Corpus of Modern Scottish Writing (CMSW) - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/cmsw/

Document : 593

Title: Draft of Petition Stating Reasons of Protest and Dissent in Connection with Sentence Passed upon David Woodburn at the University Meeting on 9 May

Author(s): Wight, Dr William

Reasons of the Protest and [¿] taken
in the University Meeting on the 9th day of May.
1mo. It appears to us, not a little extraordinary, that
a decent application from Mr Woodburn, for a Review
of the [Section] against him, should be rejected, as not
deserving an Answer, though seven out of the fifteen
Members present when the said Application was made
declared in Favour of the desired Review.
2do We are of Opinion, that the Proceedings in this
Cases, are inconsistent with the Eſsential Rules of
Justice, and contrary to the Practice, both of civil
and ecclesiastical Courts and also of this University, in
Cases of this Nature, where the Penalty inflicted,
must have such severe Effects with Regard to the
Party.
3to Supposing the Proceedings of the University to have
been perfectly regular, and the facts alledged against
Mr Woodburn to have been fully proved, we apprehend
that a milder Sentence, would have been better calculated
both for the Purposes, of correcting the Offender, and maintaining
Academical Discipline.
4to As we are of Opinion, that Decency and Regularity
of Manners, ought to be maintained [¿] all the
Members of the University, so we cannot help observing
that during the Proceedings in this [¿] many groſs indecencies
have been alledged, with Respect to Persons
under the Jurisdiction of the University, which have
been suffered to paſs without any Enquiry.



        Thomas Hamilton [¿]
        John Millar
        Will Wight
