markable in moft royal boroughs. Nor is the contagion confined within the town: it commonly spreads all around.

Another confequence no lefs fatal, of leaving magiftrates to act without controul, is a strong defire in every licentious burgefs, of stepping into the magiftracy, for his own fake, and for that of his friends. Hence the factions and animofities that prevail in almoft all the royal boroughs; which are violently and, indecently pursued, without the leaft regard to the good of the community.

The greatest evil of all, respects the choice of their representatives in parliament. A habit of riot and intemperance, makes them fit fubjects to be corrupted by every adventurer who is willing to lay out money for purchafing a feat in parliament. Hence the infamous practice of bribery at elections, which tends not only to corrupt the whole mass of the people, but, which is ftill more dreadful, tends to fill the House of Commons with men of diffolute manners, void of probity and honour.

But, turning from fcenes fo difmal, let us view the beautiful effects that refult from an adminiftration regularly carried on, as directed by the ftatutes above mentioned. The revenues of the royal boroughs are supposed to be above L. 40,000 yearly. And were this fum, or the half of it, prudently expended, for promoting arts and induftry among the numerous inhabitants of royal boroughs; the benefit, in a country fo narrow and

poor

poor as Scotland, would be immenfe it would tend to population, it would greatly increase industry, manufactures, and commerce, befide augmenting the public revenue. In the next place, as there would be no temptation for defigning men to convert the burden of magiftracy into a benefit, faction and difcord would vanish; and there would be no lefs folicitude to fhun the burden, than at prefent is feen to obtain it. None would fubmit to the burden but the truly patriotic, men who would cheerfully beftow their time, and perhaps their money, upon the public; and whofe ambition it would be to acquire a character, by promoting industry, temperance, and honefty, among their fellow-citizens.

And when the government of the royal boroughs comes to be in fo good hands, bribery, which corrupts the very vitals of our conftitution, will be banished of courfe. And confidering the proper conftitutional dependence of the royal boroughs upon the king's judges, we may have reafonable affurance, that few reprefentatives will be chofen but who are friends to their country and to their fovereign.

SKETCH III.

PLAN FOR IMPROVING AND PRESERVING IN ORDER THE HIGHWAYS IN SCOTLAND.

PREFACE.

HIGHWAYS bave in Scotland become a capital object of police, by the increafe of inland commerce, upon which bad roads are a heavy tax. Happily for our country, no perfon is ignorant of this truth; and we fee with pleasure the fruits of their conviction in various attempts, public and private, to eftablish this valuable branch of police upon the best footing. As this is no easy task, it may reasonably be hoped, that men interested will feriously apply to it, and will freely produce fuch hints as occur to them. In the latter view, the following plan is offered to the public: and if, from the various propofals that have been or shall be published, an effective plan can be framed, fuch as completely to answer its purpose, it may fafely be pronounced, that it will produce more benefit to this country, than has been produced by any other fingle improvement fince the union of the two kingdoms.

I.

THE

HE juftices of peace, commiffioners of fupply, the sheriff or ftewart depute, and the first magistrate of royal boroughs, fhall be com

miffioners

miffioners for making and repairing highways, bridges, and ferries, in the feveral fhires and stewartries. All the powers given by law to the justices of peace, and commiffioners of fupply, with respect to highways, bridges, and ferries, fhall be transferred to them; and any two fhall be a quorum, except where a greater number is required by this act.

2. The sheriff or ftewart depute fhall appoint the first day of meeting of the faid commiffioners, as foon as may conveniently be after the date of the act, by an intimation at each parish-church upon a Sunday, at the close of the forenoon service. And the laft Tuesday of March fhall yearly thereafter be a day of meeting at the head borough of the fhire or ftewartry, in place of the firft or third Tuesday of May appointed by former acts. The commiffioners fhall appoint a prefes, convener, and clerk and they fhall be empowered to adjourn themfelves from time to time.

3. The commiffioners, at their first meeting, fhall divide the fhire or ftewartry into two or more diftricts, as they fee convenient. And if they cannot overtake this work at that meeting, they fhall appoint proper persons to form a plan of the intended divifions, which plan fhall be reported to the commiffioners at their next meeting, in order to be approved or altered by them. This being fettled, the commiffioners fhall appoint the heritors in these several diftricts, or any three of them, to meet on a certain day and place, to make

lifts

lifts of the whole public roads within their refpective districts, and to fettle the order of reparation, beginning with those that are the most frequented. The proceedings of thefe diftrict meetings muft be reported to the commiffioners at their next meeting; who are empowered to fettle the order of reparation, in cafe of variance among the heritors; and alfo to add any road that may have been omitted. And they fhall record a fcheme or plan of the whole roads in the shire, thus enlisted, with their refolutions thereupon, to be seen in the clerk's hands gratis. But upon any juft cause appearing in the courfe of administration, the commiffioners fhall be empowered to alter or vary this plan, provided it be at a meeting previously appointed for that purpose, and where three-fifths at leaft of the commiffioners are prefent.

4. If the fheriff or ftewart neglect to appoint the first meeting of the commiffioners, he shall incur a penalty of L. 100, upon a fummary complaint to the Court of Seffion by any one heritor of the fhire, with cofts of fuit; the one-half of the penalty to the plaintiff, and the other half to be applied by the commiffioners for the purposes of this act. If the commiffioners fail to meet at the day appointed by the sheriff or ftewart, or fail to divide the fhire or ftewartry into diftricts, within fix months of their first meeting, the fheriff or ftewart depute, under the forefaid penalty, fhall be bound to do that work himself; and alfo to ap