ners; which accordingly are remarkable 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 control, 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 almost 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, refpects 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 purchasing 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 Houfe of Commons with men of diffolute manners, void of probity and honour.

But, turning from scenes fo dismal, let

us

In

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 industry among the numerous inhabitants of royal boroughs; the benefit, in a country fo narrow and poor as Scotland, would be immenfe : it would tend to population, it would greatly increase industry, manufactures, and commerce, befide augmenting the public revenue. 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 chearfully bestow their time, and perhaps their money, upon the public; and whose ambition it would be to acquire a character, by promoting induftry, temperance, and honesty, among their fellow-citizens.

And

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 course. And confidering the proper and conftitutional dependence of the royal boroughs upon the king's judges, we may have reafonable affurance, that few representatives will be chofen, but who are friends to their country and to their sovereign.

VOL. IV.

30

SKETCH

Plan for improving and preferving in order the Highways in Scotland.

PREFACE.

Highways have 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 person is ignorant of this truth; and we fee with pleasure the fruits of their conviction in various attempts, public and private, to establish this valuable branch of police upon the best footing. As this is no eafy task, it may reafonably be hoped, that men interefted 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 proposals that have been or shall be published, an effective plan can be framed, fuch as completely to answer its purpose, it

may

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.

THE juftices of

of fupply, the sheriff or ftewart depute, and the firft magiftrate of royal boroughs, fhall be commiffioners for making and repairing highways, bridges, and ferries, in the feveral thires and stewartries. All the powers given by law to the 'juftices 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 last Tuesday of March shall yearly thereafter be a day of meeting at the head borough of the shire or ftewartry, in place of the firft or third Tuesday of May appointed