§ A Petition of major-general James Montgomerie was delivered in and read; setting forth,
§ "That the petitioner and sir Hew Dalrymple Hamilton, bart. were candidates at the election of a knight of the shire to represent the county of Ayr in this present parliament, which took place on Friday, 23d of October last; and that, at the said election, persons were admitted to vote in the choice of preses and clerk who were incapable of voting; and persons were also allowed to give their votes for the said 295 sir H. D. Hamilton, bart., although they had no legal right to vote, while the votes of certain freeholders, who had a legal right to vote, and claimed to vote in favour of the petitioner, were rejected, whereby an apparent majority of two votes was brought about in favour of the said sir H. D. Hamilton, who was returned duly elected, to the prejudice of the petitioner, who had the majority of legal votes; and praying the House to grant him such relief as to them shall seem proper."
§ Ordered to be taken into consideration on the 25th of February.