t deal of political anecdotes
from him, and fine pictures of political characters both dead and
living. Whether they were impartially drawn or not, that is
questionable, but they were admirably drawn."[333]

The elections were still proceeding, and the 29th of April was fixed
for the election in Lanarkshire, which had been represented for the
previous ten years by a strong personal friend of Smith, Andrew Stuart
of Torrance. I have already mentioned Stuart's name in connection with
his candidature for the Indian Commissionership, for which Sir William
Pulteney thought of proposing Smith. Though now forgotten, he was a
notable person in his day. He came first strongly into public notice
during the proceedings in the Douglas cause. Having, as law-agent for
the Duke of Hamilton, borne the chief part in preparing the Hamilton
side of the case, he was attacked in the House of Lords--and attacked
with quite unusual virulence--both by Thurlow, the counsel for the
other side, and by Lord Mansfield, one of the judges; and he met those
attacks by fighting a duel with Thurlow, and writing a series of
letters to Lord Mansfield, which obtained much attention and won him a
high name for ability. Shortly thereafter--in 1774--he entered
Parliament as member for Lanarkshire, and made such rapid mark that he
was appointed a Commissioner of Trade and Plantations in 1779, and
seemed destined to higher office. But now in 1784, on the very eve of
the election, Stuart suddenly retired from the field, in consequence
apparently of some personal considerations arising between himself and
the Duke of Hamilton. He was extremely anxious to have his reasons for
this unexpected step immediately and fully explained to his personal
friends in Edinburgh, and on the 22nd of April--the day before he
wrote his resignation--he sent his whole correspondence with the Duke
of Hamilton about the matter through to John Davidson, W.S., for their
perusal, and especially, it would appear, for the perusal of Smith,
the only one he names. "There is particularly," he says, "one friend,
Mr. Adam Smith, whom I wish to be fully informed of everything." Being
the only friend specifically named in the letter, Smith seems to have
been consulted by Davidson as to any other "particular friends" to
whom the correspondence should be submitted, and he wrote Davidson on
the 7th of May 1784 advising him to show it to Campbell of Stonefield,
one of the Lords of Session, and a broth