| Description | Council meeting, 21 August 1817
[Sederunt given]
The Council approved the report of the Standing Committee on a method of providing annual revenue to meet the interest on Treasury debts and the burgh's annual charges. The report recommended that the imposition of a small annual assessment on the trade and heritage of the burgh was the most efficient plan, with a concession to alter the constitution of the burgh. The Council requested Mr Read, Dean of Guild, to convene a general meeting of the Burgesses of Guild in the Town Hall on 30 August 1817 in order to present the following proposals. [Address engrossed, relating the decisions to create the new streets and the Council's financial involvement.] The report calculated that the yearly deficit between the Council's income and the municipal charges plus interest payments, amounted to £2,764 10 shillings. The committee proposed to apply to Parliament for liberty to impose an assessment on property and trade, as outlined in their address of 19 February 1817. The assessment would be 2 shillings on £100 Scots of houses, lands and fishings, and 2 shillings on £100 Sterling of merchant trade; the deficit of £600 would be realised by the sale of property in the new streets. In return, the committee proposed changes in the burgh constitution, though they believed proposals to elect the whole Town Council would lead to anarchy.
Instead, the committee proposed the following amendments:
First, a Head Court of the Burgesses of Guild should be held annually in September, presided over by the Dean of Guild.
Second, the Head Court should appoint thirteen members of the Guildry to compose the Guild Court for the ensuing year.
Third, the Dean of Guild, the Sheriff Substitute of Aberdeenshire, the Town Clerk of Aberdeen and one person elected by the Head Court should supervise the election of members to the Guild Court.
Fourth, the Guild Court should appoint the Dean of Guild.
Fifth, at the annual election of magistrates and Council, the Dean of Guild should be chosen as Dean of Guild for the ensuing year.
Sixth, the magistrates and Council should select two members of the Guild Court as members of the Town Council.
Seventh, of the remaining ten members of the Guild Court, three should be elected as Auditors of the Town's Accounts (along with the two Trades councillors and four members of the Council); three should be appointed as Conservators of the Guild Box and Poor's Funds (in conjunction with the Provost and magistrates); and four should be appointed as Commissioners charged with liquidating the burgh's debt (together with the Provost, the eldest Baillie of Aberdeen, the President of the Society of Advocates, the President of the Society of Shipmasters, the Convener of the Incorporated Trades, and four persons chosen by the heritors).
Eighth, the Town's Accounts should be available for inspection in the City Chamberlain's office for one month after Michaelmas.
Ninth, the Convener Court of the Incorporated Trades should be held annually in September and should appoint two members - either Deacons of Craft or the Convener of the Trades - as Trades councillors.
Tenth, the nomination of Trades councillors should be intimated to the magistrates eight days before the annual election.
(134v - 141v) |