UNDERNEATH the chandeliers, a liveried servant floated through the gold-flecked neo-classical splendour and presented a glass of water on a salver to a man with unkempt hair.
The man was a beggar. The flunkie was employed by the City of Edinburgh Council. And the scene was the authority's debating chamber.
As he watched from the back row, Tory councillor Lindsay Walls raised a wry eyebrow. But he did not feel resentment and he did not grudge the taxpayers' water.
Mr Walls is the man who first proposed a by-law against ''aggressive'' begging. As such, he had little chance of a chorus of ''For he's a jolly good fellow'' from the two rows of visitors from the Right To Beg Peacefully Campaign at yesterday's policy and resources meeting.
The ruling Labour group decided to put the by-law on a back-burner, but Mr Walls still has hopes. ''What is coming through very clearly on the legal issues is that the police and legal people would welcome such a by-law,'' he said.
Tam Hendry, of the Edinburgh Streetwork Project, told him
begging was a product of a
world-wide recession that began in the 1980s, and said Mr Walls
should admit the culpability of previous Tory Governments.
And beggar Jimmy Clarkson invited the former banker to see if he could manage a week in his circumstances without begging.
Mr Walls, 56, had not exactly been there and done that, but he had put his own socks-and-feet philosophy into practice when previously in dire circumstances. Socks for the pulling up of. And your own two feet for the standing on.
''I was in a situation where I was made redundant in the early 80s. The last thing I wanted to do was beg, even from my family. I had to get on. If you have got on, it shows anyone else is able to do the same thing. I don't think that is a callous attitude.''
After the American bank made Mr Walls redundant - the bit when he hoisted his hosiery and made good use of his feet - he ran a newsagent's shop for 10 years. Two years ago he became a full-time councillor. He represents the city's plush Morningside area but was, at least in the past, not an unknown face in the Auld Toll bar down the road in proletarian Tollcross.
He has a conscience. But he does not like begging in any way, shape, or form. He can't see the need.
''There was Jimmy Clarkson saying they are begging peacefully and some have gone on to get jobs and a house. But I don't think they need to beg to get a house and a job. The services are there to help them, though they may not know how to use them. Look, I don't want to appear a baddie in this. I mean, if anything version A goes further than anything I proposed.''
Version A is the first possible by-law drawn up by council solicitors which would ban begging as such. It reads: ''Any person who in a public place begs or acts in any way for the purpose of inducing the giving of money or money's worth shall be guilty of an offence.''
Version B would involve only ''aggressive'' begging: ''Any person who in a public place begs or acts in any way for the purpose of inducing the giving of money or money's worth, and fails to desist on being required to do so by a constable in uniform, shall be guilty of an offence.''
The legal situation was clouded by a recent appeal court decision involving an allegedly aggressive beggar in Clydebank, who was cleared of breach of the peace.
Council solicitor Edward Bain explained: ''The court was not prepared to accept that, in this particular case, the act of begging in itself amounted to a breach of the peace because it found there was no evidence of fear or alarm being cause to any member of the public.
''But begging accompanied by menacing conduct was still a breach of the peace.''
Mr Walls took solace from that. However, another threat to his by-law plan comes from the European Convention on Human Rights, soon to be incorporated into Scots law.
Mr Walls is unfazed. ''You know how long it takes to go to the European Court of Human Rights. Anyway, if the by-law proves to be of value then it could be argued that it enhances human rights. It could end up helping those who need help, those with mental health problems and so on.''
But the key is still for most folk to help themselves. ''Alcoholics Anonymous, the Scottish Council on Alcoholism, the Church of Scotland are all extremely good people who might help. But you have got to have the will yourself to do it.''
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