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The Town of Bamff having charged Russell for the supply and some other feu-duties of the Town, he suspended upon this reason, That the stent-roll is most exorbitant, burdening him with more than the half of the burden of the Town, and that the stent-roll first produced did not bear the oath of the stenters, and that the second roll, bearing their oaths, now produced is not signed by them but by the clerk.
The Lords ordained either party to condescend upon the most unsuspected persons in Town, that they should name three or four to stent the suspender upon oath in his just proportion with the rest of the Town, and that in respect of the exorbitancy of the suspender's proportion.
Stair, v. 2. p. 831.*** Sir P. Home reports this case:
1681. December.—Patrick Russell, late Bailie of Bamff, being stented by the Magistrates of Bamff in the sum of L. 49 Scots as his proportion of the public imposition; whereupon he being charged, he suspended upon this reason, That he was unjustly and exorbitantly stented; as also, the stent was not warrantable, the same not being constituted by sworn stent-masters; which being found relevant, the Lords granted commission to four men within the burgh, two to be chosen by the Magistrates and two by the suspender, to revise the stent and make report to the Lords.
