dewar gained the seat for the liberals with a majority of 831 votes. a separate by-election in the neighbouring seat of edinburgh east which took place a few days later also resulted in a lower share of the vote for the liberal unionists. despite this apparent trend however dewar lost the seat to a liberal unionist rival, albeit narrowly, at the general election of 1900 when there was also a modest revival in the liberal unionist vote in edinburgh east. he then won it back in 1906, holding it in january 1910 before resigning from parliament latre that year upon appointment as a judge.