FOR THE HOUSE OF LORDS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 305, 9 December 1931, Page 9

FOR THE HOUSE OF LORDS

ELECTION OF SCOTTISH PEERS. On the day following the general election for seats in the British House of Commons there was another parliamentary election hold in the Old Country of which wo heard nothing here. This took place when the Peers of Scotland were summoned by proclamation to assemble in the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, for election of'l6 of their number to sit as representative peers in the House of Lords of the new Parliament. They met in the Throne Gallery of the Palace, and the Duke of Buccleuch, wearing the black and gold gown of his office as Lord Clerk Register, presided at the head of tho long table at which the peers sat. There were 20 peers present at the assembly, while 21 others who were absent sent signed lists of their nominations. The following 16 were elected: —Tho Earl of Airlie and Lord Senipill, 41 votes each; the Earl of Morton and the Earl of Lindsay, 40 each; the Earl of Mar and Kellie, Lord Fairfax of Cameron, Lord Belhaven and Stenton, and Lord Polwarth, 39 each; the Earl of Haddington, the Earl of Leven and Melville, the Earl of Breadalbane, Lord Saltoun, and Lord Sinclair, 38 each; Lord Balfour of Burleigh, 35; the Earl of Rothes, 33; and tho Earl of Lauderdale, 30. The unsuccessful candidate was the Earl of Carnwath, with 10 votes. Viscount Falkland, who was in the last Parliament, was not a candidate on this occasion. Tho new peers elected are the Earl of Rothes and the Earl of Lauderdale, whose father died recently. The election ceremony was carried through in thc presence of the Lord Provost, Sir Thomas Whitson, and thc magistrates of Edinburgh, who were summoned to preserve the peace according to thc proclamation. Their presence was an old-time formality, but in their robes of office and attended by the macebearer and halberdiers, thc civic chiefs made a picturesque group in the assembly. These 16 Scottish peers are elected for the duration of Parliament only, but the 28 representative peers of Ireland are elected for life. Besides these elected peers there are, of course, a large number of other Scottish and Irish peers who hold seats in the House of Lords by virtue of English titles, which, however, in a majority of instances are inferior to those by which they are generally known.