The 1878 Argyllshire by-election was a special election held on August 27, 1878. It happened because the person who was already in the job, a Liberal politician named the Marquess of Lorne, decided to leave his position as a Member of Parliament (MP). He left to become the Governor General of Canada, which is a very important role representing the Queen in Canada.
When an MP leaves their job early, a by-election is held to choose a new person for that spot. In this election, the seat was won by the Marquess of Lorne's brother, Lord Colin Campbell, who was also a member of the Liberal Party. This meant the Liberal Party kept control of the Argyllshire seat.
Election Costs
Running an election campaign costs money. These costs are called expenses. For Lord Campbell, his campaign expenses were £5,700 9s 4d. Colonel Malcolm, the other candidate, spent even more, with his expenses being around £9,000. This shows that elections, even back then, could be quite expensive!
