HC Deb 04 March 1861 vol 161 cc1306-7
MR. MURE

said, a Question had been put to the right hon. and learned Lord Advocate on a previous evening with reference to the appointment of a gentleman who had taken part in the Aberdeenshire election, and also with reference to certain riots which had occurred. He wished to know, Whether the Government are now in possession of any fuller information on the subject?

THE LORD ADVOCATE

stated, that he had received official information upon the subject of the recent death of a voter at Aberdeen; but the House would agree with him that when a matter was under judicial investigation it was not desirable that it should be made the subject of discussion in that House. At the same time, if any statement were made respecting it, it was only right that it should be distinctly and entirely correct. The statement which he had made the other night was founded upon information that had been given him; but he found that the voter had died from inflammation of the throat; of that there could be no doubt, being certified by four medical men who had attended him on the occasion. It was also perfectly certain, that so far as the appearances on the body were concerned, there was nothing to indicate that the inflammation did not arise from simply natural causes. That, too, was certified by the four medical men. With regard to the question whether the agitation and excitement of the election had produced those symptoms, the medical men were not agreed, two of them being of opinion that there was no ground for attributing the disease to that cause, whilst the other two, Dr. Davidson and Dr. Mitchell, were of opinion that it might have been produced by that cause. He would not take upon himself to say how far either were correct, because the investigation was not yet completed; but he could venture to say this—that neither as regarded the actual facts that took place at the election, nor as regarded the opinion that might be formed as to its results, were the material circumstances ascertained, and that neither he nor any one else could possibly at that moment express or even form a conclusion upon the subject.