| Description | 'Information for the magistrates and merchants of Old Aberdeen against the tradesmen'
Three key points of debate:
1) Whether there should be any distinction between the merchants and the tradesmen in Old Aberdeen - the merchants say yes, the tradesmen say no
2) Whether tradesmen who pay to the town treasury only 10 merks of composition at being admitted burgesses, can not only exercise their own craft but also merchandise as freely as any merchant who pays £20 scots - the tradesmen say yes, the merchants say no
3) Whether the magistrates can grant to a tradesman a burgess ticket containing liberty not only to exercise his own craft but also privileges equal to any of the merchants, though the payments to the public treasury be unequal - the tradesmen say yes, the magistrates say no [3 pages of material relating to the discussion of these questions] 1719 |