The Dominion. TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1910. THE BRITISH ELECTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 718, 18 January 1910, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1910. THE BRITISH ELECTIONS.

"Tirt most popular Budget of .modern times" was unfortunate- in. having to submit to the only proper' test' of popularity. Had the Peers been persuaded into passing it,, had' they'not, as Punch put it, decided to offer the clectofates; theunparalleled affront of: asking for an opinion, only the hardiest of the objectors to tho Government's policy would have braved the/ ridicule of the Radicals.; by . expressing a doubt as to whothor tho Kingdomwas really: panting for the new taxes. . The full results of the election, wiil hot be 1 knowti fof several days, but the great Unionist gains already recorded point to. a public opinion that amply justifies the suspicion of the much-abused Peers that a trial should be held. If Liberal defeats whore 'astounding Liberal gains were expected may be regarded as evidence of Radical- miscalculations, then the Government has made a greater error than any Government Ought to be capable of making. Until a week ago it appeared as if tho electorates would be harried into bewilderment by the Conflicting; andseparato' issues, - but; in the last stages, of the . fight, fortunately,, the political atmosphere appoars to havo grown clearer as it grow hotter, and the main questions of the Budget and Tariff Reform seem to have as-, sumed the importance they , deserved.

• Tho Unionist' gains 'in, the city and borough electorates do not . neoossarily ensure', a Unionist majority. It is possible that the Radicals "may have' a, small " margin of' final' advantage. But a small Radical majority, of course, will bo a tremendous blow tp the party that had tho enormous majority ,of over. 350 at.the polls in 1906. Tho Budget,, in any case, appears 'doiSmed, and sentence has been passed, not by the first-born of the ducal litters, as Mr. Lloyd-George would say, •but by -o whole nation. If the country wanted . tho . Budget, the Unionists would have been,, swept practically : out of existence. . Anything short of that must flatly con-!; tradict the / contentions of' Mr; Lloyd-George and the Government. Aid how. far short of obliteration is the fate of the Opposition T The forecast of tho Spectator, issued months ago, that the resnlt of an appeal to tho people would, be a small majority for one or other of the two-main .parties, seems certain to be j ustified; • It remains to bo seen whether the Spectator's conclusions respecting the political results of. a small majority either way l arc correct. Tho Spectator,it will be . remembered, declared that in such an ovent tho Radicals could not possibly bring 'in' thoir Budget again, ! while, tho■' Unionist party could not dare to bring in Tariff Reform, since tho Radicals would in that case have the assistance, Of the Unionist Free-traders.. We have riot, yet. any information as to' the number of Free-traders amongst;,the. s^cce^ful' !: ;Unionisfa l '\':or.\is; , .to' : : : the.' extent of.the fiscal freedom attached to -their candidature. Of course they aro y not all Tariff Reformers who oppose the Budget, although the energy and activity with which tho, "relentless drivo'' of tho Protectionists has been oonducted have quite conquered Mk. Balfoto. < ■ '

The Nationalist vote, which, is by no means a pro-Budget vote,, will leave the: Irish seats as they were in ] 1906 and in 1900. The' Labour group is ; too' small to bo of moment in a House ,of .600 members. It seoms likalyi therefore, that' if the Government has a' majority, it'will be by the gracc of the Nationalist four-score; but • no Government would care to have its' safety dependent on the readiness of . tho Irish members to vote blindly on all groat issues. Tho Nationalists have not pledged themselves 'to any party: they- arc pledged only to 'dppose the.Union; and their attitude will be . dictated sololy by their opinion as,to'what-is 'tactically best for the mrfmcnt. There is a possibility that by. recapturing fifty of the-London seats, and by again securing its half of Scotland, . the tJnionist party, ;by also maintaining' its lead in the boroughs may have an absolute majority in the House. But this of course is merely speculation. One thing, however, seems to be assured: that the 'court-*-try has damned "the most popular Budget of modern times," and has failed most handsomely to rise up and destroy the Peers. ■ >