with the projector through his sister Elizabeth, or otherwise, have a traditional idea amongst them that a large proportion of the compensation money was actually paid to Daranda, but never accounted for by him. This is a mere vague supposition, to which we attach no credit: rather would we believe that Paterson's "good friend" vindicated his title to be so called when the testator was dead and gone; and that if there was any wrong-doing in the matter, the blame of it rests with the Government of the day.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

MOVEMENT FOR ERECTING NEW TOWN BUILDINGS-FULL DETAILS REGARDING THE ERECTION OF THE MID-STEEPLE PORTIONS OF THE BURGH LANDS ENCLOSED AND PLOUGHED-ALTERATIONS ON THE RIVER: MILLS AND A CAUL CONSTRUCTED-THE UNION WITH ENGLAND STRENUOUSLY OPPOSED IN DUMFRIES-A BAND OF ARMED MEN ENTER THE BURGH, BURN THE ARTICLES OF UNION, WITH THE CORDIAL APPROVAL OF THE POPULACE, AND PUBLISH A DECLARATION AGAINST THE MEASURE-THE PROCEEDINGS ARE DISCUSSED IN PARLIAMENT; THE DECLARATION IS ADJUDGED TO BE BURNT, AND THE PRINTER OF IT TO BE PROSECUTED NEWS-LETTERS CIRCULATED IN THE TOWN-BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF THE UNION-CONTRABAND TRAFFIC IN THE SOLWAY AND THE NITH-COLLISIONS BETWEEN THE REVENUE OFFICERS AND SMUGGLERS.

SOON after the beginning of the next century, a great building scheme absorbed the attention of the Dumfries public, the money available for which was obtained in a very singular way. In the year 1697 the tack or lease of the Customs and Foreign Excise of Scotland was exposed by public auction, and taken by a committee of the Convention of Royal Burghs for £33,300 sterling. Each burgh having been offered a share of the lease in proportion to the amount of the tax paid by it, the Town Council of Dumfries engaged in the speculation, and then sold their share to Sir Robert Dickson of Inveresk, and Mr. John Sharpe of Hoddam. At this transaction the inhabitants were indignant. They held a public meeting, at which it was thoroughly repudiated; and, with the view of getting it annulled, legal proceedings were instituted by them against the civic authorities. An internecine war, involving the loss of much money and temper, seemed about to be declared, when, at the instance of Mr. Sharpe, a truce was agreed to, and the question at issue was wisely left to arbitrators; who decided that the tacksmen should be permitted to retain their bargain on condition of paying 20,000 merks into the Burgh purse.

Here was a windfall, great and unexpected; and what to do with it, became an interesting question. The burgesses and "burden bearers" who had taken a lead in arraying the commonalty against the magnates of the Tolbooth, wished the compensation money to be spent on something that would be both useful and ornamental-which idea was, as may be conceived, highly acceptable to the latter body; and, as the result of several public meetings, it was unanimously resolved that a new town-house, overtopped by an imposing steeple, should be erected to benefit and adorn the Burgh. It was on the 30th of April, 1703, that a definite arrangement was made to this effect, at a meeting of "the magistrates, members of council, the most eminent and considerable heritors, burden-bearers, burgesses, and haill community," and that after receiving an overture subscribed by ninety-three influential persons, the principal passages of which we subjoin:-"We doe hereby propose and offer to the magistrats and council, . . . that whereas the toun is not at present provided with sufficient prisones, whereby several malefactors guilty of great crimes, and others for debt, have made their escape, to the dishonour and iminent perill of the Burgh; as also that there is not ane steeple in the whole toun, nor ane suitable council-house and clerk's chamber for keeping the charter chist and records of the Burgh, nor ane magazine house, nor room for the sure keeping of the toun's arms and ammunition thereto belonging; therefore it is our opinion and unanimous advice, . . . that the said sum of twenty thousand merks be disposed of and employed for the uses foresaid, which we judge may be conveniently done for the money; and that the same be built on the waist ground at the back of the Cross, being in the middle of the toun and highest place thereof."*

A committee was appointed to carry the wish of the meeting into effect, consisting of John Sharpe of Hoddam; Thomas Rome, ex-Provost; William Craik of Duchrae; John Irving of Drumcoltran; John Irving, younger of Logan; Alexander M'Gowan, writer, Edinburgh; and Walter Newall, late Convener of the Trades: to whom were added by the Council, John Coupland of Colliston, Provost; Bailies Crosbie and Barclay; Captain

* Town Council Minutes.

