Towns > Dundee > 1822 - Dundee delineated; or, A history and description of that town, its institutions, manufactures and commerce

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Constable were vexatious and humiliating to the in-
habitants, until those powers were finally set aside by
the general abolition of all hereditary jurisdictions.
The constitution of the government of Dundee
is nearly the same with that established in the other
towns of Scotland, — being in appearance represen-
tative, but in fact an oligarchy. On July 1 5, 1 708,
the Convention of the Royal Burghs, at Edinburgh,
appointed that each Royal Burgh within the king-
dom should send up their setts to the clerks of the
burghs, to be recorded in particular books, to be
kept for that very purpose. In obedience to which
act and appointment, the sett of the burgh of Dun-
dee was sent up and recorded, as follows :
The Magistrates and Council, consisting of twenty per-
sons, do meet yearly, on the Tuesday preceding Thurs-
day, immediately preceding Michaelmas; and after leet-
ing of ten merchants and six tradesmen, they make
choice of five merchants and three tradesmen to be
Councillors for the year ensuing, — of which there must
not be two Trades Councillors of one trade. After the
Merchant and Trades Councillors are chosen and ac-
cepting, the old and new Council proceed to makr up
leets for the new Council; and after nominating four
persons who have carried the charge of Magistrates, they
make choice of two to be on the leet for the Provost's
office; and they nominate sixteen who have carried the
charge of Councillors, and out of these they make choice
of eight to be on the leet for the Bailies' office. Then
out of the four Bailies presently in office they make up
a leet of two for the Dean of Guild's office. Then they
nominate four for the Treasurer's office, and of these
they make choice of two to be on the leet. On Wed-
nesday thereafter these leets are extracted and given to
the Convener of the Nine Trades, who do meet in the