| Description | Council meeting, 5 December 1820
[Sederunt given]
The Council resolved to present a loyal and dutiful address to the King expressing their attachment to his royal person, the government and the laws and constitution of the country at the present important crisis. [Address engrossed.] The Council directed the Provost to sign the address, and to transmit it to Lord Sidmouth, principal Secretary of State, for him to present it to the King. (236r - 237r)
The Council requested the magistrates and the Town's office bearers to attend the meeting of the Treasury creditors on 8 December 1820, before which a plan to appropriate some of the building areas along the new streets was to be laid. The Council authorised the magistrates and office bearers to agree to any such plan if the majority of the meeting deemed it to the creditors' advantage. (237r - 237v)
The Council approved the report of the committee appointed to inspect the water courses and aqueducts leading to and from the Town's Mills. The committee noted the following encroachments.
There were three necessaries in the Burn between the Loch and Upperkirkgate, belonging to the Tannery Company, Messrs Copland & Milne and [no owner stated].
There was a hen coop over the Burn which belonged to Mr Bothwell.
There was a quantity of wood laid across the Burn by Copland & Milne, and one piece of wood obstructed the course of the water.
There was an indigo mill on that part of the Burn.
There were nine bridges on the Loch, all in good repair.
Pipes had been laid by the following people for conveying water from the Loch to their properties: George Henderson, soap manufacturer; John Innes, dyer; John Barry, founder; Messrs Collison, Pirie & Company (though the water was returned to the Loch); Messrs Milne, Cruden & Company. The committee claimed that Messrs Milne, Cruden & Company took too much water from the Loch.
The committee recommended that the sluice at the back of Ferguson's manufactory should be repaired or removed.
The committee recommended that the Barkmill Burn should be re-routed away from Mr Ferguson's mill, if he would not pay an annual rent for the use of the Burn.
The committee recommended that the sluice at the back of Mr Chree's property, near the property of John Black, Hutcheon Street, should be removed, and the adjacent banks repaired.
There were two sluices at Mr Harthill's property, and not all water removed from the Burn was replaced.
Alexander Caw had an indigo mill on the Burn. The committee recommended that the Burn should be cleaned out.
There was an indigo mill on the mill lead near the Short Loanings, belonging to Robert Alexander, dyer. There was another indigo mill on the Burn, belonging to John Stewart. Robert Alexander and John Stewart washed their dyed yarns in the Burn, and Robert Alexander emptied his dye water into the Burn, rendering the Burn unfit for any other purpose.
The committee recommended that the mill lead from Alexander's dye house to the Gilcomston Brewery should be cleaned and the banks repaired.
There was an indigo mill below the Gilcomston Brewery belonging to Mr Lawrence, manufacturer, and there was a pipe for conveying water from the Burn to James Roger's tanwork. The committee recommended that the banks near here be repaired.
The committee recommended that the persons who extract water or use water to drive machinery should be obliged to pay an annual rent to the Treasurer, or should remove the obstructions. [Report engrossed.] The Council remitted to Mr Alexander Cadenhead, Procurator Fiscal, to take steps to have the obstructions removed or to extract payment of a reasonable annual sum of money. Mr Hardie, agent for the Treasury creditors, indicated that the Trustees had consented to any measures to implement the committee report. (237v - 239r)
The Council remitted to the Standing Committee to direct Mr John Smith to inspect the roof of the College Church for repairs, particularly the roof of the house where the offering is collected, in response to an intimation from Mr Tawse, the minister. (239r)
The Council fixed 18 December 1820 for a meeting to settle the Poor's Funds for the better support of decayed Burgesses and their widows and families, and for other charitable purposes within the Burgh. (239r) |