by an annual grant by the society, which fluctuates with the state of its funds, and has in some years exceeded 2000. The eminent men who have successively acted as librarians, have made praiseworthy useful works, and to prevent the funds and successful efforts to obtain the most from being wasted in the purchase of books at random. They have kept in view in many cases the acquisition of those books which are wanting to the advocates' library, and as the two institutions are within the same range of buildings, and are both liberally laid open to those who wish to consult books for literary purposes, the writers to the signet have thus performed an essential service to the literature of Edinburgh.

Y.

YEAR-BOOKS. [REPORTS.]

66 com

and he names a deputy, who is a member | jects were added in 1778. It is supported of the society of writers to the signet, and by usage presides at their meetings. In the general case the summons by which an ordinary action is brought into the Court of Session requires to be signeted, and to be, as a preliminary, signed by a writer to the signet; although a member of one of the other privileged bodies may conduct the case. Advocation [ADVOCATION] and some other analogous classes of procedure, required formerly to have the interposition of the signet; but this step in the procedure was abolished by 1 and 2 Vict. c. 86. In the various forms of execution against person and property, the signet was, until lately, a prominent feature; but, unless in some special cases, it has been dispensed with by the Act 1 and 2 Vict. c. 114. In these departments of legal practice the writers to the signet now possess few privileges which are not shared by the other practitioners before the supreme courts. They still retain their privileges as to summonses, and they have the exclusive right of presenting signatures in exchequer, or of presenting, through the judges acting in exchequer, the indorsed drafts of the writs passing under the great and other seals in Scotland appended to crown charters, appointments to offices, &c. They have thus a monopoly of the business of making up the titles of the crown vassals or freeholders in Scotland, and this circumstance, added to their skill and respectability as a body, has put the greater part of the conveyancing of the country in their hands. The society require of their intrants an apprenticeship of five years, with a curriculum of university study, which includes two sessions of attendance, the one at Latin and the other at some other literary class, and four courses of attendance at law classes. The expenses connected with apprenticeship amount to about 3807., and additional fees to the extent of 140l. are incurred on entering the society. The writers to the signet possess a library, amounting, it is supposed, to between forty and fifty thousand bound volumes, distributed in two large halls. The collection was commenced in 1755, by the purchase of some law books, to which works on other sub

VOL. II.

RY. Of the various derivations proposed YEOMAN, YEOMANRY CAVAL for the word yeoman-jung man, young man; jemand, any one; gemein, common; goodman-perhaps "gemein" or mon" is the most probable. A yeoman is men; he is in legal sense a probus et legaat the head of the classes beneath gentlefreehold 40s. yearly. In an antient statute lis homo, who may dispend of his own (20 Ric. II. c. 2, 1326) they (“Vadlez appellez yomen") are prohibited, in comrank of an esquire, from wearing any mon with all other persons under the lord's livery unless they form part of the lord's household; and Fortescue (c. 29). who wrote somewhat more than half a century after the passing of that act, says that there are yeomen (valecti) who can spend out of their patrimony 600 skutes a-year, tions, to 130l. The term yeoman is used a sum equal, according to some computain inferior offices about the palace; and there is a body-guard called the yeomen VII., and by some writers considered the of the king's guard, established by Henry first approach towards a standing army, which attends the king upon state occasions. It consists of 100 men habited in the costume of the sixteenth century, officers. The vulgar name of beef-eaters, and commanded by a captain and other

by which they are known, is a corruption | act exempts volunteers from the militia; of buffetiers, from their having been it gives power to magistrates to billet the stationed in state banquets at the buffet or non-commissioned officers and drummers sideboard. During the long war conse- on tavern-keepers; and grants to comquent on the French revolution, and missioned officers a right to half-pay, and whilst this country was threatened with to non-commisioned officers the benefit of invasion, there was embodied in almost Chelsea Hospital if they are disabled every county a mounted force under the when on actual service. name of Yeomanry Cavalry. It was subject to the same regulations, when on service, as the militia, and consisted of volunteers, of whom a large proportion were gentlemen or wealthy farmers; they were mounted and in most respects equipped at their own expense; but they received pay whilst in actual service, and there was some small allowance made by the crown towards the regimental expenses, such as the permanent pay of noncommissioned officers. They were commanded by the lord-lieutenant of the county, who granted commissions to the

subaltern officers.

The first act for embodying corps of volunteers was passed in the spring of 1794 (34 Geo. III. c. 31). It enacts that all persons who may, during the war then raging, voluntarily enrol themselves under officers holding commissions for that purpose from the king or from the lieutenants of counties, shall be entitled to receive the pay, and shall be subject to the same discipline by courts martial, composed of volunteer officers, as troops of the line, if, on being called upon by the king in case of actual invasion or appearance of invasion, they shall march out of their own counties or assemble within it to repel such invasion; or if they shall march at the command of the king or of the lieutenant or the sheriff of the county to suppress riots or tumults within it or the adjacent counties. The

In the year 1798 another act was passed (38 Geo. III. c. 51), to facilitate the training of volunteer corps of cavalry, who are called in the title to the act, though not in the body, "yeomanry cavalry." It authorizes the billeting of the privates when called out to be trained, and it exempts from taxation the horses used in the service. After the short peace in 1802, the provisions of the preceding acts were renewed (42 Geo. III. c. 66), and the existence of the volunteer corps of cavalry (called by this act for the first time "yeomanry cavalry") was revived or continued, without reference, as in the previous statutes, to the then existing war.

Of late years, although many of these yeomanry regiments still exist, they are rather maintained for the purpose of amusement and good fellowship than for any practical service.

According to a Parliamentary Return, there were, in 1836, 338 troops of yeomanry cavalry, including 1155 officers and 18,120 men, at a cost of about 100,000l. a-year to the nation. In 1838, the number of troops was reduced to 251, and the privates to 13,594. Between the years 1816 and 1838, the average annual expense of maintaining the yeomanry corps was 128,000l.; the greatest cost being in the years 1820, 1821, and 1822, when the annual average exceeded 192,000l.

THE END.

Admiralty, Droits of. [Droits of Admi- Ambassador.

Bounty, Queen Anne's. [Benefice, pp. Certificate. [Bankrupt, p. 292.]