Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

ELECTED A REI'RE.SKXTATIVE PEEK, 1708. CCCxi
are rettuvned, for we have protestations and ohjections against ten or twelve
of there proxies and voters, that wee thiuk lieare arc absolutely weel founded
iu law, and hope will he sustained in the house of peers. I shall presunie to
give your Grace the trublc of sending you a scheme off the whole election,
and o(f all tlie protestations and objections and the grounds, soe soon as they
can bo gott reddie." A notarial instrument drawn up by Mr. James Baillie,
W.S. and notary, narrates the various cflbrts made by the four peers to obtain
from Sir James l^ulrymple and Mr. John ^I'Kenzie, clerks of session, depnted
to ofTiciatc at the election of the sixteen peers of Scotland to sit in the
ensuing parliament of Great Britain, the extracts, lists and proxies, etc.
After several delays, and protests given both bj' the four lords and the two
clerks of session, the latter intimated to the former tliat the extracts "cannot
warrantably be given by us." '
In pursuance of their claim, Annandale, along with. the Earls of Sutherland
and ^larchmont and Lord Boss, presented a petition to the house of lords,
claiming tliat they were elected to be representative pcer.s of Scotland by a
greater number of legal votes than the Marquis of Lotliian and the Earls of
Wemy.ss, Loudoun and Glasgow, and pointing out that the clerks, and sub-
sequently the lord clerk register, had refused them extracts of the minutes
of the proceedings, etc. The petition was .signed by Lords Annandale and
Eoss.- On the reading of the petition the lords ordered the clerks appointed
by tlie lord clerk register to attend the house on IGth December with all
papers relating to the election. The Earls of Sutherland and JIarchmont
subsequently gave in petitions in similar terms. After a scrutiny, and
a recalculation of votes, the deputy of the clerk of the crown amended the
return of the sixteen peers from Scotland by erasing the name of the Marquis
of Lothian and inserting that of the Marquis of Annandale in its place.
Annandale was thus successful in claiming his election, and became one of
' Original Notary's Instrument in Ann.indalc Charter-chest.
- 18tU Xoverabcr 1 70S, Robertson's Eecmge Proceedings PP- 3S-40.