OVERTURE Regulating the Breadth and Length of LINEN: To His Grace JAMES Duke of QUEENSBERRY Marquis of Drumfries-Shire, Earl of Drumlanrick, and Sancher, etc. His Majesty's High Commissioner to the Parliament of SCOTLAND, and Most Honourable Estates of Parliament.  
EDINBURGH, Printed by John Reid, 1700.   

AN OVERTURE, Annent Regulating the BREADTH and LENGTH of LINEN.  
To His Grace JAMES Duke of QVEENSBERRY, His Majesty's High Commissioners to the Parliament of SCOTLAND, and Most Honourable Estates of Parliament.  
THE Sovereign Governor of the Universe, and inexhaustible Fountain of all Perfection, has been pleased to  Your Grace with a Considerable Ray of His Power and Greatness; Forasmuch as, you Represent the Person and Authority of one of the most August, Magnanimous and Potent Monarches in the World; which is a Dignity no less becoming so Great a Personage. Descended of so Illustrious Progenitors, whose Magnanimous and Heroic performance make up a considerable part of our Histories; than the Moderation, Affibility and other singular Accomplishments of your Person, from whence we expect such special Acts of your Benevolence, Goodness and Prudence, in your Conduct on this Occasion, as may be lasting Blessings to this poor Nation, and Emblam your Name to Posterity; For as 'tis the property of the Fountain of all Goodness to take pleasure in Acts of Goodness and Bounty, so it is the Glory and Happiness of Mortals to imitate Him as much as possible, and the greater they are in Power and Authority so much more are they Capable of Acts of Benovolence; And your Grace being now in so Eminent a Station, has a fair Opportunity of doing much towards the Welfare and prosperity of this Kingdom, and thereby to add a Gem to the Diadems of Glory purchased by your Ancestors, and Eternize your Name to following Generations.  
And you the Honourable Estates of Parliament from all Corners of the Kingdom being now Assembled, cannot but be well acquainted, and sensibly touched with the present Circumstances thereof, and consequently understand how to Regulate Matters, so as the present miseries of the same may be in a great Measure removed; Wherefore it may seem presumptuous for a Person in my Circumstances to offer any thing to your Wisdoms Consideration for that end. Nevertheless when 'tis considered, that a Finger or a Toe may be as sensibly affected with the Distemper of the Body as one Eye or Arm, and that a Mean Person may descry something worthy to be noticed by the Greatest, which through the Multiplicity of other important Affairs, may be by them overlooked; your Wisdom will Construct favourably of this undertaking, especially seeing the sole Motive hereunto inducing me, can bea● no other Interpretation than my hearty desires to see the prosperity of this poo● Nation, being exceedingly concerned to behold the distressed Condition it is in at present, and has formerly expressed my good wishes for the public Good, not only to the hazard, but to the loss of my ALL, as is not altogether unknown to some of the Honourable Members of this August Assembly, of which I might give a hint, if Your Wisdoms would have the patience to hear, & the Goodness to notice, both as to what I did in the Equipment of Men for his Majesty's Service, about the time of his Accession to the Throne, and other Services; As well as the Expense I have been at of late, in forming some Overtures into writing, and putting the same to the Press, merely for the Public Good, which though it be but small, is much to a poor Man, and two Mi●● from a poor Widaw is accounted greater Charity, than much Treasure from the Rich.  
But that I may come to the Matter purposed, and be no farther tideous by a prolix Introduction; I humbly conceive it were not unworthy of your Wisdoms Consideration, to think on some means for Regulating the Breadth and Length of our Linen, which at present is so irregular, and for the most part so narrow, that it doth in a great Measure mar Traffic, and is unfit for many uses.  
The Length of our Linen is commonly from 7 or 8 ellns to 10 or 12 a Piece, as many of them, with odd ha●● Yairds as of an even Measure, and these too often made up by tareing of an hand-breadth or two off one that is over, to make up another that is short; And the Breadth from an Eln to 3 Quarters of an Eln so that when the same is offered to Sale in any place except England and Ireland, where the Merchants are pretty well acquainted with those irregular Measures, sca●ce will a Merchant give more for the longest than the shortest Piece, or for the Broad than the narrow, being unacquainted with Calculating such irregular Measures, all other Nations making each sort of their Linen at a certain Length and Breadth, as we may lee by the Musellines, Cambrics, and Calegoes, etc. Imported, each sort or species of these being of a certain Length and Breadth, on which the Merchant relies without Measuring, buying the same by the Piece. But when our Linen is offered to Sale in Foreign Parts, the Pieces being so irregular, there is no bargaining that way.  
