James were by no means idle, and the general distraction of the counsels of the different European powers could not fail to inspire them with hopes of assistance from abroad, which they had often indulged in seasons much less propitious to their in

4

must appear so urgent to the ministers with whom your lordship will consult, that, if no better or more effectual remedy can be fallen on, this or some such method will without loss of time be pursued.

As for the reception of it in this country, (and that is chiefly to be considered, as it is to affect us only) I think I can answer for the sentiments of all sober considerate persons, who, besides the considerations already stated relating to the revenue and the manufactures, are, and must be conscious, that to this rascally practice of running and makeing use of our tea, the loss of our bullion, and the present poverty of our country is in a great measure owing. No man in the kingdom, in conversation, contraverts this; and those whom the prohibition is not to affect, one should think should be glad to see it take place.

But, besides, there is reason to expect a hearty concurrence of all persons of any condition, from two separate considerations, which I shall just mention. The first is very generall, and regaurds all heritors and tennents, or farmers, in Scotland: it is grounded on this, that, except in the Highlands, and some particular districts, all the rents in Scotland arise from grain. In many countrys the rent is payable in grain; and where it is payable in money, the tennent, or farmer, must make money of his grain before he can pay the rent. Now, as preventing the consumption of one third, or one half of the grain produced, must necessarily, in case of no demand from abroad, (which often happens) lower the price of the whole in a very great proportion, so much must the heritor or the tennent in the several cases lose of his real income. And if that loss should be rated at one fourth of the whole, or 25 per cent. when the brewary is no greater than it is at present, and when there is no foreign demand, the computation of the loss would, I doubt, be too low; and on this consideration I should hope the heritors and farmers of Scotland, who can make the least use of their understanding, must favour the scheme.

The second confines itself to the royall burghs that have the grant of the two pennies on the pint already mentioned; and in these the wrong complained of is chiefly committed, and the severity of the remedy will be principally felt. I have already taken notice, that the produce of their grants is fallen with the excise; and thereby they, and in particular Edinburgh, are left in a miserable condition, struggling with their debts, without any hopes of relief but from the recovery of the excise. Now, tho' the villanous little smugglers in such burrouws, and the mean creatures who retail or use their goods, may raise a cry, yet it is to be hoped the magistrates that are, that have been, or that hope to be, and all the substantial part of the burgesses, will propagate the contrary opinion, and speedily put an end to the clamour.

By the earnestness with which I contend for this or for some other immediate remedy, your lordship will be apt to imagine the use of tea to be the

terests. The clans, in the bondage of ignorance, and subjected entirely to the will of their chiefs, were many of them still devoted to the exiled family; and the forming of the Black Watch-independent companies that had been raised for the protection of the country from internal ravages-into a regiment, and taking them abroad, contrary to what had been publicly promised them, while it risked the security of the counties bordering on the Highlands, raised also the indignation of the Highlanders, and awakened the fears of the more prudent political speculators, lest it might issue in a serious derangement of the public tranquillity. The lord president Forbes was particularly alive to the danger that was to be apprehended from this quarter, and did not fail to apprize the ministry of it, as well as of the futile effects of some of their former measures for securing the peace of the Highlands; but how seldom has there been found, even in this free and enlightened country, a ministry capable of relishing plain truth when it contradicted their own dogmas, and was opposed by the misstatements of interested sycophants and flatterers?

It had long been desired on the part of the pretender's friends, that he should attempt to gain over to his interest the duke of Argyle. Lockhart had from the very first thought the scheme perfectly practicable, and had pointed out many favourable opportunities for accomplishing it, all of which had some how or other been neglected. Now, however, when the duke,

only cause of the decay of the excise and malt duty in my opinion, and that this cure alone adhibited will restore these revenues; and on this subject I must explain myself, by informing your lordship, that the excessive use of brandy and our foreign uncustomed spirits, has cost this poor country very dear, that it has been from the beginning, and continues to be, a very great drawback upon the revenue; and that if it could be restrained, these revenues would undoubtedly rise and improve to a certain degree; but then it appears to be certain, that the use of uncustomed spirits never did half the mischief that tea has done; that these spirits were as much used, I mean by the twopenny drinkers, when the excise run to £40,000, as they are now; and, therefore, that the vast decay now felt and complained of is chiefly, tho' perhaps not only, owing to that most mischievous drug. Now, when the use of it is restrained by the intended law, or by any other that may answer the purpose, I should hope, that, for the further promoting the revenues, the strickest orders will be given, to put the laws against the use of spirits, especially those that are uncustomed, to due execution."-Culloden Papers, p. 190-194.

chagrined by the conduct, or disappointed in the share of influence which he enjoyed under the new ministry, resigned all his employments, the pretender, no doubt with a view to that grand attempt which he had already in contemplation, wrote him a very flattering letter. His grace, however, was too expert a politician not to see, that from the general progress of opinion, as well as from the state of property, the cause of the Stuarts was a hopeless one, and he sent the letter to his majesty's ministers. At the same time, it could not have been of great consequence to the cause of the Jacobites even though the pretender in this attempt had succeeded, as his grace had now attained upwards of sixty years, had been for some time paralytic, and died the following autumn.* The letter, however, was no doubt genuine, though it was given out, especially by those who knew certainly that it was so, as a mere forgery, intended not to serve the pretender, but to hurt the duke of Argyle; and the prudent precautions, with regard to the Highlands, recommended to the ministry by the best friends of peace and order, seem to have been entirely overlooked, under a very foolish idea, as was shortly after proved by the event, that there was no danger from that quarter.

