HC Deb 06 March 1893 vol 9 cc1073-5
MR. CAMERON CORBETT (Glasgow, Tradeston)

I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland if his attention has been called to the statements made in the Scottish Highlander of the 23rd February, that a blank form of nomination signed by two of the electors of the Benbecula Division was forwarded to Inverness, with a request that it should be made out in favour of Angus MacDonald, crofter, Benbecula, and that the name of Mr. John Cran was substituted without his authority; that Mr. MacDonald alleges that Mr. John Macleod, of the Highland News, was the gentleman to whom the letter was addressed; and that Crown Counsel who instructed an investigation to be made by the Criminal Authorities have, after consulting the Secretary for Scotland, come to the conclusion that in the whole circumstances no further proceedings should take place; and if the Mr. John Macleod, against whom the charge was made, has been appointed a member of the Deer Forests Commission?

THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. B. BALFOUR,) Clackmanannan &c.

My right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. The material facts, as appearing from the papers reported to the Crown Office, are these: Mr. Angus MacDonald, Benbecula, early in November of last year, wrote to Mr. John Macleod asking him to become a candidate for the representation of the Benbecula Division of In- verness-shire on the County Council, and Mr. Macleod replied that he was unable to accede to this request, but if Mr. MacDonald failed to get a candidate he (Mr. Macleod) might perhaps be able to find one at Inverness. Mr. Macleod afterwards telegraphed to Mr. MacDonald asking him, if he could not get a suitable candidate, to send to him (Mr. Macleod) a sheet of foolscap signed by two electors, the body being left blank. Mr. MacDonald accordingly obtained the signatures of two electors—Messrs. Bain and William MacDonald, and it appears that they signed on the understanding that Mr. Angus MacDonald was to be the candidate, but they had no communication with Mr. Macleod except through Mr. Angus MacDonald, who forwarded the nomination paper blank in the name of the candidate to Mr. Macleod, with a letter, no copy of which was kept. Mr. Angus MacDonald is under the impression that he told Mr. Macleod in that letter to fill up the form with his (Mr. MacDonald's) name, but he also states that he could not swear to the contents of the letter, or that he had distinctly instructed Mr. Macleod to fill up the paper with his name. Another person to whom the letter was shown had a similar impression as to its contents, but he also stated that he had not a distinct remembrance on the subject. I understand that it is the fact that Mr. Macleod directed Mr. Cran's name to be filled in as the candidate without Mr. Cran's authority. Mr. Angus MacDonald, after the election, wrote to Mr. Macleod as to what had taken place. Mr. Macleod replied, and Mr. Angus MacDonald states that he answered expressing himself satisfied with Mr. Macleod's explanation. Under these circumstances, it appeared to me that no ground for taking proceedings against Mr. Macleod had been established, and I directed accordingly. If I had thought that Mr. Macleod had become disqualified from continuing to sit upon the Deer Forests Commission, I should have brought the matter under the notice of my right hon. Friend the Secretary for Scotland, but I did not do so, as it did not seem to me that any such disqualification had arisen; and the matter never came before my right hon. Friend until the present question was put upon the Paper.

MR. A. SUTHERLAND (Sutherland)

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he is aware that this is a trumped-up charge?

MR. SPEAKER

Order, order! That is clearly unparliamentary, and cannot be allowed. It is merely a matter of the opinion of the hon. Gentleman.

MR. J. B. BALFOUR

I can only say I have given the facts, and they carry with them their own explanation.

MR. PARKER SMITH (Lanark, Partick)

I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that, at the recent election for a County Councillor for the Kirkhill Division of the County of Inverness, there was a contest between a candidate who stood in the interests of the Highland Land League and a Mr. Cran; that pending that contest a blank nomination paper for the Benbecula Division was forwarded, duly signed by two electors, to Mr. John Macleod, of the Highland News, Inverness, with instructions to him to insert the name of Angus MacDonald, Benbecula, and lodge the same with the County Clerk; that Mr. John Macleod, in violation of his instructions, and without the knowledge or assent of any of the persons concerned, filled in the name of the said Mr. Cran, thereby securing his return unopposed as Councillor for Benbecula, in order to make certain the return of the Land League candidate for Kirkhill; whether the John Macleod who did this is the John Macleod who was recently appointed by him as a member of the Deer Forests Commission; and whether he proposes, under these circumstances, to retain his name on the Commission, or what action he proposes to take?

THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Sir G. TREVELYAN,) Glasgow, Bridgeton

The hon. Gentleman has narrated the facts. The only course I could adopt would be to recommend the Queen to remove Mr. Macleod's name from the Commission, and I do not consider that there is any adequate cause for taking such a step.