Perhaps without farther Trial, some may object, that already a Law is made for Regulating the Breadth and Length of Linen, but the putting of it in practice was found incommodious and Grievous, for as much as, many of the Weavers not having furniture for wor●ng Cloth of that breadth could not ●mply, and honest People having ●●eir Webs seized upon that account, ●●de Complaint to their Landlords, representing that the Price of their ●●nnen being only that which was al●●ted for paying of their Rent, with●●t which they could not make payment, and the same being taken from ●●m, because not of the Dimensions ●●scribed by Law. The Landlords ●erposed, and by their Remonstrances availed to make this Law of no effect. Notwithstanding of all which. I shall with Submission) make it appear, ●t the breadth and length may be ●●gulated with little or no difficulty, 〈◊〉 in the first place, shall show some considerable advantages of making the ●he of a fixed length and breadth, viz, ●welve elns long, and one broad. so ●t when the same is offered to Sale, merchant's will easily know how to buy ●y the piece, without troubling themselves to calculat irregular Measure● is now commonly in use: But the gr● set advantage is in the breadth, 〈◊〉 Our narrow Linen being unfit for m●● uses (needless to be Repeated) reason of its narrowness, is in a man merely bought by the Merchants a Linen Drepers of England to sort their course Linens, and is alm● wholly applied for the use of Boys 〈◊〉 Children; And the meanest sort Persons of riper years, who cont● themselves with it, allenerally for 〈◊〉 cheapness of the same; Forasmuch they can buy three elns near three ●●ters and an half Broad, as cheap as 〈◊〉 elns of that which is eln Broad, of 〈◊〉 like fineness.  
This being Matter of Fact, can●● be otherwise proven than by the Te●imony of Merchants and others, a quainted in that matter, to whose D● termination I refer it; And in the me●● time shall make it appear, that the is no such Difference in the proportion 〈◊〉 Yearn, of which each is made, as the Price, as is above hinted; For suppose the narrow Cloth were but three ●arters Broad, the Yearn which would 〈◊〉 four elns of the one would be three 〈◊〉 the other, whereas oft times the ●arrow Cloth is three quarters and an ●●lf in Breadth, the Yearn which makes ●●ght elns of this, would be seven of 〈◊〉 eln Broad; But that I may come ●●aret to the true Breadth, and that ●hich will very near hold in all Narrow Linen, is three quarters and about ●●e third part of an quarrer of an eln, ●his also I refer to the Judgement and determination of all acquainted in that ●●ffair; And here I fix the Breadth in ●●eneral, and from thence sho●●l Calculite the Difference, adhering alwise 〈◊〉 my first Assertion. Viz. That Lin●●n of an eln Broad, will give a third more than that of the Ordinar Breadth, ●at is to say, if the Narrow give 10 ●ence, the Broad will give 15, and if ●●e Narrow give 12, the other will give 18 at least, etc. Whatever Price is of, yea, I may affirm that 12 d. Clo● Narrow, will of the same fineness give 〈◊〉 d. if eln Broad, even though it were an in● less; Nevertheless I shall reckon t● the Difference, as 18 to 12, and pr● ceded to Calculate the Difference of t● Proportion of Yearn, of which ea● is made, which being as 10 to 12, for 〈◊〉 elns of Cloth at 3 Quarters and thi● part of a quarter, doth exactly agr● to ten els of one eln in Breadth. Th● Price of 12 els Narrow is 12 Shilling and the Price of ten elns eln Broad, 〈◊〉 15 Shillings, according to the form Supposition, which is one 4th pa●● more than what it would give of th● o●dinar Breadth.  
