Subject_1 DECISIONS of the LORDS OF COUNCIL AND SESSION, reported by SIR JOHN LAUDER OF FOUNTAINHALL. Subject_2 I sat in the Outer-House this week.
James Riddel, Petitioner
Date: 27 January 1711
Click here to view a pdf copy of this documet : PDF Copy
James Riddel, writer in Edinburgh, presented a petition to the Lords, bearing, That John Adam, macer, being lately deceased, and who had been admitted conform to a charter of Moncrieff of Reidie, giving him the presentation unius clavigeri; which the Lords, by their decreet, had explained to be one of the four ordinary macers before the Lords of Session; and that he had got a commission from the tutors of the present Laird of Reidie, being a minor: Therefore, craved the Lords would admit him to the said office, and the fees and emoluments belonging thereto; which the Lords granted, and ministered to him the oaths, seeing none appeared for the Queen and Secretaries' interest to oppose it.
It was thought by some, there might be ground to question Reidie's right, and that the clause in his predecessor's charter might be as reasonably applied to quite another thing: for Reidie dwelling near the palace of Falkland, where our kings of old choosed often to reside, they have had the office of porter and mace-bearer to the King when he staid there: and it is not so probable that the Session-macers were understood by that clause. And, esto it had, it was doubted if he behoved to serve in propria persona, or if he might put in a depute; but there was no opposition made at this time.
