15-634: Perth Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain (at Westminster ) from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (also at Westminster) from 1801 until 1832, representing a seat for one Member of Parliament (MP) The British parliamentary constituency was created in 1708 following the Acts of Union, 1707 and replaced
30-556: The parliamentary burghs ( burghs represented in the pre-Union Parliament of Scotland ) were assigned to a district, except for Edinburgh which had an MP to itself. The burghs in a district were not necessarily adjacent or even close together. Until 1832, the self-elected Council of each burgh in a district elected a commissioner, who had one vote for the MP. The commissioner from the Returning Burgh (which function rotated amongst
45-677: The 1830-31 Parliament, its absence made the elections less certain and encouraged wrongdoing by candidates. The reference to some candidates as Non Partisan does not, necessarily, mean that they did not have a party allegiance. It means that the sources consulted did not specify a party allegiance. The sources used were Stooks Smith as well as Namier and Brooke (see the References section for further details). District of burghs The Act of Union 1707 and pre-Union Scottish legislation provided for 14 Members of Parliament (MPs) from Scotland to be elected from districts of burghs . All
60-764: The Act six small counties elected an MP only in alternate Parliaments. This arrangement was ended, but a different solution was adopted for each pair of counties. Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire became a single constituency . Buteshire and Caithness-shire were given a separate MP in every Parliament. Cromartyshire and Nairnshire were each united with a different neighbouring county, to form Ross and Cromarty , and Elginshire and Nairnshire . Edinburgh and Glasgow now had two MPs; Aberdeen , Dundee , Greenock , Paisley and Perth one each. The remaining burghs combined in districts to elect 18 MPs, much as before; but now individual votes were added up among burghs across
75-491: The Act, the number of Scottish MPs increased from 45 to 53 and the franchise increased by an even greater proportion, growing from under 5,000 of the 2,300,000 population to 65,000 voters (now covering householders of £10 value in the burghs and property owners of £10 or tenants of £50 rental in the country seats). However the ballot was not secret and landowners could manipulate the property qualification by distributing nominal £10 parcels to multiple nominees who would follow
90-552: The Act, Scotland's electorate was only 0.2% of the population compared to 4% in England. The Scottish electorate overnight soared from 5,000 to 65,000, or 13% of the adult men, and was no longer a private preserve for a few very rich families. The Act did not substantially change the method in which the Scottish counties elected members of Parliament. As a general rule the counties each continued to elect one member. However, before
105-632: The burgh for other purposes. The franchise was extended, and votes from all the burghs were added together. There were further changes to the number and the composition of the districts under the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868 , Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 , and Representation of the People Act 1918 . The district of burghs system was eventually discontinued by the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949 , but
120-401: The burghs in successive elections) had an additional casting vote if the numbers were equal. Burgh councils had small memberships, with the result that the combined electorate for all 14 constituencies in 1831 was no more than 1,270. The Scottish Reform Act 1832 amended the composition of the districts, and the boundaries of a burgh for parliamentary purposes ceased to be necessarily those of
135-533: The constituency—in the past the MP had been elected at a meeting of representatives from each burgh. Boundary changes meant that a burgh for parliamentary elections might not have the same boundaries as the burgh for other purposes. The effect of the Reform Act was considerable. Before 1832 the Scottish Parliamentary electorate had been about 5,000 adult males. Following the passing of
150-404: The former Parliament of Scotland burgh constituencies of Perth , Cupar , Dundee , Forfar and St Andrews The constituency covered five burghs : Perth in the county of Perth , Cupar and St Andrews in the county of Fife , and Dundee and Forfar in the county of Forfar . The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system until the seat
165-578: The term Burghs continued in use in the names of some constituencies until 1974. The idea of parliamentary burghs continues to this day, in the form of burgh constituencies , which are distinct from county constituencies . This distinction is significant in terms of the expenses allowed to election candidates. 1708-1832 (14 Districts) (65 Burghs) 1832-1868 (14 Districts) (69 Burghs) 1868-1885 (15 Districts) (72 Burghs) 1885-1918 (13 Districts) (62 Burghs) 1918-1950 (6 Districts) (26 Burghs) Scottish Reform Act 1832 The Scottish Reform Act 1832
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#1732797694430180-463: Was Perth, Dundee, St Andrews, Cupar and Forfar. However the Court of Session had the power to suspend the participation of a burgh, as a punishment for corruption, which could disrupt the rotation if the normal returning burgh was not able to participate. At the time of the disputed elections in 1830 and 1831, Dundee was not able to take part in the voting. Although Dundee was not the returning burgh for
195-450: Was abolished for the 1832 general election . For the 1832 general election , as a result of the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832 , the burgh of Perth was merged into the new Perth burgh constituency , the burghs of Cupar and St Andrews were merged into the Fife county constituency , the burgh of Dundee was merged into new Dundee burgh constituency , and the burgh of Forfar
210-467: Was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the election laws of Scotland . The act was passed at approximately the same time as the Reform Act 1832 , which applied to England and Wales . The chief architects of the Act were Francis Jeffrey and Henry Cockburn . It was subsequently given the official short title of the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832 . Prior to
225-459: Was merged into the new Montrose Burghs constituency . The electoral system for this constituency gave each of the five burghs one vote, with an additional casting vote (to break ties) for the burgh where the election was held. The place of election rotated amongst the burghs in successive Parliaments. The vote of a burgh was exercised by a burgh commissioner, who was elected by the burgh councillors . The normal order of rotation for this district
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