xxxiv JOURNAL OF JOHN LAUDER

men and their servants, else we shall have difficulty to get
either fjustice or despatch in our actions, or to save our-
selves from scaith, or being quarrelled on patched up, remote
and innocent grounds. This arbitrary way Lauderdale
attempted, but did not attain so great a length in it as
our statesmen do now and they value themselves much
in putting. the military and ecclesiastic Laws to strict and
vigorous execution, so that, let soldiers commit as great
malversations and oppressions as they please, right is not
to be got against them. ~'Vitness John Cheisly of Dalry's
usage with Daver and Clerk, in the Kings troupe, and Sir
John Dalrymple's with Claverhouse: In the same year he
say s of James, then Duke of York, and Monmouth, ~'Ve
know not which of their factions struggling in the womb of
the State shaH pre\'ail.' He regarded these political evils
and dangers as beyond his power to remedy. It was not till
after he had entered Parliament in 1685 that he made auy
public utterance on politics. In the last two years of James's
reign the Test Act was enforced against Nonconformist
Protestants but not against Roman Catholics. Lauder,
being then in Parliament, considered it his duty to take a
part, and he made one or two very moderate speeches, which,
although expressed with studious respect to the so\'ereign,
were doubtless highly displeasing to the government.
OPINIONS ox :1D1i1~ISTIt:ITIU\ 010' JUSTl('E A'1) IIIS ('O\Ti·II'011:1111Fg.
IXFI.1.;¡.:xn: OF STl'nn:s :lIiR0:11)

In the mutter of the administration of justice lie writes.
with much less reserve in his journals. The sytem was bad.
The jurisdiction of the Priy· Council, who tricd a consider-
able number of causes, was ill-dcf1ued, Thc judges since the
time of Charles I. were reiiiovable mngistrntes, entirely in the
dependence of the Crown. E\'cu the ordiunry Lords of
Session were not always trainecl law)'crs-Lnudcr's father-
in-law, for example, Sir Andrew Ramsuy, long Provost of