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

240
SCOTTISH ELECTORAL POLITICS
Candidates
Selkirk
[a] Whytbank
Clifton
[Result]
C
[b] [Alexander] Pringle of C
Whytbank
[Robert] Pringle of Clifton
Stirling
[a] Mr [William] Forbes C
[b] Mr Forbes of Callendar C
Sutherland
[a] Mr [William] Howard C
[b] Hon. Mr Howard C
Wigton
[a] Sir A[ndrew] Agnew C
[b] Sir A. Agnew C
Mr [James] Blair
Burghs
Aberdeen
[a] Mr [Alexander] Banner- R
man
Remarks
Safe, but most important
to make majority as large
as possible to preclude a
scrutiny.
Safe.1
Will be opposed but I
have not heard by whom.
Safe. Have not heard of
an opponent.2
No contest.
No contest.
I have not heard that he
is to be opposed.
Arrangements have been
made with these two
Gentl[eme]n as to the
County and Burghs.3
[No entry].
1 Pringle of Whytbank defeated Pringle of Clifton by 262 votes to 215.
2 Forbes was opposed by Colonel George Ralph Abercromby but won the election
by a single vote, 859 to 858. Abercromby petitioned the House of Commons claiming
that many bad votes had been allowed for Forbes while good votes on his side had
been disallowed. Journals of the House of Commons, xciii (1837-8), 118-19. In April
1838 the House of Commons declared that Abercromby and not Forbes was the duly
elected member for Stirlingshire. According to the Scotsman, 10 July 1841, Forbes
‘withdrew rather than suffer the votes of his supporters to be scrutinized by a com¬
mittee of the House of Commons’. 3 See memorandum 6 July 1837, p. 246.