THE SETON PEERAGE

Taranaki Daily News, 9 July 1929, Page 3

THE SETON PEERAGE

COMMITTEE REJECT CLAIM. London, May 3. The claim of Sir Bruce Gordon Seton, Bart., of Abercorn, to the title of Lord Gordon in the peerage of Scotland was rejected by the Committee for Privileges of the House of Lords. The of Donoughmore was in the chair. The members present were the Duke of Bqc* cleuch, the Earl of Clarendon, Viscount Dunedin, Lord Ask with, Lord Darling and Lord Hylton. Lord Dunedin dissented from the view of his fellow-members, and in a statement which took him nearly 40 minutes to read expressed the opinion that the claim should succeed. Sir Bruce’s claim, which was based on a copy of a Papal Bull, stated to have been found in the Vatican Library, "was opposed by the Marquis of Huntly, There was no claim to the Huntly peerH rr C Lork Askwith said that Sir Bruce’s claim must be based on definite proof. No proof had been given. No precipe, charter, patent, record of a formality, or even of a ceremonial, was produced. The committee, before whom arguments were heard and evidence submitted for nine days, decided to report to the TTouse 'of Lords: “That it has not been proved to the satisfaction of the committee that either Alexander Seton before 1429, or his son,_ afterwards created Earl of Huntly, held any hereditary peerage of Gordon.” The Earl of Donoughmore stated that Lord Phillimore, who had died since the committee last dealt with the case, had informed him that it was his intention to write a judgment against t’ claim. The result was, therefore, that.of the eight members of the committee who had heard the case seven .were of opinion that the claim failed.