LEAD OF FORTY-NINE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 998, 13 December 1910, Page 5

LEAD OF FORTY-NINE.

,— ——« PROGRESS OF THE ELECTIONS. PARLIAMENT THREE-QUARTERS ELECTED. _ >c ULSTER THREATENS WAR. ] By Telegraph-Press Association-CopyriaM. j London, December 12. Only 169 seats in the new House of Commons now remain to. be filled, 501 members having now been elected. '■ Since yesterday 41 more returns have been announced, 25 of them being Government victories,.and 16 Unionist. The Government majority has increased from 40 to 49. Tho position of parties now stands as follows, the number of members required for each part of the United kingdom being shown in parentheses: Government. Unionist. England (465) 159 201 ■ ■ Wales (30) .24 2 Scotland (72) _ 30 8 Ireland (103) ...„-. 62 .15 275 226 ' The Government supporters in Insland are made up as follow:— Redmondites 57 O'Brienites , 5 62 WAR IN IRELAND. UNIONISTS ADVERTISE TOR RIFLES. (Rec. December 12, 9.50 p.m.) London,. December 12. The Irish Executive has confidentially circulated every police station in the North of Ireland requesting particulars of the arming of the police. , Tho Ulster inspectors have been direct- i ed to seo that a full complement of '• police, is attached to each station. The Ulster Unionist Council has ad- ( vertised in Germany for a large supply ' of rifles. , At the "annual conference last year of ' the Ulster Unionist Council and tho Ulster Union 1 of Conservative Associa- I tions, held last year, the following were ; among those, present :—Lord Londonderry • (in tho chair), Lord . Hamilton, M.P., . Lord Donoughmore, Lord Mavo, Lord Kilmorey, Lord Dunbeath, Colonel James M'Calmont, M.P., Colonel Wallace, C.8., CuDtain Craig, M.P., Sir F. Shaw, Sir W. Mahon, Sir R. M'Conncll, Sir J. Stronge, Sir T. Dixon, Sir J. Henderson, Captain the Hon. A. O'Neill, Mr. C. C. Craig, M.P., Mr. Feathorstonhaugh, M.P., Mr. H. T, Barrio, M.F., and John Gordon, M.P. Mr. W. Long, M.P., sent a letter of apology. At a nublic meeting held after the conference", Lord Cawdor was the principal speaker. During the conference Major Madden declared, amid cheers, that people in the disturbed areas of Ireland in fear of molestation should go about ready armed and prepared ■ to give blow for blow. POLLING IN THE BOROUGHS. THE FIGURES ANALYSED. (Roc. December 13, 0.10 ,a.m.) London, December 12. .. Tho party voting in tho London and other English borough elections presents tho following comparison:— _ In tho Loudon boroughs 285,731 Unionist voters' returned 31 members, and 218,3-11 Liberal voters returned a similar number of members. In tho other boroughs 711,329 Unionists returned 79 members, and 738,286 Liberals returned 85 members. Uncontested borough seats included in these figures aro calculated on tho basis of the voting at the last election.Tho wins at Cockermouth and Whitehaven were duo to a compact between tho Liberals and Labourites, and tho avoidance of vote-splitting between tho - two parties, . NO 'GREAT. CHANGES, I COMMENT BY "THE TIMES."'(Rec. December 12, 9.50 p.m.) London, December 12. "Tho Times" predicts that with threequarters, of the seats filled there is little reason to suppose there will be further substantial changes. It adds that Mr. Asquith sought for more emphasis and Sir Edward Grey for moro authority, and had they not hoped for these desirable things they would not havo forced tho election. SWING OF THE PENDULUM, . SMASHED BY THE LIBERALS. (Rec. December 12, 9.50 p.m.) London, December 12. The Master of Elibank, Patronage Secretary to fco Treasury, in speaking at Dalkeith, with regard to the. talk about the s,wing of tho pendulum, said that tho Liberals had smashed the pendulum so far as the boroughs were concerned. BIGGER MAJORITY NEEDED.MR. BONAR-LAW'S VIEW. London, December 1L Mr. Bonar-Law, Unionist, ;ivho was defeated on seeking re-election for Cainberwell a few days ago, speaking at Radcliffo, said that if tho Government lost ground as compared with tho January election, it would bo impossible for the Primo Minister to go to the Sovereign and ask him to . upset tho Constitution. Tho speaker added that the time of tho next.election was not far distant. IF THE LORDS ARE' DEFEATED. HOME RULE IN A FEW WEEKS. ' 1 London,- December 11. Mr. John Redmond, speaking in MidTyrone, said that if tho Lords were defeated a Homo Rulo Bill would bo introduced in a few weeks, and would be passed despite obstruction. MINISTERIAL SPEECHES. WALES AND REFERENDA. (Rec. December 12, 10.50 p.m.) London, December 12. Mr. Lloyd-George, speaking at Carnarvon, said a system of referenda would be fatal to Wales. How, ho asked, could she raise'three-quarters of a million for the purposes of holding public meetings in England to urge tho Liberals to vote in favour of Welsh Disestablishment? A rich Church could do it, but the Welsh' pcoplo could not. ■ ' "POLITICAL CHE AIM A CKS." London, December 12. Mr. Winston Churchill, speaking at Dartford, said the Government would be returned with full authority to carry tho Veto to the steps of the. Throne.

Tho production of the -referendum had degraded the Tory leaders to the level of political cheapjacks. THE REFERENDUM. WRITTEN CONSTITUTION NECESSARY. (Rec. December 13, 0.10 a.m.) London, December 12. Sir Frederick Pollock, tho well-known jurist, in a letter to "Tho Times," says a referendum requires a written Constitution, and expresses a doubt whether it can be fitted into r. system of Cabinet Governmcut regulated by an unwritten Constitution.