8 May 1807

Scotch Reform

Letter VI

Letter VI

Recapitulation

The ideas submitted in the preceding /foregoing/ letters have some of them found a very unexpected support in those delivered in the Memorial signed by 11 out of the 15 Scotch Judges: others from a passage or two in the Report made to the Faculty of Advocates by their Committee.

In two[?] of the three /two or three/ Courts with 5 Judges in each as proposed in the Resolutions [...?] three Courts by the Bill, I ventured to propose single seated judicatures throughout - as many of the Lords of Session as those to be resorted to sitting in separate Courts. This idea to the extent of ││ in number is among the proposals contained in the Memorial - Out of the 15 judges 11 or omitting the President 10 at least, consent to be employed all their lives long in the character of Judges acting [...?], even with[?] the rest[?] sitting above them in a Court with 5 or ││ seats in it.

With the benefit of such an arrangement as this there will be neither occasion nor use for the proposed Chamber of Review. To this I heartily accede: but with this addition - nor for the proposed Chambers of Session neither.

The proposed Chamber of Review is by its local station /proposed situation/ disqualified from answering the purpose of the /the due discharge of any of the functions/ here-proposed Court of Lords Delegates.

The proposed Chambers not of Review are disqualified in the same respects by the same cause.