Perhaps some may say, if there w●● such Difference in the Price of th● Broad? and Narrow Cloth, why doth not People make all their Linen el● Broad. If this objection be sustaine● 100 such may be brought in, As fo● instance, if the Datch who leave some hundreds of miles from our Coasts, find profit in sending Busses hither to the Her●ing Fishing: How comes it to pass that our own People who need loss little or no Time in going to and coming from the the place where the Herrings are to be Caught; And in the time of Storm or Tempest may be Livering and Repacking of their Herrings ashore, when the other 〈◊〉 Obliged to lie by. And can mantain ushers and Other Persons employed for ●alting and Packing, etc. at easier rates than the Dutch can, Doth not find it their Interest to Apply themselves to such ● profitable Labour? together with many ●uch Queries, to which no Answer can be given; Besides the Folly and Ignorance of these who neglect it: Nevertheless I shall give two Reasons why I judge people neglect to make their Cloth eln broad; The first is, From a Fault in the Weavers, who usually exact twice as much for working Linen of an eln Broad as for that which is Narrow of the same Finness; The Reasons they give for this unreasonable price, Are, tha● they not being usually Employed t● work Cloth of that Breadth, The● want Reeds, and other Furniture fit 〈◊〉 working the same; And when they a● obliged to provide such Furniture up● on special Occasions, they ●ndeavour t● make the profit of their Labour Recompense that Expense; They like wife say, that Cloth of this Breadth requiring the extending of their Armsurther than Ordinar, to drive through the Shuttle, they are thereby muc● Fatigued, though others who mak● a daily practice of Working Cloth 〈◊〉 that Breadth, find themselves no way● thereby Incommoded, as I have hea●● from several of themselves. And ha●● farther declared, that they would scar● Reckon any Difference between Working Cloth of an eln Broad, and tha● which is near one Quarter Narrower● However it be, this Extravagant pric● for Working, being a sensible Debursement to the Employer, and most of People ●or having Judgement to Calculate exactly the Difference of the price of their Broad and Narrow Linen, with Respect to the quantity of Yearn, of which it is Composed, Generally believing that whatever the Price of the Broad may exceed that of the Narrow, a proportionable quantity of Yearn is required of ●he one more than the other, and if ●here be any odds at all, the double ●rice of Working the Brodest, doth at ●ast cast the Balance.  
The other Reason is, Merchants not ●nding Broad Cloth ordinarily in the ●ercats, lay their Account with buying ●●at which is Narrow, and in a manner Confine themselves to such sorts of Lin●●n as they can usually find; And on ●●e other hand, the Linen Drepers in England, which are in a manner the sole Merchants for that Commodity, laying their Account with no other sorts of ●innen from this Country, than what they have hitherto been in use to get ●●om hence, do provide themselves in these sorts of course Linen from Hamburg, and other Foreign Places, which we cannot afford, and buy ou● Linne● only to sort themselves with some Narrow for the use of Boys and Children and the Meaner sort of People.  
Now upon the former Supposition (which I hope all known in that affai● will grant) that two elns of eln Broa● Cloth, will yield as much Money, a● three of the Common Breadth, provided they are both of alike Fineness, a● has been showed, one fourth part more Money may be had for the same quantity of Yarn, which would be 12 Elns Narrow if it were made Broad, that is to say 100 lib: Sterling worth Narrow Cloth, would be worth 125 llb: had the same Yearn been made in Linen of an El●● Broad. And some think the whole Linen Cloth Exported from this Kingdom yearly, may be between 2 and 300000 lib. Sterling in value; but let us restrict it only to 200000, the same being made in Broad Cloth would yield 250000 lib. But because it may be alleged, that some of our Linen is actually Eln Broad, and Consequently will yield no more than it doth at present, though the rest were made of the same Breadth likewise; For this I shall allow a 5th part to be deduced office 50000 lib: supposed to be produced by making all our Linen Eln Broad, more than what it yields at present; so the profit hereby arising will be but 40000 lib. yearly, yet when 'tis considered, that the English and Foreign Customs are exacted by the Eln; not only so much of these Customs will be saved as the Broad Cloth doth exceed the Narrow in proportion, which is a●●th part, but likewise the value of the Broad being a 3d part more than the Narrow according to the number of elns; Whatever the Broad Cloth is better than the Narrow bulk, for bulk, (which has been already reckoned,) one 4th part of the value of the Narrow; So much of the Capital S●●●k payeth neither Custom nor any other Charge which will at least overbalance, that can be deduced upon Accounted the Broad Cloth at presented export so that 50000 lib: will still be m● more yearly than it now yields.  
