Series 4 > Papers on Scottish electoral politics, 1832-1854

155
1839-1845
to the real Electors there could not be the slightest doubt of the
success of a Liberal Candidate.
It is not necessary for me to state, what is quite well known, that the
system of which Mr Craig complains was commenced by the
Tory party. No one knows better than you that in the year 1833
the Son and Agent of the Tory Candidate set for the first time the
example complained of by getting themselves enrolled as liferenters-
an example which was followed, in 1834, by various other friends of
that Candidate.
Down to that period not a single vote that I am aware of had been
made on the Liberal side.
It was out of the question however to suppose that the Liberal
party were to submit to be destroyed without making any effort in
self-defence.
And yet in 1835 only one Liberal liferenter was made, while sixteen
additional were manufactured by the Tories.
In the next year (1836) the system developed itself more fully.
There were eleven liferenters admitted on the Liberal side; while on
the Tory side no less than forty-one were admitted.
From that period the same system has been carried on with varied
success, till it was altogether checked on the side of the Liberal party
in 1840.1 am not aware that it has yet been checked by the Tory party.
You complain of the number of liferent votes which were created
in 1838 on the Liberal side by means of interposed trusts.
May I remind you of what you have omitted to state, that in the
year 1839 no less than 319 Tory claims were lodged, of which 306
were admitted. Out of that large number only 28 were supported
by parties who produced deeds showing that they were absolute fiars;
seventeen were re-enrolments. The whole remaining claims were
supported by liferent deeds; in return for which 236 of the parties in whose
favour those deeds were granted gave bills without paying a farthing of the
price; while about 165 of them granted trust-deeds in security of the bills.
Although in that year only 41 Liberal claims were sustained thus
leaving the Tories a large majority; and although in the year 1840 the
Liberal party did not create a single vote, yet the Tory claims sustained
in that year amounted to no less than 119-all of which (deducting
about 40 as being the claims of the natural constituency) were
created under the protection of trust-deeds and bills.