Arbuthnott Commission Arbuthnott Commission The Arbuthnott Commission on Boundary Differences and Voting Systems was set up in July 2004 by Alistair Darling, then Secretary of State for Scotland, under the chairmanship of Sir John Arbuthnott, to examine various consequences of having four different electoral systems in Scotland, and different boundaries for constituencies of the House of Commons (Parliament of the United Kingdom, at Westminster) and the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). In 2004, Scotland had three different electoral systems: plurality (first past the post) for Westminster and local government elections, and two different systems of proportional representation (PR) for European Parliament and Scottish Parliament
Hired armed cutter John Bull prior to 1 June, "John Bull", under the command of Lieutenant Kortwright, captured the French schooner "Elizabeth", which was carrying a cargo of sundries. In mid-September "John Bull" detained and sent into Plymouth two vessels: "Palinurius", Merrehew, master, from New York, and "Sirene", Horkendorf, master, from Bordeaux. On 8 March 1806 "John Bull", under the command of Lieutenant George Broad, captured the Spanish vessels "Legero" and "Los Animos". On 2 May "John Bull" arrived with dispatches from Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren concerning the British victory at the Action of 13 March 1806 Between 18 and 21 June, Admiral Warren