Dec r 1806

Scotch Reform

To L d Grenville

Omissa

Repesentation

At every step, I take, my Lord, I find myself attacked by the ridicule that attackers in the attempt to prosecute and try by the rules of justice, practices[?] that never could have recognised any such authority as that of justice: I feel a plea to the jurisdiction, opposing itself to a [...?] to every step.

This infinity in the scenes[?] of Representations and shillings, if the scene of it lay in the Inner House, the would /might/ be a more colourable /a somewhat better-coloured/ cloak for it. Escaped out of this Court the cause will have a long way to travel /journey to take/, all the way from Edinburgh to London, good Your Lordships [...?] as one more, save[?] us so long a journey if it possible. No such thing: in the Inner House only /alone/ that it remains infinite. Dissatisfied with what has been done in the Outer House, raise your voice a little and without having a step to stir for it, you might be heard in the Inner House. One series may be found[?]: but first there must be an infinite one.

One reason perhaps may be this. Were the longer series /Had the Inner House been the scene/ of the longer series, the task of lengthening it would have required the concurrence of the " whole Lords" which the shillings would either have been to be divided /[...?]/ into 115 parcels, or mor probably gone into some one pocket into which there was no opening but into the pocket of some one of the learned foresaids. But in the Outer House, the shillings go /fall/ in [...?] plump into the pocket of one officer called the Lord Ordinary's Clerk, through which there is a [...?...?] constantly opening into that of his master.