On tin' 28th February, a meeting of entlemon and inhabitants
of East Lothian, desirous of uphohlin;s. 11)0 Clutrelt as by law established, was held at the County-rooms, Haddingt on. 31.11v:is of Tweed- dale was in the chair, supported by the Earl of Lauderdale, Lord Elcho, Sir George Warrender, and many gentlemen of property and influence
in the county. A determination to support the law as declared by the Court of Session and the House of Lords was unanimously avowed by the meeting.
The Marquis of Tweeddale said— The law has been infringed on account of the act of Assembly commonly known as theVeto Act ; the legality of NvItich having been set aside by the Court of Ses- sion in Edinburgh, an appeal was taken from that court to the highest judicial authority in the land, by whom the opinions of the inferior court was sus- tained and confirmed; so that there is now no excuse, in any part of the coun- try, for any person to say that he is not aware what the law of the land is. Many misconstructions have been put upon the law of the land; and it has been, I think, a great misfortune, that many individuals, who have no means of knowing what passes in the court, have been induced to believe that this question is not one between the presentees and the law of the land, but that it Is a question between the people and a far higher power than the law of the land. But the question comes simply to be—was the law, as it was held by the supreme authorities of the country, to be maintained or not ? I beg to be allowed to remind the meeting, that it been the boast not of England alone, but of Scotland, of Great Britain, that the laws are administered with such a remarkable degree of justice, that it has been the fashion of late years for all European countries to assimilate the administration of their laws as much as possible on the model of this country. I feel that it is beneath the Judges of this realm to allow the clamour of popular opinion, or any other cause what- ever, to make them vary from the declaration of their own conscientious interpre- tation of the law, as it has been delivered to them by the Legislature. I believe this has been their conduct ; and I feel convinced that the people of Scotland, when the true state of the case is put before them, will be of the same opinion as the Judges of the land, and as to the justice of the law which I have ex- pressed ; and I trust that the gentlemen whom I have the honour to address will also be of the same opinion."
Sir George Warrender expatiated on the well-known effects of the Veto-law- " What effect the Veto has bad—that law which was to put every thing to rights—which was to make us all comfortable and happy—which was to do, it was impossible to say what, both for patrons and presentees—what has been the effect of that law is well known. It was passed in May ; and, in three months after, in July, came the Auchtemrder case. The decision of the Court of Session was clearly against the Church ,• but it was appealed to the House of Lords ; and I would say, properly appealed. But before the case was appealed, a declaration of independence was made by the Assembly. In- dependence is certainly an excellent thing. I had the honour to serve the Crown for a number of years ' • and I flattered myself that I was to a certain degree independent, because if is measure were proposed which I could not con- scientiously approve of; my independence enabled me to resign the profits, the power, and the advantages of my situation, and I was a free man. But I don't understand that sort of independence where the manse and the glebe and the fruits of' the benefice are preserved; and highly respecting, as I do, all conscientious scruples, I cannot understand the nice distinction of saying= I have entered into a rampart with the State, on condition of certain duties which I am to pertiain ; but as these duties cannot be conscientiously per- formed by me, I shall not perform them, though I will not give up the benefits which I received on condition of their execution.' Unhappily, not only has the Church said that it will not keep its compact with the State, but it is de- termined not to obey the law. It is true they appealed the case to the House of Lords; but the decbion having been against them, they will not obey it. But they are not all of that mind: there is a Church Court who think they are bound in duty to obey the law. They are of an ominous number—seven—a very ominous number iii the history of this country', (you all recollect the Seven Bishops which cost James the Second his throne these seven have expressed their willingness to obey the jaw of the land. But the General Assembly is not contented with disobeying the law themselves, they say nobody else shall obey, and we will punish those who; presume to obey. The Court of Session granted an interdict against the suspension of these seven clergymen by the Commission of the Asesmbly. For obedience to the law of the land, they were suspended from their functions ; and an interdict was issued by the Court of Session against any party interfering with the exercise of their functions. This bad been greatly misrepresented. Among other misrepre- sentations, an alarming cry was raised throughout the country, as if the Court of Session had prohibited the preaching of the gospel in these seven parishes. But what the Court really said was this—We will not allow you' the Com- mission of' the General Assembly, to constitute yourselves into abody, with power to inflict pains, penalties, and civil disabilities upon the liege subjects of her Majesty, upon any pretence whatever, still less upon the pretence that they will not, with you, renounce their allegiance to the Crown, and bid de- fiance to a solemn judgment, adopted after the fullest inquiry, by the constitu- tional tribunals of the country. That is the state of the case as it now exists ; and tar which agitation is now going on from one end of the country to the other, on no other principle but this—we must support the Church against the declared law of the land, otherwise we shall be held as enemies of the Esta- blished Church."
Resolutions in support of the law, as laid down by the Court of Ses- sion and the House of Lords, were unanimously adopted.
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