Stirling peerage

APPENDIX TO INTRODUCTlUX. y.
Depones, that, in his experience as a ciiemist, he lias very
frequently had occasion to observe the operation of acids and
other chemical agents upon paper, in destroying or partially
injuring its texture, changing its colour, &c. Being shewn
the document contained in No. 25 of process, and referred to
by the last witness, and which is marked b}' the tieponent as
relative hereto, depones, that, to the best of his judgment,
the texture of the paper has been injured by a chemical agent,
and not by damp. Depones, that he considers the top mar-
gin, on which are the three stamps, the bottom margin, on
which there are two signatures, and the lower part of the
side margin, to be uninjured, and not to have been subjected
to the agency of the substance which has injured the body of
the paper. Depones, that he perceives the upper part of the
side margin bears writing on its back. Depones, that, to the
best of his belief, the injury to the paper could not have
arisen from accident. Depones, that he accounts for the
greater decay of the upper part of the paper, by supposing
that the destructive agent has been applied to both sides, and
that the injury to the top of the margin may be accounted
for by the destructive agent having been applied to the writ-
ing at the top of the reverse of the leaf where the writing is
partly on the back of the said margin. Depones, that from
what he has seen, and from everj' experiment he has made,
he is quite satisfied that the writing of the body of the deed,
as it now stands, and of the docquet on the top of the reverse,
must have been written subsequently to the application of the
destructive agent, though before the paper hud reached its
present state of decaj'. Depones, that, in his judgment, the
document is not one which can be considered trust-wortiiy,
as proving the facts set forth in it, and of the date it bears.
Depones, that he has frequently seen writing completely dis-
charged from paper by the application of an acid ; and that
he has done so himself where the writing was of six years'
standing; and adds, that he has found writing of a few years'
standinii; more difficult to discharge than what has been re-
cently written. Depones, that he conceives it quite possible
that writing previously existing upon the paper in question,
and occupying the same space with the present writing, may
liave been discharged so as to make way for what is written
both on the front of the leaf, and on the top of the reverse,
without interfering with the signatures. Cross-examined far
the defenders, and interrogated. Whether he has been much
in the habit of examining old maniiscrtpts ? Depones, that