To clear this a little further, I sh● suppose a Merchant to buy 1200 〈◊〉 of Linen of the ordinar Breadth, 12 sh. per eln, and a thousand elns Broad, at 18 Pence per eln, the Yet of which they are made being alike both, consequently there's no Differed in the bulk or Weight of both parc● the Expense of Carriage or Transpo●tion, and other Charges will be a 〈◊〉 in both parcels, save only that of C●ome, which is exacted by the eln, 〈◊〉 in this the Goods of the least val● bear the greatest Expense, Viz. 〈◊〉 being entered at any Custom Of in England, the Narrow Cloth p● 2400 Pence, and the Broad only t● Thousand, or if the duty be less more, doth not weaken it the Argume●● his only being supposed for a Dem●stration, (as is likewise the value of the whole Lennen exported) grant him to Sell the Narrow at 15 sh. the Broad at an equivolent advance, will yield 22 Pence half penny per eln. Off 75 l. 2 d. per eln being deduced for Custom, (as for other Charges 'tis needless to reckon, seeing 'tis only in this, the Broad and Narrow Cloth differ) there remains 65 Lib: which cost at first buying 60, wherefore the whole profit made of this parcel is 5 lib: Whereas the 1000 elns of Broad Cloth at 22 d. half penny per 〈◊〉, yields 93 l: 13 sh 4 d, from whence deduce 2000 Pence of Custom▪ which is 8 lib: 6 sh. 8 d. there remains 85 lib: 8 sh. 4 d. from which Subtract 75 lib: which was the price given for it ●t first, there remains 10 lib. 8 sh. 4 d. which is 5 lib. 8 sh. 4 d. more profit than what the other parcel doth produce, so much more doth this parcel give Abroad ●han the other, which because it stands the Merchant dearer than the parcel of Narrow, cannot be Reckoned all Gain to him; because heought to have profitproportio●able to his Stock bestowed, yet it is a● clear Gain to the Kingdom, for out of thi● parcel of Yarn which would hav● been but 1200 elns of Narrow Linne● and would have vielded no more tha● what is Reckoned in the other parcel Yet the same being made in Cloth o● an eln Breadth, yields to the Selle● here 15 lib: more than it would hav● done in Narrow, besides 5 lib: 8 sh. 4 〈◊〉 Abroad to the Merchant, the Expense of Customs being deduced of both from whence 'tis plain that a quantity of Yarn which would make 60 Lib worth of Narrow Linen, will yield 8● lib; 8 sh. 4 d. when made in Broad, thu● the Saving of part of Foreign Customs and the other advantages arising from making of Our Linen eln Broad, will do more than Compence all that was deduced upon account of a 5th. part o● our Linen, being granted to be e●● Broad, And for that Reason could b● no farther in that Respect improven.  
But besides all this, there would be great Advantage many ways by making of our Linen of a fixed Length, because we could then fell it to Advantage in Foreign Parts, and get in Exchange these Goods at first hand, which we oft times buy at the second with ready Money; neither would we need to de●end so much upon England for vending of it, which is without doubt, out Wisdom, seeing they are taking all possible measures to discourage our Linen Trade, not only by encouraging Linen Manufactures in Ireland (which are already come a great length,) and ●utting off our Traffic thither by imppsing an Exorbitant Duty upon Linen Imported to that Kingdom, But alto have laid an Additional Imposition upon our Linen Imported to England, and are at present supplied in a great Measure with Course Linen Yarn from ●eland, which formerly they used to get from hence, for making of Buttons Gimps and Bus●ines, etc. From a● which it may be easily perceived, that the Regulating of the Breadth and Length of Linen is very necessary and Convenient: But in respect it falls ofte● out, that good Laws are not punctually put in Execution; It will be necessary that your Wisdoms do not only Reviv● former Laws Determining the Breadth and Length of Linen, but also that effectual Measures may be taken for putting the same in Execution, and for tha● end, with all humility, I shall offer th● following Overtures.  
First, That there be timely warning given at the Merkat-Crosses an● Church-Doors, so that the Weave● may have full time to work out all th● Webs that they have already Warpe● before the Act begin to be put in Execution, so that they may have no pretext of making Narrow Cloth after th● time perfixt.  
Secondly, A Month or six Weeks before this Law begin to take Effect, 〈◊〉 the Heritors or Chief Farmers in ever● Paroch be appointed to Meet and Condescend on some of their Number to take a Cirquiet through their several Quarters, to see whether the Weavers have provided Reeds and other Furniture fit for working of Eln Broad Linen, and where they find any Reeds, Hiddles or Shafts for Working of Linen, that are not of such a Length as may work Cloth of an Eln Broad, let the same be siezed, burnt and destroyed.  
