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63
Resentment at the Government 's fai lure to appreciate fully their
road problem was still simmering when the townspeople received ar9ther
shock which absorbed their attention .
Four days after the second road
meeting, on Wednesday , September 8, Hall attended the Annual Meeting of thc
Bothwell Literary Society under the chairmanship of W. Allardyce , its
purpose to receive the Secretary 's report of the state of the Library and
the number of memb ers , to audit the Treasurer 's accounts , and to elect the
officers and committee for the next half year .
The only memb ers present
were Al lardyce , Secretary Wigmore , the Librarian who was also the Chief
Constable , the Police Clerk , Garrett , Hall, Schaw and one other . However ,
before the Chairman was ab le to introduce the ordinary business of the
meeting , Schaw , who had not attended any meeting of the Society for more
than two years , moved the resolution
That the proceedings of a former General meeting at which
Mr H.M. Cokerill, an Emancipist , was elected a member,
should be rescinded .
Explaining his resolution, Schaw obj ected that the proceedings were invalid
as due notice had not been given.
When this was refuted by Wigmore , he
altered his ob jection to the fact that the ballot box had not been used as
the rules required.
He further maintained
That no man who had ever been under the ban of the law , ever
should have been or ever ought to be admitted into the society ,
and he regretted that any memb ers should entertain contrary
statements. He hoped the question would never again be mooted.
The resolution was seconded by the Librarian who also was an Emancipist.
Hall, who arrived whi le Schaw was speaking , instantly objected that Schah'
\vas using "a miserable technicality" as a basis for a severe and illiberal
attack ;
that many other members , including the motion 's seconder , were
Emancipists ; he utterly disagreed with the unchristian principle advocat ed ;
furthermore, he was a very active member, devoting a great deal of his time
and what little talent he had to furthering its aims , but if he thought the
Society would agree to the exclusion of any man who , having satisfied the
justice of the law, desired its benefits for hims elf and his chi ldren, he ,
Hall, would have nothing more to do with it - 11he would not expend his
energy for the benefit of the exclusive few11 • Finally, he begged the
members pres ent not to agree to such an outrageous insult to so numerous
and deserving a body as the Emancipists general ly were .
He proposed an
amendment that the election of Cockeri ll be held valid , though the ballot
box was not used .
Hall's amendment was seconded by Garrett who declarrd