A SIGNIFICANT DEFEAT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1990, 21 February 1914, Page 4

A SIGNIFICANT DEFEAT.

The defeat of the Eight Hon. 0. F. G. MasJeUman .by the Unionist candidate (8m MATtatw Wiisos) in the by-election for BetksaJ Green is a very significant indication of the ■trend of political feeling in Britain, The election was vendered necessary by Mr. Maskujmn's appointment to ■the Chancellorship of the Pttchy of Lancaster. In his previous position as Financial Secretary to the Treasury, he was a- member of the Government outside the Caihinot, and the proposed change would have given hijrt.fiiH Cabinet rank, so thai his rejection by tho electors em&t bo retarded as a very severe blow to the .seuiTß Government, and it is certain to have a-ij_ important bearing on current political problems. ' The Liberals have received. some serious tebufis at recent by-eieetiofts. Towards the ead of last year Seats were lost at Hewmarkct (where- a majority of 3.99 was converted into a miaerity of and at BeadiHj; (where the Unionists polled a roajority of 768 ovov the edmbiaed total of the- Liberal and ijomalist candidates). The Unionists improved their position at Altringham, ivhere thoir majority * as increased fronj lIS to 1252, while the Liberal majority at LJnlJthgow {ell from iQ?« to 021. The Liberals: gained the Londonderry seat iroiti ; the Uniofiiats in Jaauayy, 1913, and ■ captured the Chesterfield seat in' AiiRUSt fvcwa the Labaiw Party; but tiKing uU the contests since the kst election, the Liberals have suffprcd a series o! reverses. The tJftionists have now won M fmvi-r tJmrj 18 seats from the Coalition (Liberals, Lnbotii', and Natic-na-iists), and have only bst OBC. The state of parties after the General Election of ]QIO, compared ' Willi the position ■ at the end of ' December, \WS, is as follows : — Dee., I'JtO. Di<c. 1313. U'nieriisls 272 JS4 J.ihetsh. M Ji;.i '12 ■ W N>tioeaUits ~..,..... "C< T« lad, fcirtietielißto ~, » 8 ths Cpalitios maioiitj , , which was j

ISO after the General Elcctioa of 1»IO, had decreased to 302 by the v.i.d of last December. ? j!hq last alteration iu the state of parties tons place on Dstctnber Ki, Wl'.i, when the Unionists von the South Lanark seat from the Liberals. On that occasion the main issue was -uome liuk, while at Bethnaj Greun, where jlit. Mastbkmas ha? just been defeated, the Insitniiioe Act appears to have been tho most prominent question bofo.ro the electors. The Unionists have retained South Buckingham seats which recently boeami) vacant owing to the appointment of Sir C. A, Ceipps as a Law Lo?d, avid the contest for Poplar lias Hot yet been decided. The results of these three elections have been awaited with great interest, as it is generally understood that Mil. ASQuiTH has been Waiting for this indication o,f the state of public opinion before announcing his proposals for the settlement- of the Home Elite problem. Vba defeat of such a strong Ministerialist as Mn. MastErjian in a working-class constituency Hke Bethaal GVeen will certainly give the Government a good deal to think about, and is sure to afford great encoiuragcMent to tho Unionists ai the present crisis in tho nation's history.