the family of the Stewarts and is now in the Person of King Charles the Second His Majesties Title is Dei Gratia of Scotland England France and Ireland King defender of the Faith whom God long preserve in the Throne of his Ancestors upon the Death of a King there is no Inter-Regnum the next Heir is presently King the Coronation being only a solemn Instalment in that which was his right before before their Coronation they hold only convention of Estates but no Parliaments before they are Crowned A Convention of Estates is made up of the same Members that constitute a Parliament but can make no Laws only they can lay impositions on the Subjects They do not sit in State they have been most used before the Kings were Crowned the Lord Chancellor is president in the Convention of Estates as well as in Parliaments When a King is Crowned he swears the Oath appointed to be taken at the Coronation which before the Reformation was no other than that set down in the Roman Pontificial sworn by Kings for there is no provision made about it in our Law but at the Reformation it was enacted That all Kings at the time of their Coronation should make their faithful promise by Oath to govern according to Law and maintain the Protestant Religion c. which Oath is to be found in that Act of the first Parlia Jac. 6. C. 8. Anno 1567. Prerogatives of the Crown The Prerogatives of the Crown are great as Power of Peace and War the Power of raising and arming the Subjects the Power of the Mint the nomination of all Officers both of State and of War and of Justice except some Sheriffs that are such by Inheritance the Power of calling adjourning Prorogation is not in our Law and dissolving of Parliaments the giving the Votes of Parliament the Authority of Laws the executing of the Law and the pardoning of offences are wholly and only in the Crown Church Government But to these since His Majesties Happy Restauration great additions hath been made In the Reign of King James the sixth the Power of general Assemblies was raised very high by Law which occasioned the sad disaster in the Church and laid a foundation to all the late troubles of the State notwithstanding the Supremacy in Ecclesiastical Affairs was alwaies in the Crown since the Reformation yet it was pretended as contrary to Law for the King to introduce any thing into the Church without the consent of the general Assembly It was therefore enacted in Parliament Act 1. 2. Parl. held by the Duke of Lauderdale That the external Government and polity of the Church was wholly in the King's Power and that his Order sent to the Privy Council and published by them about all Ecclesiastical Matters Meetings and Persons were to be obeyed by his Subjects any Law or practice to the contrary notwithstanding So that in all matters that relate to the Church-Government the King's Power is absolute Militia The second point is concerning the Militia By the Antient Laws of Scotland all the Kings Subjects were to assist him in Wars upon which a great Enlargement of the King's Prerogative was grafted at last by two Acts of Parliament The Kingdom of Scotland offering to the King to Raise and Arm twenty thousand Foot and two thousand Horse and to furnish them with forty daies Provision to march into any of His Majesties Dominions of Scotland England or Ireland for suppressing any Forein Invasions Intestine Trouble or Insurrection or for any other Service wherein His Majesties Honour Authority or Greatness may be concerned And these Forces by another Act are to give due Obedience to all such Directions as they shall receive from His Majesties Privy Council Trade A third point is The ordering and disposing of Trade with Forein Nations and the laying of Restraâ—nts and Impositions upon Forein Imported Commodities which is declared a Prerogative of the Crown With these Sacred Prerogatives is the Crown of Scotland invested not inferiour to any Crown in Europe for its Dignity and Power The King only and the King alone by His Royal Prerogative hath Power without Act of Parliament to declare War to make Peace make Leagues and Treaties with any Forein States give Commissions for levying Men and Arms by Sea or â—â— Land yea for pressing Men 〈…〉 The King only and the King alone disposes of all Magazines Ammunitions Castles Fortresses Ports Havens and publick Moneys The King appoints the Metal Weight purity and value of Money and by his Proclamation any Forein Coin may be lawful The King by His Royal Prerogative of His meer will and pleasure may convoke adjourn remove and dissolve Parliaments may to any Act passed in Parliament refuse to give without rendring any reason His Royal Assent without which a Bill is a meer Chimera May at His pleasure encrease the number of the Members of Parliament as daily experience testifieth by creating more Barons and bestowing priviledges upon other Towns to send Burgesses to Parliament Yea may call to Parliament by Writ whom His Majesty thinketh fit and may refuse to send His Writ to others that have sate in other Parliaments His Majesty alone hath the Choice and Nomination