18 March 1807

1

J.B. to [...?]

Fellow Countrymen and Fellow-subjects

I have an offer of service to make to you. - of a sort of service which was never yet offered by any individual to any nation /people/ by any individual: and on terms on which it is not very usual for services of a nature equally laborious to be offered: how far it /the offer / promises to be worth your acceptance, it will rest with you to judge /what little it presents to your acceptance, you will judge./

I will state in the first place the nature of the service; and the need you have of it which in my view of the matter you have for it, and then something for I fear it will be thought necessary - something but as little as possible, of the individual by whom it is offered.

In Scotland far as long as most of you can remember, the state of the administration of justice has /had/ been not only a cause of suffering, but matter of complaint. At various times projects /designs/ were set in foot and even attempts made, for affording relief but all abortive. At length in /about/ April 1806 Lord Grenville being then at the head of a /the/ new formed Administration, one of them met with /was [...?] //received the honour of/ his acceptance. On One of /On his [...?]/ The Resolution which you all hear of even voted by the House of Lords.

On the occasion of that motion /In the course of his speech, duty compressed with the difficulty as well as the importance of the subject, he held out to all rich persons whose labours as presented himself to his notice as likely by their labours /assistance/ to contribute to the end /object/ in view, to come forward and render it.

Amongst others the hand /pen/ which now addresses you accepted the invitation. The work which was the fruit of it has for some time been submitted to /a candidate for/ your notice, under the title of Scotch Reform [...?].