Page:The Laws and Acts of Parliament of Scotland.djvu/500

 ^f ~ KING JAMES T H E S E X T O F ACT XXIX. Ratification of the Aft of Secret Council, Againft Backfters, Browfters, Flefhers i and Candle -makers of Edinburgh. URSOVERAIGNE LORD, With advice and confent of the E S T A T E S of this prefent Parliament, By the Tenor hereof, Ratifies, Approves, and confirmes , The Aft of the Secret Council , of datethefeaventeenthdayofFebruarie,one thoufand, fixe hundreth, and eighteene yeares: Made andfet downe, by his Majeftie , with confent of the Lords of His Highnefle Secret Council , againft the Backfters , Browfters, Flefhers, Candle-makers, and others therein contained, In-dwellers within Edinburgh: With the publication and proclamation following thereupon, In all, and fundrie heads, poynts, pafiages, circum- ftances, and others, fpecified there-intil : conforme to the Tenor thereof, in all poynts. AND Willes, and Declares, The fame to have beene, in all time by-gone, fince the making and publication thereof : And to be, andftand, inalltimecomming, good, valiable and effecTual in it felfe : and to have the due benefite, and execution thereof, conforme thereunto : Againft all who have tranfgrefied: or mail happen to tranfgrefie, and contraveen the Tenor of the fame. Whereof the Tenor followeth. Apud Edinburgh, decimo JeptimoDieCflfenfis Februarii , Anno Domini Millejimo , Sex- cent l efimo, decimootlavo. OR AS MUCH, As The Kings Majeftie, And Lordes of His|Privie Council, Confidering the danaerous'and fearful abufe, which hath beene of continuance thefe many yeares by-gone , within the Burghof£^i»W^,bytheTollerance, Connivance, and over-fight, which hath beene given unto Back- fters, Browfters, and others, tobuilde, andkeepftackesofHather, Broome, Whinnes, and other Fewel, in the heart of the faid Burgh, and in the Vennalles and Cloafles of the fame : where fundrie of His Majefties goodfubje&s, Inhabitants of the faid Burgh, have, with great charges and expences, builded many goodly Houfes and buildings : to the credit of the faid Burgh, and for the policie and decoration of the fame. By the which ftackes ot Hather, Broome, Whinnes, and other Fewel, builded, and keept, within the , faid Burgh, not onely are the neighbours of the next adjacent parts thereunto, holden in continual feare, and dreadour, and are in very great hazard , and danger , if either by negligence , or wilful malice , ( as GOD forbid ) Fire fhould be fet in; the faids ftackes : as fell out by the fyring of fome ftackes in Peibles Wynde, in the 15 8 4. yeareofGOD: But a great number of people, who are inclined, and difpofed, to beftow fome part of their Eftate upon building within the faid Burgh, are with-holden there-from , for feare of the faids ftackes. And befides this abufe, which is both fearful, dangerous, and hath produced many inconveniences, and great skaith, from time to time, to the faid Burgh: there is another fhameful abufe there-in : which although it be not altogether fo fearful and dangerous as the other, yet it is noyfome to the whole civil and honeft Neighbours, and to alltheNobilitie, and Countrie people, which come hither for their privatadoes: And with that, it is deteftable in the fight of ftrangers, corrupteth the aire , and carrieth many difgraceful and fhameful imputations againft the faid Burgh, as being a puddle of filth and filthinefle; To wit, the over-fight which is given unto Candle-makers, to keepe their ihoppes and houfes where they melt their Tallone, and Cracklinges , within the Heart of the faid Burgh : And to Flefhers , to keep their Slaughter- fhoppes within the Towne, and to tuime the filth of the flaughtered Goods upon the high Streets, and in open Vennalles , and Cloafes : whereby it oftentimes falleth out , that in many ftreetes and Venailes of the faid Burgh, the filth of flaughtered Goods is in fuch aboundance expofed unto the view of the people : and the cloafles and ftreetes are fo filled therewith, as there can no pafiage be had thorow the fame. FOR removing of the which two abufes, fo dangerous and difgraceful to the faid Burgh, The Kings Majeftie, with advice of the Lords of His Secret Council, hathrefolved, concluded, commanded, and ordained, That from the firlt day of May next to come, there ihall be no ftackes of Hather, Broome, Whinnes, nor other Fevval, kept nor fufFeredto bee in any of the Venailes, Wyndes , or Cloafles of the faid Burgh , nor within Houfes , nor upon the ftreetes of the fame : and that no Flefhers fliall be fuffered, by themfelves, their fervants, or others in their names, to keep any flaughter-houfes within this Burgh, nor in any Wynde , Cloafle , or vennal of the fame : nor to tuime the bloode, and filth of their flaughtered Goodes upon the ftreetes, or in Cloafles, or in Vennalles : Nor that no Candle-makers keep their melting Houfes within the faid Burgh : But that the faids ftackes of Hather , Broome, Whinnes, and other Fewel, fhall be carried, and fet at fome remote partes of the faid Burgh, befidethePortes, Walles, or North-loch-fide, where there are no Houfes. And that the faids Flefhours fhall provide themfelves of flaughter-houfes, at the North-loch-fide, where they may have the ufe of the water for the away taking of the filth of their flaughtered goodes. And that the Candle-makers provide themfelves of houfes, for melting of their Tallone and Cracklinges, at fome remote partes of the Towne, from the common-ftreetes, cloafles , and Vennalles of the fame : AND ordaines Letters to bee dire&ed, to make publication hereof, by open proclamation, at the Market -Crofs oi Edinburgh) where-thrownone pretend