in rendering it completely dependent on the Crown, while, at the same time, he made it, as far as he could, the paramount authority in the land, not only in matters pertaining to the Executive, but also in connection with justice. It was in no sense a Court of Appeal; but it not infrequently reversed judgments of the Court of Session, and sometimes dictated their course of action to the judges. Any such interference arose, however, from the plenary powers of the council as an executive body. After James's accession to the English throne, the Privy Council became the mere instrument of the king's will, and dared in no way to oppose him, while he, on his part, treated it with scant respect or courtesy. At the outbreak of the troubles in the reign of Charles I, it was prominent in opposing the king; but it was afterwards eclipsed by the Parliamentary Committees and by the Assembly. After the Restoration it became again an instrument of absolute monarchy, but from the Revolution to the Union of the Parliaments it possessed very important powers. With this preface, we may proceed to our main issue: what was the influence exerted by the Scottish Parliament, thus constituted, governed by such rules of procedure as we have described, and surrounded by so many powerful rivals? The early laws which have come down to us as illustrating the powers of the Great Council are mainly concerned--like so many later enactments--with matters of administrative detail. The assizes of William the Lion deal largely with merchandise and the rights and obligations of merchants, and scarcely fall within our province. The work of the Great Council, up to the War of Independence, was to deal with police and judicial administration, to settle feudal claims and obligations, and to make grants to the king. We find the council consulted on marriage treaties (_e.g._ in 1153 and in 1295); but marriage treaties involved expenditure. The task of advising the king and of carrying on the government must have belonged to a select council of which our constitutional documents bear no trace.