BRITISH ELECTIONS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 928, 8 December 1910, