UNIONIST REVERSE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 197, 14 May 1908, Page 7

UNIONIST REVERSE.

MONTROSE DIMS. LIBERAL CANDIDATE: SUCCEEDS. TRIANGULAR CONTEST. BY IELUCP.AI'II —PHEBb ASSOCIATION— COPVIUGITI (Reo. May 13, 10.54 p.m.) London, May .13. Tho by-election for Montroso Burghs (Forfarshire, Scotland), rendered vacant by the olevation of Mr. John Morley to tho Peerage, resulted:— Mr. R. Harcourt (Liberal) ... aoB3 Mr. Burgess (Labour) ... .... 1037 Mr.- Constable (Conservative) ... 1576 Majority over Labour ... ! 114G Majority over Conservative ... 1507 The successful Liberal candidate is a younger son of the late Sir William V. Harcourt, formerly Chancellor of tho Exchequer.

SCOTLAND'S STAUNCH LIBERALISM. A second time Scotland has stepped in to stop the by-elections' rout of the Liberals. At Dundee, which returned Mr. Churchill, the Unionist' vote showed only a slight increase on the' figures of 1008, 1 from 24 por cent, to 27 per cent, of the_ total poll. At Montroso Burprhs tho Unionists-havo actually lost votes, as tho following figures of the 1 i9OG election show: —• Mr. Morley (Liberal) ... 4416 Col. Sprot (Conservative) 1922 • Liberal majority ... ... 2491 So there were actually 346 less Conservative votes cast than in 1906.. No doubt the advent of a Labour candidato helped to take them away, but it'is probable that ho did more towards reducing tho Liberal majority from, its former proportions.- It is also to be borne in mind that the 1906 majority was gained .by sueli a great political force'as Mr. Morley, whose reputation may be said: to rise above party, strong party man though he is. Montrose Burghs, a flax-spinning and fish-curing centre, is made up of the burghs of Montrose, Arbroath, Brechin, Forfar, and Bervie. Here, at any rate, tho tariff reform doctrine would not seem to have deoply ponetrated.

RECORD OF UNIONIST SUCCESSES. Tho following record of by-elections Bince the general election shows how steadily the tide has been flowing in: favour of the Unionist party and against the Liberal Government (tho increases and decreases shown tiro in the majorities at by-elections, as compared with those at the General Election):— , 1906. February 27.—City of London, Unionist increase, ' 1031. March 12.—Basingstoke, Unionist .increaso, 139. March 30.—Leicester, Liberal decrease, • 3681. !May 15.—Dulwich, Unionist increaso, 922. July 24.—Bodinin, Liboral decrease, 79. August .T.—Cocker month. (Seat. gained.); November 28.—Huddersfield,' Liberal decrease, "■ 993.' ' * '■' . 1907. January 31.— North-East Derbyshire, Liberal decrease, 1010. February 18.—Banffshire, Liberal decrease, 191. February 20.—South ■ Aberdeen, Liberal decrease,. 4077. , ■ . .\ . February 27.—Brigs. (Seat gained.) March 29.—Hexham, Liberal decrease, 928. ; .May 11.—Stepnoy, Unionist) increase, 312. May l(i—Wimbledon, Unionist increase, 4852. Juno 18.—BhUand,' Unionist increase, 348. July 6.—Jarrow, Labour returned for Liberal. ■ July 20—Colne Valley, Socialist returned for Liberal./ '' August' 2.— N.W. Staffordshire, Lab. and Lib. :. .increase, 23.9.. • ■ \ ':■ August. 2G.—B«ry St. Edmunds, Unionist ln- |' " • crease', '450. '■ ' ' i August 28.—lvirkdale, ; Unionist ,increase," 78.. November 30.—West Hull, Liberal decrease, , 2008. . '• '• ' I ' V , 1908.'' ■; ■' ■ '■ - Jarinary' J7.—Mid-Devon. '(Seat' 1 gained.)'' February 2.—Boss . (Hertfordshire). (Seat gaipedt) l J' l ' ■ ' ' February G.—St. Austell (Cornwall). . Liberal returned unopposed. ■ V ' February 9.—Worcester, Unionist increase, 480. .February, 14.—South Leeds, iLiberal deorease, 326. • ; . , March division of Worcestershire, Unionist elected unopposed. March s—Hastings, Unionist increase,, 177. •: March 22.—West Down, Unionist increase, 349. March 7 25.—Peekhanv Liberal majority of 2339 converted> into Unionist'.and. tariff reform ... .majority o£ 494.; , . April 24.—Dewsbury," increaso in Unionist votes; 1119; decrease in'-Liberal votes, 1170. April 25.—North-west Manchester, increaso in "Unionist votes, 1019,• 'decrease in Liboral votes, Gal ; 'Liberal Minister loses seat; May 6.—East;. Wolverhampton, increase in , Unionist votes, 1761;.. decrease, in Liberal votes, 1096; Liberal majority reduced from 2865 to 8. May 11.—Dundeo,' Mr; Churchill returned withf reduced majority. Percentage of votes: ' Liboral, in 190S 52, in 1908 43; Unionist, in , 190S 24, in 1903 27. May. 13.—Montrose. Burghs,' Unionist. deereaso 346, Liberal deorease 1333 (Labour candi- ' ' date in field). Liberal returned.'' '■ !■ '