The by-election was triggered by the death of the serving Liberal Party Member of Parliament (MP), William Sproston Caine.

They made the offer under peculiarly acceptable conditions, for should he secure the seat, he would be at liberty, when the next election occurred, to return, should he wish, to his old constituency at Cockermouth.

Almost immediately after the Cornish electorate returned Lawson, the Cockermouth Liberal Association selected him to stand as their candidate at the next election.

[1] In parliament he continued to prosecute his anti-imperialist, Free Trade and temperance views while at home he began to campaign for the oncoming election.

[clarification needed] The Liberal Unionist candidate, Arthur Strauss, had been the Conservative MP for Camborne from 1895 to 1900, having previously stood in 1892 United Kingdom general election.