Robert Johnston of Kelton, ex-Provost; John Irvine of Logan, ex-Provost; James Milligan, dean; John Gilchrist, merchant; John Brown, ex-treasurer; John Irving, deacon-convener; and Robert Newall, deacon of the wrights. John Moffat, a Liverpool architect, was employed by the Committee to come to Dumfries and "furnish a modall" for the proposed fabric. He arrived in due time; and, that he might obtain the requisite architectural inspiration, he proceeded to the city of St. Mungo, as is shown by an item in the Treasurer's account:-"To Mr. Moffat, architect, and Dean Johnston, 24 lbs. [Scots] to bear their expenses in their journey to visit Glasgow steeple." According to another entry in the same account, dated 10th April, 1704, Mr. Moffat was paid £104 Scots "for drawing the steeple scheme, and in name of gratification for his coming to Dumfries." For some reason or other he backed out of his engagement with the Committee; and they, in January, 1705, "considering how long the designed building is retarded for want of an architect," resolved "to send for one Tobias Bachup, a master builder now at Abercorn,* who is said to be of good skill." What Moffat left at an incipient stage, Bachup cordially agreed to complete-he coming to the Burgh for that purpose in the following month.

Whilst the Committee were put to some little trouble in this matter, they had many other difficulties to surmount. There was no adequate timber, as in ancient times, in the vicinity of the town; and the first impulse of the Committee was to freight a vessel and send it for that material to "Noroway o'er the faem." Then there was no available lime lying nearer than Annandale; and though there were plenty of stones in the town's quarry at the foot of the Dock, men able to excavate and use them were exceedingly scarce in the district. The erection of a fabric that was to cost 19,000 merks (£1,041 13s. 4d. sterling), was such an extraordinary enterprise for a small town of that day, like Dumfries, that the Committee were often at their wits' end;

Bachup was then engaged in building a house at Abercorn House; but he resided in Alloa, his native town.

+ Minute-book of the Steeple Committee. This book, consisting of nearly sixty pages of beautiful manuscript, is preserved in the Record Room of the Town Hall.

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and they must have spent a vast amount of time and energy, and lost many a night's sleep, whilst engaged with their herculean task. At one of their sederunts, Provost Coupland reported "that he and Bailie Corbet, when they were at Edinburgh, had made search for a free Danish or Swedish bottom for fraughting for timber to Norway, and after dilligent search, they found that there can be none gotten at a easy rate." resolution to search for the article in this country was therefore come to; and, after an exploratory raid, trees of sufficient size were discovered at Garlieswood, in the Stewartry, which the proprietor was willing to dispose of. How to bring the Galloway oaks to the banks of the Nith-"Birnam Wood to Dunsinane" —was the next difficulty. The forest was some miles inland; so that the trees, after being felled, had to be transported by horses over wretched roads to the Dee, and then conveyed in a flat boat or gabbart, and in rafts, down Kirkcudbright Bay into the Solway, and thence up the Nith to Kelton or the Dock, where horse-power was again needed to take them to Dumfries.

These processes were extremely perplexing, laborious, and expensive to our ancestors; and when the Committee had, by means of them, laid in a considerable stock of timber, they were very glad to come to such terms with the new architect as rolled upon him a large share of their burden-he agreeing, at their urgent request, to supply all the remaining materials, as well as to erect the building. A sub-committee having met with Mr. Bachup on the 14th of February, 1705, reported to the "Grand Committee" the result of their interview as follows:-"That with great difficulty they had brought him to offer to furnish all materialls necessar for the said fabrick, and to construct the same conform to the scheme drawn, and the alterations of the dimensions which the Committee had made, so as the same may be complete both in mason and wright work, and in the doors, windows, roof, and other parts thereof, against Martinmas, 1707, and to carry the work on as followes, viz.: to build the first stories to the jests, in the first year (the work being to be begun in May nixt), and to cover the roof of the Council-house, and carry up the steeple as high the nixt year, and to complete the steeple, and all the other work, and ridd the ground betwixt