government to the boroughs, by compelling the magistrates to account yearly in the court of exchequer, according to the foregoing regulations: no more is neceffary, but to fignify publicly that they are refolved to put these regulations in execution.

How beneficial that step would be to this country in general, and to the royal boroughs in particular, will appear from confidering, first, the unhappy confequences that refult from fuffering magiftrates to dispose of the town's revenues, without any check or control; and next, the good effects that must refult from a regular and careful management, under infpection of the King's judges.

The unhappy consequences of leaving magiftrates without any check or control, are too visible to be disguised. The revenues of a royal borough are feldom laid out for the good of the town, but in making friends to the party who are in poffeffion of the magiftracy; and in rioting and drunkenness, for which every pretext is laid hold of, particularly that of hofpitality to strangers. Such mismanagement tends to idleness, and corruption of manners; which accordingly are remarkable in most royal boroughs. Nor is the contagion confined within the town: it commonly fpreads all around.

Another consequence no less fatal of leaving magiftrates to act without control, is a strong defire in every licentious burgess, of stepping into the magistracy, for his own fake, and for that of his friends. Hence the factions and animosities that prevail in almost all the royal boroughs; which are violently and indecently purfued, without the least 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 subjects 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 still more dreadful, tends to fill the House of Commons with men of diffolute manners, void of probity and honour.

But turning from scenes so dismal, let 3 M 2

us

us view the beautiful effects that refult from an adminiftration regularly carried on, as directed by the statutes above mentioned. The revenues of the royal boroughs are supposed to be above L. 40,000 yearly, And were this sum, or the half of it, prudently expended, for promoting arts and industry among the numerous inhabitants of royal boroughs; the benefit, in a country so narrow and poor as Scotland, would be immenfe : it would tend to population, it would greatly increate industry, manufactures, and commerce, beside augmenting the public revenue. In the next place, as there would be no temptation for designing men to convert the burden of magistracy into a benefit, faction and difcord would vanish; and there would be no less folicitude to shun the burden, than at present is seen 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 industry, temperance, and honesty, among their fellow-citizens,

And

And when the government of the royal boroug's comes to be in so good hands, bribery, which corrupts the very vitals of our constitution, will be banished of course. And confidering the proper and constitutional dependence of the royal boroughs upon the king's judges, we may have reasonable assurance, that few representatives will be chofen, but who are friends to their country and to their fovereign.

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 increase 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 interesled will feriously apply themselves 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