of all Magistrates Counsellours and Officers of State of all Bishops and other High Dignities of the Church the bestowing of all Honours both of the higher and lower Nobility of Scotland It is in the power of the King alone to chuse and name all Commanders and other Officers at Sea or Land The power of determining Rewards for Services and Punishments for Misdemeanours The King by His Letters Patent may erect new Counties Bishopricks Universities Cities Burroughs Hospitals Schools Fairs Markets Courts of Justice and Free Warants c. The King by His Prerogative hath power to enfranchise an Alien whereby he is enabled to purchase Houses or Lands and to bear some Offices Hath power to grant Letters of Mart or Reprisal No Proclamation can be made but by the King The King only can give Patents in case of Losses by Fire to receive the Charitable Benevolences of the people without which no man may ask it publickly The King by His Prerogative is Vltimus Haeres Regni and is the Receptacle of all Estates when no Heir appears For this cause all Estates for want of Heirs or by forfeiture fall to the King All Spiritual Benefices for want of Presentation by the Bishop are lapsed at last to the King all Mony Gold Silver Plate found and the owners not known belongs to the King so all Wayfs Strays Wrecks not granted by him or any former Kings all wast Ground or Land recovered from the Sea all â—ands of Aliens before Naturalization and all things whereof the property is not known all Gold and Silver Mines in whose Ground soever they are found The King's Power in the Church In the Church the Kings Prerogative is great he only hath the Patronage of all Bishopricks none can be chosen whom he
round And a Dukes Coronet only Leaves without Pearls They are more especially distinguisht by their Robes of Parliament by their several Guards on their Mantles or short Cloaks about their shoulders A Baron hath but two Guards a Viscount two and a half an Earl three a Marquess three and a half and a Duke four Precedence Touching the Places or Precedences among the Nobility of Scotland it is to be observed that Dukes amongst the Nobility have the first place then Marquesses Dukes Eldest Sons Earls Marquesses Eldest Sons Dukes Younger Sons Viscounts Earls Eldest Sons Marquesses Younger Sons Barons Viscounts Eldest Sons Earls Younger Sons Barons Eldest Sons Viscounts Younger Sons Barons Younger Sons The Princes of the Blood viz. the Sons Grandsons Brothers Uncles or Nephews of the King and no further having the Precedency of all the Nobility Yea the natural or illegitimate Sons of the King after they are acknowledged by the King take Precedency of all the Nobles under those of the Blood Royal. Moreover observe that all Nobles of the same degree take place according to the seniority of their Creation all Dukes Eldest Sons have the title of Earls and the Eldest Son of an Earl hath the title of the Earls Barony and sometimes of the Viscountry according to the Patent Of His Majesties Privy Council in the Kingdom of Scotland The Privy Council is chiefly imployed about publick Affairs and are Judges of Riots and any disturbance given to the Peace of the Kingdom Antiently the Lords oâ— the Session were the King's Council and so are stiled Lords of Counciâ— and Session The Power of the Privy Council hath been most raised since King James got the Crown of England that by reason of the King 's necessary absence from Scotland the King hath lodged much of His Power with His Privy Council Lawyers do plead the Causes of Riots before them and when sentence is to be given every Privy Councillor gives his Vote and the major Vote carries it Lords and others of His Majesties present Privy Council of SCOTLAND His Royal Highness the Duke of Albany c. John Duke of Rothes Lord Chancellor Alexander Lord Archbishop of St. Andrews Primate John Duke of Athol Lord Privy Seal John Duke of Lauderdale Presid of the Council William Marquess of Douglass James Marquess of Montross Alexander Earl of Murray Secretary of State Archbald E. of Argile John E. of Errol George E. of Marischal Charles E. of Marr. E. of Linlithgow E. of Pearth Patrick E. of Strathmore Robert E. of Roxburgh E. of Queensbury E. of Ancram James E. of Airly E. of Balcarras William E. of Dondonald E. of Kintore E. of Broadalbine Archbald Lord Lorn John Lord Livingstone John Lord Bishop of Edinburgh James Lord Elphinstone John Lord Rosse Sir Charles Maitland of Haâ—tone Treasurer Deputy Sir Thomas Murray of Glendoick L. Clerk Register Sir George Mackenzy of Rosehaugh L. Advocate Richard Maitland Esq L. Justice Clerk Sir James Dalrumpell Lord President of the Sessions Sir George Gordon of Haddo Sir George Mackenzy of Tarbot John Drummond of Londy Lieutenant General Dalziel Sir George Kinnard of Rossy Sir John Wachop of Nidry Of the Supreme Court of Judicature The Supreme Court of Judicature about the Property of the Subject is called the Colledge of Justice or the Session which was antiently an ambulatory Court but was settled as it is now by King James the â—ifth Anno Christi 1532. to consist of fourteen