| Description | Council meeting, 20 February 1812
[Sederunt given]
The Provost laid before the Council a memorial and representation from certain members of the Board of Taxers objecting to the assessment on the inhabitants for the Town's Eque or Crown Duty and the proportion of Missive Dues payable by this Burgh to the Convention of Royal Burghs and the expenses incurred by the Commissioners in attending the same. To this the Provost stated that while he believed the sum payable was equitable and that it was reasonable that any expence should be defrayed by the Trade and Heritage, he considered it proper to lay the matter before the Town's Assessor for his opinion. The Town's Assessor, while in agreement as to the annual charge and the responsibility of payment, could find no statute or Act of Parliament authorising the Council to impose such a tax and no precedent for such a tax in the other Burghs, and so recommended the question be submitted to the Head Court of the Inhabitants for its consideration. All this being considered, it was decided that there was not sufficient time to obtain this and allow the tax roll to be completed against the usual period of collection. The Council therefore resolved to depart in the meantime from the assessment objected to, restricting taxation to the King's Subsidy, in order that the matter could be put to the Head Court at some future period. (221r - 222r)
The Council postponed until a future meeting consideration of the petition, dated 24 November 1810, from the Rector of the Grammar School, Mr Cromar, and the Masters, Messrs Forbes, Nicoll and Watt, for an addition to the School Fees. (222r)
The Provost reported that the Town's Agent in Edinburgh had intimated to the Town Clerk, Mr Carnegie, firstly that the Second Division of the Court of Session had almost unanimously refused a second reclaiming petition given in for the Council in the process of declarator against Mr Menzies of Pitfodels to establish the Town's right to land in the Commonty, adjacent to Countesswells, Hazelhead and Springfield, claimed by Mr Menzies, and secondly that the Court had adhered to the Lord Ordinary's Interlocutor sustaining the defences of Mr Menzies and assoilzing him with expences. Upon consideration, the Council resolved to inform the Town's Agent that they would not proceed further with this litigation. (222v) |