ANSWERS
For
James
Anderson
and
Agnes
Campbell
his
Mother
,
To
the
Complaint
Exhibite
against
them
before
the
Lords
of
Their
Majesties
Privy
Council
.
THat
where
the
Defenders
are
conveened
as
Contemners
of
Their
Majesties
Authority
,
in
Exercing
the
Office
of
printing
Proclamations
of
Council
,
and
other
things
that
belongs
to
the
Office
of
Their
Majesties
Printers
,
without
taking
the
Oath
of
Allegiance
and
Certificat
appointed
to
be
taken
by
Persons
in
Publick
Trust
;
and
that
therefore
they
should
be
Deprived
of
the
said
Office
,
and
Ordained
to
find
such
Security
for
their
good
Behaviour
as
your
Lordships
shall
think
fit
.
It
is
humbly
represented
to
your
Lordships
,
That
the
second
Act
of
the
first
Session
of
this
Parliament
appoints
only
persons
in
Publick
Trust
,
either
Civil
or
Military
,
to
take
the
Oath
of
Allegiance
;
and
the
Office
of
King's
Printer
cannot
be
constructed
a
Publick
Trust
,
since
they
have
not
the
Power
to
Print
what
they
please
,
and
can
only
Print
the
Acts
of
Parliament
and
Council
,
and
other
Papers
relating
to
Publick
Affairs
,
which
are
Licensed
;
so
that
the
Government
can
no
ways
be
prejudged
by
the
Affection
,
or
Disaffection
,
of
Their
Majesties
Printer
,
in
the
Exercise
of
that
Office
,
which
is
meerly
to
Print
what
is
Ordained
or
Licensed
by
Authority
.
The
38
Act
of
the
2d
Session
of
this
Parliament
,
Appoints
only
the
Certificat
to
be
taken
by
Persons
,
who
in
Law
are
obliged
to
take
the
Oath
of
Allegiance
,
and
by
all
those
to
whom
your
Lordships
shall
put
the
Oath
of
Allegiance
to
.
But
so
it
is
,
That
the
Defenders
not
being
persons
in
Publick
Trust
,
appointed
by
the
foresaid
first
Act
of
Parliament
,
to
take
the
Oath
of
Allegiance
for
the
Reasons
foresaids
;
nor
the
Oath
of
Allegiance
,
nor
Certificat
,
not
being
put
by
your
Lordships
before
this
,
to
the
saids
Defenders
,
they
cannot
incur
the
Certification
contained
in
that
Act
of
Parliament
,
as
refusing
to
subscribe
the
same
;
since
Persons
cannot
be
said
to
refuse
to
Subscribe
till
they
be
Interpelled
,
and
Required
to
do
the
same
:
And
if
your
Lordships
do
now
require
the
same
,
the
Defender
James
Anderson
,
and
James
Hamilton
,
who
is
Assigned
by
Agnes
Campbel
to
her
Liferent
of
the
Tack
,
are
most
willing
to
swear
the
Oath
of
Allegiance
,
and
subscribe
it
,
and
the
Certificat
,
as
a
Mark
of
their
Affection
to
Their
Majesties
Government
,
if
your
Lordships
shall
require
it
.
As
for
your
Lordships
Proclamation
Lybelled
on
,
it
is
so
far
from
being
an
Argument
of
the
Defenders
contempt
of
their
Majesties
Authority
,
in
not
taking
the
saids
Oaths
against
the
times
therein
prefixt
,
that
on
the
contrair
,
it
is
a
ground
of
Defence
for
them
,
against
the
present
Complaint
;
since
your
Lordships
by
that
Act
,
(
if
the
Defenders
,
as
Printers
to
their
Majesties
,
had
been
Persons
in
publick
Trust
)
would
have
enumerat
them
as
such
,
when
there
are
so
many
several
kinds
of
Publick
Trust
enumerat
,
as
Sheriffs
,
Commissars
,
Stewarts
,
Bailies
of
Bailiaries
,
and
Regalities
,
Magistrats
of
Burghs
,
their
Deputs
,
Clerks
,
and
Clerk
deputs
,
Fiscals
,
Justices
of
Peace
,
&c.
And
therefore
the
Defenders
not
being
enumerat
,
as
Persons
in
Publick
Trust
,
cannot
be
reput
guilty
of
Contempt
,
to
infer
such
a
Certification
,
as
the
loss
of
their
Office
,
because
they
took
not
the
said
Oath
,
and
Certificat
,
betwixt
and
the
day
prefixt
by
the
said
Proclamation
:
Or
if
your
Lordships
had
looked
upon
the
Defenders
as
Disaffected
,
your
Lordships
would
have
expresly
Interpelled
,
and
Required
them
,
either
by
that
Proclamation
,
or
some
other
way
,
which
not
being
done
till
now
,
and
the
Persons
above-named
,
who
have
now
Right
to
the
said
Gift
,
being
willing
to
take
the
Oaths
,
they
cannot
be
Deprived
of
that
Office
,
which
is
their
Property
,
being
Granted
under
the
Great
Seal
,
and
Ratified
in
Parliament
.