the accused be unable TO
mud this caution, he is put to what is called the
horn" an old practice of blowing a small horn
or trumpet at the cross, denouncng the person
implicated as rebel. He is then apprehended
ana cast INTO prison, there to lie till he find
cauuOn, or as long as the Incarceration thinks fit
to keep him at his expense-the allowance made
lor maintenance being generally from 3d. 10 Is
per day.
We can hardly believe that we are living in
TINS present year Of grace and not a hundred
years ago, when we further read in the Scots
man, Whlch is the authority for these state
inehts, that for many years back there have
oeeh victims OF this law in the Edingburgh civil
prison, persons Of both sexes. The case which
mas brought the matter specially before the no
tlce OF the British government at the present
tune is one OF woman who has been nearly
iour years In prison under "eiters of law bur
rows This woman's name is Davidson, and
at the tins when she was incarcerated she had
Oeen living apart from her husband who is a
workman employed in Edinburgh, and who al,
| lowed her three shillings a week Mrs David.
syn account IS that she called for her weekly
aliGhance on certain day, and that on that oc-
easloh sue had quarrel with woman with re-
sa,u 70 ihe husband Of the prisoner. The
| woman had letters of law burrows" served an
the Inflated Mrs Davidson. and from that limo
.ne laller has been Shut up in prison. She
tenis, however, person not TO be ignored
lhongh she is shut up, and an attempt was re-
Gently made, by petition for an increase of the
as .I made TO the prisoner, to obtain pub.
hcliy Tor the case by being brought before A
magistrate, The man, however, positively re.
fused to give the address of the woman who had
incarcerated bis wife, and so the petition conld
not be served upon her. Mrs. Davidson has now
| petitioned the English home once, and The yc.
suit Is that the Hon. Secretary has sent instruc.
| tons to the crown authorities 10 Edinburpb Ia
investigate the whole matter and report.