Thirdly, At every Brugh Royal and Merkat-Town, let there be a Person appointed for taking Inspection of all Cloth offered to Sale, and to put a mark or stamp on each Piece which is of the Dimensions prescribed, and all Cloth that is offered to Sale without this mark, to be siezed without respect of Persons, the Owner to Forfeit the Cloth, and the Weaver that Wrought it, to loss the price of Working, and the party to have Reparation of him, if the same is already paid.  
Fourthly, That there be some p●●sons empowered by the Government, break open all Packs of Linen offe● to be Exported, and if any Cloth 〈◊〉 found therein not marked by some the said Persons for that end appoint● to seize and Confiscate the same.  
And further, perhaps it may not improper, in part to determine the pri●● of Working or Weaving e●n ●road Linen; Forasmuchas, the Unreasona●●● exaction of Weavers is no small hindrance to the Working of Broad Clot● upon the pretences above mentioned. If therefore it should be ordained th● Weavers should exact no more 〈◊〉 Working of eln Broad Cloth, than th● used to do, for the like quantity of Y●● in Narrow, and Bailies of burgh's, a● Justices of Peace to determine wh● any Contriversy shall happen. This 〈◊〉 be no ways Unreasonable, for no rea● can be given, showing that three elns eln Broad Cloth will require more Labo●● than to work 4 Elns 3 Quarters Broa● but one might rather think that 3 Elns of Broad Cloth would require least ●abour. Neither will it be any considerable Hardship for Weavers to make Utensils for working Linen of this Breadth, for there will be no need of making of it altogether new, their Reeds and Hedles can be lengthened with great ●ase, & no other Furniture will need to be changed, the Frame of their Looms being generally, if not all of them, fit for working Cloth above an eln broad.  
Having thus far laid before your Grace, and the Honourable Estates of parliament. what I humbly conceive may be useful as to the Regulating of ●●e Breadth and Length of Linen, I ●all with all Humility put you Wisdoms 〈◊〉 mind of a small Treatise, Entitled, ●●e Undoubted Art of Thriving, which offered to you a● your former meeting in May last, Wherein I hope is made ●●ar, that this Nation may be greatly ●●riched, by raising a Fund of Credit, ●nd the great Dis●●lty of Circulating ●●otes 〈…〉 Hazard of Vitiation 〈…〉 removed, I hope all other Objections may be easily ●●pelled; Yea, I humbly conceive all ●●terial Objections are in the Book it 〈◊〉 so enervated, that the perusal of t●● same will be Sufficient to convince ye● Wisdoms, of the great advantage th● may thereby ensue to the Nation: N● vertheles, for as much as. I have hea● two things objected against the said project, of which I took no special notice the said treatise. I shall now make a sh●● reply to each of them.  
The first is, How is the Nation se●ed, that so many of these Notes sh● be canceled every year as is propose● or what security has every Person th● may come to have right to the sa● Notes, that the said project shall 〈◊〉 fail, and every man sustain the loss as much as the value of the Not● in his possession amount to, wh● ever a subsequent Parliament shall fi●● this project inconvenient?  
To this I answer, that for every No●● or parcel of Notes that are given o● the managers or Commissioners appointed for that end, are to receive go● Security from the party to whom they are given out, that he or they shall be furthcoming to the value, with interest so long as the same remains unpayed, and to take the Sufficiency of the Security upon their own Hazard; So if ever the Parliament should think the citculation of the said Notes inconvenient there are Sufficient Funds for paying all persons in specie, what Notes are in their Honds; But any who pleases to Consider the Calculation of the expense of Circulating the said Notes, as it is made in the said Treatise, will plainly see, that the expense of Management comes not to above a Tenth part of the interest of the Notes, and therefore this Objection can never take place.  
The other Objection is, That if such a Project should be promoted, it would be very prejudicial to the Bank, for as much as, these Notes would be transmitted from hand to hand, and supply the Room of Bank Notes.  
