Page:Letter from a gentleman in Glasgow to his friend in the country.pdf/13

Rh place was in the least concerned in the late riots. On Thursday afternoon the magistrates with the dean of guild and deacon conveener were called upon by the advocate, and sundry interrogatories proposed to them, which they answered. I cannot acquaint you what discoveries did arise from these answers, because tho' they were wrote down, yet the advocate has always excused himself from giving a copy thereof when it was demanded of him by the magistrates.

I am now come to the strange and surprizing transactions which happened on Friday the 16th of July. On that day about noon capt. Bushell's detachment of foot was drawn up at the mercat cross near to the tolbooth: the captain himself brought thither from the guard house in his own hands a bundle of ropes, which he carried into the foresaid prison, and there bound the prisoners, which as I have above mentioned were suspected to have been concerned in the foresaid riots. After this they were brought down from the prison in their manacles, and delivered to the custody of the said captain and his detachment, to be by them carried prisoners to Edinburgh. While this was a doing Charles Miller provost, John Stirling, James Johnson, and James Mitchell, bailies, John Stark dean of guild, John Armour deacon conveener, are all apprehended by a constable, and incarcerated in the tolbooth of Glasgow, by six several warrants issued by his majesty's advocate. The news of this flying through the city, brought together to the mercat cross a vast concourse of people, who were all exceedingly surprized at these strange operations. I am very far from believing or imagining, that my lord advocate intended any evil by these proceedings; but I am sure they had a natural tendency to create new disorders in the place: but God be thanked no such things happened; the multitude at the desire of the wiser sort of the inhabitants dispersed all at once, and returned to their habitations.

The tenor of the warrant for committing the magistrates was much the same; and the form of the warrant is such.

" it appears by the examination of divers witnesses upon oath taken before me, That the magistrates of Glasgow, and particularly Charles Miller the present provost, has by his conduct as a magistrate, favoured and encouraged the mobs, tumults, and riotous assemblies which happened at Glasgow upon the 24th, and 25th of June last, whereby the house of Daniel Campbell of Shawfield was entirely pillaged, and in a great measure destroyed; and whereby two companies of his majesty's forces lying in Glasgow, were violently assaulted and invaded, compelled to retire out of the town, and pursued by an armed force, who made two of their number prisoners, and maltreated them barbarously when they were so prisoners in the streets of Glasgow. And whereas by the late examination, it also appears, that the said provost Miller is guilty of divers other acts of partiality and male administration in his office, with respect to the discharge of his duty towards the actors in the said riots and tumults: These are therefore requiring you to seize