In the meantime religious disputes were going on to still greater heights, without any thing like a reasonable attempt being made to put an end to them. Satisfied with the countenance of the public authorities, the leaders of the public measures of the church seem to have considered the people to be of very little account, and in many instances treated them with marked contempt, as if to insult them had been the only way to secure their attachment and fidelity. The assembly, which met this year, May the twelfth, 1743, however, took no particular notice of the secession, and perhaps passed as few objectionable acts as some of its predecessors had done. The Rev. Robert Wallace, one of the ministers of Edinburgh, was chosen moderator, and Alexander, earl of Leven, was again commissioner. The most important public business brought before this assembly was a scheme for providing an annuity to the widows, and a stock to the children of ministers, which was

* Life of John, Duke of Argyle, pp. 341, 342.

considered in a committee of the whole house, and with some amendments transmitted to the assembly, by whom it was approved of, and a resolution passed to apply for an act of parliament for rendering the scheme effectual.

There was also a petition laid before the assembly by the presbytery of Middlebie, with consent of the presbyteries and synods concerned, representing that the said presbytery consists of eleven parishes, six of which are in Annandale, viz. Annan, Hoddam, Dornock, Middlebie, Kirkpatrick, and Graitney; and five in Eskdale, viz. Langholm, Ewes, Westerkirk, Eskdale muir, and Canonby, the first six of which might be more conveniently erected into a presbytery, by the name of the presbytery of Annan, with the addition of the parishes of Cumbertrees and Ruthwell from the presbytery of Lochmaben, which at present consists of fifteen parishes, and the other five into another presbytery, to be called the presbytery of Langholm, with the addition of the parish of Castleton from the presbytery of Jedburgh, which likewise consists of fifteen parishes, all which was agreed to, and the "synod of Dumfries authorized at their first meeting to appoint the time of the first meeting of the said presbyteries of Annan and Langholm, and the assembly declare these presbyteries to have the same powers and privileges which any other presbytery have by the word of God, and constitution of this church."*

A number of disputed cases between patrons, heritors, and congregations, the melancholy results of the exercise of the antichristian law of patronage, were as usual decided by this assembly, some of them more glaring than others, but all of them disreputable to the court, and showing that it was guided rather by the maxims of worldly policy, than by the institutes of the gospel, and the Spirit of Christ Jesus. But after this these proceedings are so common, that, except in cases of more than ordinary particularity, the detail of them would be tedious and uninteresting.

The assembly met again on the tenth of May, 1744, when the Rev. John Adams, minister at Dalrymple, was chosen moderator, Alexander, earl of Leven, being continued commis

* Printed Acts of Assembly, 1743.

sioner. The great defalcation in the excise being generally imputed to the practice of smuggling, and the greater part of the counties of Scotland having met and published resolutions for discouraging it, the assembly also passed an act and recommendation against it, which they enjoined to be read from all the parish pulpits in Scotland, betwixt and the first of August next. They also addressed his majesty on the present critical juncture of affairs, expressing their abhorrence of the late intended invasion in favour of a popish pretender, and their zealous adherence to the protestant succession in his majesty's royal family.

But the most important matter that came before this assembly, was the case of the Rev. William Leechman, professor of divinity in the university of Glasgow, who had published a sermon on the nature, reasonableness, and advantages of prayer, in which all these were elegantly and philosophically set forth without any reference to the scheme of redemption, allusions to which were reckoned vulgar and incompatible with the classic style of preaching now generally aimed at, and of which the Rev. professor was ambitious of exhibiting a perfect model. This sermon gave great offence to the more serious part of the church, and was complained of to the presbytery of Glasgow, who appointed a committee to draw up remarks upon it; but the professor, aware that it is easiest escaping in a crowd, carried the matter by complaint before the synod of Glasgow and Ayr, which, notwithstanding of an appeal by the presbytery to the assembly, having considered the professor's answers to the remarks made by the presbytery, found no reason to charge him with any unsoundness in the faith.

When the matter was brought before the assembly, after long reasonings, a committee was appointed to bring in an overture concerning it. To this committee the professor presented a paper, making strong professions of orthodoxy; and as he had already signed the Confession of Faith, as the confession of his faith, professing his willingness to do it again, on which the committee found, "That the professor has given abundant satisfaction concerning the orthodoxy of his sentiments, and that there is no ground or occasion remaining for any further trial of the said professor in respect of that sermon, and that