With Submission to your Wisdoms, I cannot Homologat such an Opinion, having alwise looked upon the Scarcity, and not the plenty 〈◊〉 Money, as prejudical to a Barnes For the Bank and the Project propose in the said Treatise are intended for qu● different Ends, and serve for quite different Uses. The Bank being intend●● for receiving Money in specie from Tr●●ding Persons, and delivering out Not● to them for their Conveniency, it being easier for 'em to Exchange a few Paper than to tell over vast Sums of Money in which they are Subject to 〈◊〉 overseen at Receipt or Delivery, bot● as to the Quantity and Quality. And on the other hand, the Bank is ready Fund to answer the pressing occ● zions of Merchants or others, who a●● thereby presently provided with wha● Sums they please for a short time, upo● good Security, so that there is no nee● for them to keep Sums of Money by them, but may bestow it whenever they can do it to advantage, seeing they may depend upon the Bank for Money to satisfy their Creditors at a Choke. B●● the design of these Notes proposed a●● ●●t supplying every one who can give ●●fficient Security, either by Mortgages 〈◊〉 otherwise, with what Sums they want 〈◊〉 Traffic with or employ in Manufactures, thereby to be improven so as the ●orrower may make profit to himself, besides the Interest, which he is obliged to pay to the Managers of the National stock proposed, and herein I should willingly oblige the Bank, that no per●on Borrowing from the said Managers, should be permitted to Repay it till he kept the same a Year, two or three at cast, for it is not the interest of the said office to lend Money for a short time; ●●t that I may Prosecute this a little ●a●ther, the promoting of a National Stock in the Terms proposed, will exceedingly advance the Bank, for not only may the Proprietars of it, receive 〈◊〉 much benefit by taking in, and ●●ving out of the National Stock Notes, as they would do of the like ●alue of Gold or Silver, if the same were immediately produced; But if they should think that Merchants and Factors having these Notes transmitted them, would not trouble themselves give in these to the Bank, and take 〈◊〉 Bank Notes, yet such as have Mo●lying by them, (for so I call these Note● and cannot immediately bestow it to advantage or secure it in good Hands, w● be satisfied to give it in to the Ban● till they find how to dispose of it, a● on the other hand, others upon press●●● occasions will borrow the same to sat●fie their Creditors at a Juncture; And father these Notes will gradually decre● so that in 25 years they will be all Canceled, and as much Silver or Gold C● in their Room, merely by the Annurents paid to the National Stock ofice, even besides a third part allow for Expense of Management, and oth●● Contingencys, and what is made 〈◊〉 the improvement of those who are t●● Borrowers: From all which 'tis m● evident, the Nation cannot but be gre●●ly Enriched, and as Money encreas●● the Bank must proportionably be advanced, otherwise the Bank of Engla●● should be of less value than the Barnes of Scotland, and the Bank of Amsterd● than either. And if I might ask a Question at our Bankers, I could be satisfied to know whether they have more ●●ain by a dozen or 20 Merchants, and considerable Trading Men in Edinburgh, or by 100 or 200 meaner sort of Shop- keepers and Pedlars, and if they say the first, I would fain know why the last might not advance their Interest proportionable to their Number, if they were as rich, of which they would seem to be afraid, when they speak against the project proposed. If it were not for swelling this to too large a proportion, I might add several things to show the Groundlessness, (not to say Rediculousness) of our Bankers objection.  
To conclude, I shall be no fatther ●edious to your Grace & the Honourable Estates, save only to put you in mind, that in the foresaid Treatise, besides the project for raising a Fund of Credit, there are several things proposed for improvement of Manufactures, providing for the Poor, and several other things, which I hope may not be altogether unworthy of your Thoughts; as likewise an Overture for Suppressing of Vice a Idleness, which I gave in by itself most of the Honourable Members Parliament; Wherein I humbly rep●sent, that the E●ecting of an Office each Burgh, and in each Parish in t●● Country, for Recording the Names of a Inhabitants, and Certificats of those w●● remove from one place to another; a● that some honest Men may be appoint●● to Visit each family therein Monthly, a●● to make report to the said Office, ea● in his respective Bounds, whether the be any Persons residing there, who ca● not give satisfying Accounts of the● selves, to the intent they may be de● with according to their Merit, 〈◊〉 which if your Wisdoms think fit to consider, I hope you will find seve● things proposed, which may be of go● use. That you may with unanim●●● and Concord proceed, and Act in th● Session of Parliament as with one shoulder, in promoving the welfare of th● poor Nation, shall be the earnest Prayers of  
Your Grace, Lordships and Honour's 〈◊〉 Humble and Obediant Servant Ja: Donaldson