The inferior civil court, commonly called the conscience court, from the matters at issue being often left to the oath of parties, was instituted for the determination of small civil claims, not below five, nor exceeding forty shillings. Each of the magistrates, in rotation, officiates as judge ; an assessor attends, to give legal advice, if it should be found necessary, and to minute the verbal debate, procura tors not being admitted. This court is held in the hall of the town court every Monday at 11 o'clock.
The daily court is held every lawful day at two o'clock, in the burgh court hall. The bailies officiate in rotation, without the assistance of assessors; the procedure is not taken down in writing, no claim being competent above ten shillings.
In the criminal court of the burgh, as is the case in the principal civil court, the magistrates officiate as judges ; the procedure is conducted in writing, under the superin tendance of legal assessors ; and is held every lawful day in the police office at 10 o'clock, and thereafter in the clerk's chamber at 12 o'clock. This court grants war rants for the arrest and commitment of offenders of every description, so that they may be brought to trial either in the supreme court of justiciary, or in this court. In par ticular, it takes cognizance of those inferior offences, which, by the law of Scotland, do not require a trial by jury, to the effect of inflicting punishment by fine, banishment from the burgh, exposure to public contempt, imprisonment in jail, solitary confinement in bridewell, subjection to hard labour, or even to the effect of inflicting a slight corpo real punishment.
The clean of guild court takes cognisance of all mat ters within the burgh, wherein the heritable rights of the citizens are involved. It consists of the dean of guild, who is president, four members from the trades-house, and four from the merchants-house, chosen annually, who are termed the clean of Guild's Brethren. This court deter mines in all matters of dispute between conterminous pro prietors, encroachments on the streets, insufficiency of buildings, and the adjustment of weights and measures, &c. The procedure is conducted in writing by procura tors, under the superintendance of a legal assessor. This court is held on Thursdays at II o'clock in the burgh-hall.
The trades rank, conformable to ancient usage, sits on the right of the president.
The judges in this court are those gentlemen in the commission of the peace, who act for the under ward of Lanarkshire ; the jurisdiction being confined to that dis trict. The court meets in the circuit court hall, on the first Monday of every month, at 11 o'clock A. M. two justices forming a quorum. They decide in all matters of debt, which do not exceed five pounds ; and determine on fines and penalties to any amount that may have been incurred in consequence of illegal traffic, infringement on the game laws, &c. in determining disputes between mas ter and servant, whether as to aliment or rate of wages. Procurators are-not admitted in this court, nor is the pro cedure taken clown in writing.
The Cathedral or High Church, is perhaps the most splendid edifice, and entire specimen of our ancient ar chitecture, that is in Scotland. It was founded, as has been before mentioned, in the year 1123, by John Achaius, Bishop of Glasgow, and was dedicated to St Mungo, or Kentigern, during the reign of David I.
This venerahle pile is placed on the west bank of the Molindinar Burn, on an elevated part of the north quarter of the town, declining considerably to the eastward ; and is seen at a very great distance in almost every direction, the floor of the choir being 104 feet above the level of the river at the foot of Saltmarket street, at low water mark.
Although we have not been able to ascertain the name of the architect from any record or inscription on the building, it seems to have been John Murdo, from an in scription on Melrose Abbey, of the date 1146. It appears, that he intended the cathedral to assume the form of a cross, from the circumstance of his having formed the south transept; although, for reasons not known to us, that part of the building has been carried no higher than the first tier of arches. The greatest internal length of the cathedral from east to west is 319 feet, the breadth 63 feet; the height of the choir 90 feet; and of the nave 85 feet. The building is 1090 feet in circumference, measuring round the walls and abutments. The edifice is supported by 147 pillars, and is lighted by 157 windows of various di mensions, many of which are of exquisite workmanship.