[1703/5/21]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Prayers said. The rolls called.
The minuts of the last sederunt read.
The lords Semple, Elphinstoun, Forrester and Bellenden, Sir John Houstoun of that ilk, the laird of Blackhall, younger and Alexander Gordon of Gairthie, commissioners for shires, took the oath of alleadgeance and oath of parliament and subscribed the alleadgeance and assureance.
The contraversie anent the commissions of Sir Robert Sinclair of Longformacus and Sir John Home of Blackadder, for the shire of Berwick, being past from, they took the oath of alleadgeance and oath of parliament and subscribed the alleadgeance and assureance.
Mr Robert Steuart of Tillicultry, haveing chosen to represent the shire of Bute, and Sir John Erskine of Alva to represent the burgh of Burntisland rather than to insist upon their contraverted commissions for the shire of Clackmannan, both took the oath of alleadgeance and oath of parliament and subscribed the alleadgeance and assureance.
[1703/5/22]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The laird of Cavers, haveing insisted on his protestation against the lord register and the lord lyon for altering the order in the return of the election for the shire of Roxburgh observed in this and former elections, where the lairds of Cavers were chosen, the lord clerk register was ordained to search in the records of parliament how the lairds of Cavers, when formerly elected with knights barronet to represent that shire, were in use to be ranked in the rolls, and to report.
[1703/5/23]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The consideration of the contraverted election for the shire of Haddingtoun betwixt Sir George Suttie and the laird of Ormistoun, younger, was of consent of parties continued to the first sitting of parliament next week.
The consideration of the double elections for the shire Berwick continued of consent to the same day.
Moved that the objections made against the elections for the shire of Dumfreis might be considered and, in regaird neither the objectors nor any haveing their mandat were present to insist, the consideration thereof was let fall.
The consideration of the contraverted elections for the shires of Air and Dumbartoun continued and all parties appointed to produce their several writs for instructing or answering the respective objections against the first sitting of parliament next week, that the parliament might then determine, with certification if they produced not that no farder time should be allowed for produceing thereof.
The contraverted election for the shire of Renfrew in favors of the laird of Pollock of that ilk and the laird of Orbiestoun, younger, with the several objections against these freeholders who voted for either party being considered, the objection against Houstoun, elder of Johnstoun, was sustained, there being nothing produced to instruct his freehold. Then the objection against the toun of Paisley (that being a burgh of barony howbeit infeft and in possession of a freehold, yet since no Burgess could be delegat for that end, therefore the incorporation could have no vote in the election of barons) was considered, and the house, haveing acquiesced to sustain the vote, the objection was past from by the party and allowed to be withdrawn. After which the objections against Semple of Cathcart and some others who had voted for Orbiestoun, younger, being sustained, the commission in favors of the laird of Pollock was preferred and accordingly he took the oath of alleadgeance and oath of parliament and subscribed the alleadgeance and assureance.
The competeing commissioners for the respective shires of Linlithgow and Orkney were ordained to produce and interchange such writs as they were to found upon in their several competitions, to be seen by either party concerned in order to the determineing thereof the first sitting of parliament next week, with certification if they failyied no farder time should be allowed them etc.
James Sinclair of Stempster, one of the commissioners for the shire of Caithness, was ordained to instruct his haveing right to vote in the election of commissioners to the parliament from that shire against the same day, with the like certification.
[1703/5/24]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The protestation against the election of the laird of Strahendrie for the shire of Fyfe and grounds thereof being considered, his election was found null as being made without the previous intimation at the head burgh of the shire required by law, and accordingly his name was ordained to be left out of the roll, and a warrand granted to the freeholders of that shire to meet for a new election on Tuesday the twenty fifth of this moneth in manner following:
Her majesties' high commissioner and the estates of parliament, considering that the commission formerly granted by the barons and freeholders of the shire of Fyfe to Robert Douglass of Strahendrie for representing them in this parliament is now, by the parliament, declared null, have therefore granted and do hereby grant warrand and order to the sheriff principal of the said shire and his deputes to call and conveen the barons and freeholders of the said shire together, at the usual place of their meeting, on the twenty fifth day of May instant, to the effect they may of new make choise of one to represent them with their other three commissioners in this present parliament, to which they are hereby impowered, and ordains intimation in the usual manner to be made hereof.
The competeing commissioners from the burghs of Haddingtoun, Kirkcaldie, Aberbrothock and Dornock, ordained to inform anent their several cases and to produce their respective instructions, to be considered the first sitting of parliament next week, with certification that no furder time shall be allowed for doing thereof.
The lord chancellor, by order of her majesties' high commissioner, adjourned the parliament till tomorrow at ten a clock.