McCombie of Tillyfour, MP for West Aberdeenshire in 1868, was better known as an originator of the Aberdeen Angus breed of cattle. This little anecdote relates to him being better known as a farmer than a politician.
The author believes that the Assembly that rules over the British Empire is less capable of coping with its problems than it should be. The solution, the writer believes, would be to give Home Rule to both Ireland and Scotland.
The New Shaver lampoons Banff and its political tendencies. The New Shaver professed to be apolitical and made fun of Whigs, Tories and Radicals as is illustrated in this example.