who are called Senatours of the Colledge of Justice or Lords of Council and Session and a President to whom are added the Lord Chancellor and four Lords of the Nobility or as they usually call them Lords Extraordinary The Extraordinary Lords have no Salary and are not obliged to Attendance but when they come they have a Vote This Court sits from the first of June till the last of July and from the first of November till Christmas-Eve and from the first of January till the last of February But now by Act of Parliament the Summer Sessions are taken away and in stead thereof are henceforth to be kept in March They sit from Nine of the Clock in the Morning till Twelve all the daies of the week except Sunday and Monday There is an Outer-house and an Inner In the Outer-house there is a Bench where one of the Senators sits a week and all of them except the President have their Turns in it who hears all Causes originally and where the case is clear he gives sentence But if it be difficult or if either party desires it he reports it to the rest of the Senators who either send out their Answer by him or if it be very intricate and the parties or either of them desire it do appoint it to be heard before themselves This is a Court of great dispatch But besides the Judge upon the Bench there is a side Bar to which one of the Judges comes out by turns weekly as in the former and receives and answers all Petitions and Bills The Inner-house where all the rest of the Senators sit is a Court of great State and Order The Senators sit in a semicircle in Robes under them sit their Clerks who write all the most material heads of all that is pleaded at the Bar where the pleadings are long and very learned When the the Senatours have after all the parties are removed considered their arguments they give their sentence and the major part carries it Their final sentence determines all business in their Court there lying no Appeal from them only the Parliament as the Supreme Court may review and repeal their sentence their decisive sentence are called Decreets from the Latine Decreta Senators of the present Colledge of Justice The Lords Extraordinary The Lord Chancellor The Duke of Athol The D. of Lauderdale The Earl of Murray The Earl of Argile The Lords Ordinary not Noblemen Sir James Dalrumpell Lord President of the Session Charles Maitland of Hatton Sir George Mackenzy of Rosehaugh Sir Thomas Murray of Glendoick Sir James Foulis of Collington Sir John Lockart of Castlehill Sir Robert Nairn of Strathurd Sir James Foulis of Redford Sir David Nevoy of Nevoy Sir David Balfour of Torret Sir David Falconer of Newton Sir John Gordon of Pitmedden Sir Roger Hogg of Harcus Sir Andrew Birny of Saline Sir George Gorden of Haddo Of the Justice Court The next Supreme Court is the Justice Court where all Criminals are tryed It consists of a Lord Justice General and of a Lord Justice Clerk who is his Assistant The Earl of Argile had this Office by Inheritance but King Charles the First agreed with the said Earl and gave him the hereditary Justiciariship of of the High lands for which he laid down his pretensions to the other The Lord Justice General is not obliged to serve in person but may do it by Deputies and he commonly named two This Order was changed Anno 1669. and by Act of Parliament four Judges were appointed to sit
in this Court with the Lord Justice General and the Lord Justice Clerk All Tryals for Life are in this Court which sits every Friday in the Time of Session in the Afternoon Here all the Subjects Peers as well as Commons are tryed The difference between a Peer and Commoner in their Tryal in this Court is this viz. The greater part of the Peers Jury called by the Scottish Law an Assize must be Peers The Jury is made up of 15 The Foreman who is called the Chancellor of Assize gathers and reports the Votes The major part determins the matter The present Justice General is the Earl of Queensbury Of the Exchequer The next Supreme Court is the Exchequer That consists of the Lord Treasurer or the Commissioners of the Treasury when it is in commission the Lord Treasurer Deputy and some Assistants called the Lords of Exchequer who have little power the Lord Treasurer and the Lord Treasurer Deputy usually carry all matters in it as they please Here all the King's Grants Pensions Gifts of Wards Letters Patents and such like are to be passed And these are the Supreme Civil Courts The Seat of these Courts is Edinburgh which has been long the chief Seat of the Government though the making of Circuits for giving Justice has been oft begun yet the charge it puts the Country to is found a greater inconvenience than the bringing up all their Affairs to Edinburgh CHAP. VI. Of Inferiour Courts of the Sheriffdoms The Names of the Sheriffs who are so most by Inheritance The Courts of Regality A Barons Court NExt to these Supreme Courts there are other Inferiour Courts And first there are in all the Shires of Scotland Sheriffs who are the Judges in all Matters of of Meum and Tuum in Thefts and in all lesser crimes as likewise in Murthers if the