| Description | Council meeting, 23 October 1818
[Sederunt given]
The Council appointed the following as Assessors to Alexander Brown Esq, Dean of Guild, for the year ending Michaelmas 1819: Baillie Alexander Galen, Baillie Charles Walker, Gavin Hadden, Robert Garden, Alexander Fraser, David Chalmers, William Read, William Johnston, Alexander Duncan, Alexander Low, Alexander Duthie junior and John Whyte, all merchants in Aberdeen. (175r)
The Council deferred consideration of a letter from Convener William Douglass, on behalf of the committee of the Incorporated Trades, stating their anxious desire that measures be taken to end party animosity and expensive law suits, and stating their willingness to co-operate on an amendation of the burgh constitution. [Letter from Convener Douglass engrossed.] The Provost stated that he had already replied to the letter as a private individual, supporting the burgh constitution. [Letter from the Provost engrossed.] (175r - 176v)
The Council disapproved of the report by the Commissioners appointed under the New Court House and Jail Act and the Joint committees of the heritors of the Town, recommending construction of the proposed jail on the area belonging to the Bridewell Commissioners, rather than being attached to the new Court House at the back of the Town House. The report found that the site at the Court House was too small, and considered the sum necessary to purchase additional property (stables and offices belonging to the Mason Trade, called the Black Bull Inn, and premises belonging to Mr Bannerman) to be too much. The report suggested that a number of cells could be constructed next to the Court House as a temporary Jail, to avoid objections of inconvenience that the Jail would be too far from the Court House. [Report engrossed, signed by Alexander Crombie, P Farquharson, Charles Bannerman, William Douglas, J Menzies, Alexander Moir, Duncan Davidson, Patrick Kilgour, Andrew Jopp, and approved by Mr Ferguson of Pitfour and Mr Robertson of Foveran.] The Council appointed a committee of the magistrates, the Dean of Guild and the Treasurer, Mr John Collison and any other gentlemen who chose to attend, to frame objections to the report, and to suggest other sites for the jail. (176v - 179v)
The Council admitted one Tradesman as a Freeman of his Craft. [No name given.] (179v) |