Murtherer be taken in hot blood as they call it when the person is newly slain But though there lyes no Appeal in this Kingdom in any Court yet there is somewhat equivalent to it for the Supreme Courts by a Writ called an Advocation may take any Cause out of the hands of Inferiour Judges and order to be brought before themselves Most of the Sheriffs were antiently so by Inheritance and it being in this Kingdom no matter of charge but of profit it gave the Hereditary Sheriffs so great a Power in their Shires that our King of late hath thought fit to agree with many of these Sheriffs for their Rights by which it comes to pass that many of them now are in the King's Gift The Sheriffs may either sit and give Judgment themselves or do it by a Deputy which they most commonly do except in some great cases For the more full satisfaction of the Reader it will not seem superfluous here to give a List of the Shires or Counties of Scotland and their Sheriffs Shires or Counties of Scotland and their Sheriffs Shires Sheriffs The Shire of Edinburgh containeth Middle Lothian Charles Maitland The Shire of Berwick containeth Mers Earl of Home The Shire of Peeblis containeth Tweddail Earl of Tweddail The Shire of Selkirk containeth the Forrest of Etterick Murray The Shire of Roxburgh containeth Tiviotdale Lidisdale Eshdail Eusdail Duke of Buckleugh The shire of Dumfreis containeth Nithisdail Anandail E. of Queensbury The shire of Wigton containeth the West part of Galloway Sir Patrick Agnew of Lochnaw The shire of Aire containeth Kyle Carrict and Cunninghame E. Dumfreis The shire of Renfrew containeth the Barony of Renfrew E. of Eglington The shire of Lanerick containeth Clidsdail D. Hamilton The shire of Dumbritton containeth Lenox D. of Lenox The shire of Bute containeth the Isles of Bute and Arran Sir James Stewart of Bute The shire of Innerara containeth Argile Lorn Kintyre the most part of the West Isles all Ila Jura Mull Wyist Teriff Coll Lismore c. E. of Argile The shire of Perth containeth Athol Goury Glenshee Strath-Ardell Broad Albine Ramach Balhider Glenurqhuay Stormont Menteith and Strath-Yern D. of Atholl The shire of Striveling lyeth on both sides the River Forth E. of Marr. The shire of Linlithgow West Lothian John Hope of Hoptoun The shire of Clackmanan containeth a small part of Fife lying on the River Forth towards Striveling Sir D. Bruce of Clackmanan The shire of Kinross containeth so much of Fife as lyeth between Loâ—hleiven and the Ochell Hills E. of Morton The shire of Câ—uper containeth the rest of Fife D. of Rothes The shire of Forfar containeth Angus with its pertinents as Glen Ila â—len Esk Glen-Prossin E. of Southesk The shire of Kinkardin cont Mernis E. Mareschal The shire of Aberdeen containeth Mar with its pertinents as Birse Glentaner Glen-Muik Strath-Dee Strath-Don Bray of Mar and Cromar most part of Buchan Forumarten Gareoch and Strathbogie-land E. Dumfermline The shire of Bamf containeth a small part of Buchan Strath-Dovern Boyn Enzy Strath-Awin and Balveny Sir James Baird of Auchmedden The shire of Elgine containeth the Eastern part of Murray Robert Dumbar of The shire of Nairn containeth the West part of Murray The shire of Innerness containeth Badenoch Lochabyr and the South part of Ross E. of Murray The shire of Cromarty containeth a small part of Ross lying on the South side of Cromarty Firth Sir John Vrquart of Cromarty The shire of Tayne containeth the rest of Ross with the Isles of Sky Lewes and Harrigh E. of Seaforth The shire of Dornoch containeth Southerland and Strath-Naver E. of Southerland The shire of Weik containeth Cathness E. of Cathness The shire of Orkney containeth all the Isles of Orkney and Schetland The Constabulary of Haddington containeth East Lothian and Lauderdale D. of Lauderdale Stewartries Stewards Strath-Yern E. of Pearth Monteith E. of Monteith Annandail E. of Annand Stewartries Stewards Kirkudbright containeth the East part of Galloway E. Nithisdail Baileries Bailiffs Kyle Carrict E. of Cassiles Cunninghame E. Eglington Court of Regalities There are also many Regalities in the Kingdom where the Lord of the Regality has a Royal Jurisdiction within his grounds and power of Life and Death besides many other great immunities and priviledges This began chiefly in Church lands for all the Bishops and most of the Abbots had these Regalities granted them some of the antient and great Peers got the same power bestowed upon them and many more have lately got their Lands erected into Regalities The Judge is called the Bailiff of the Regality who sits as often as there is cause Most of the Bailiffs of the Regalities of Bishopricks are so by inheritance These being given by the King a Church-man not being allowed to give a Commission in causa sanguinis A Barons Court Besides these every one that holds a Barony of the King has a Baron Court in which leâ—â—er matters are also judged and they may fine and distrain Antiently these Baron Courts might judge of Life and Death but now it is not so For all the other particulars that relate to the Regalities Superiorities and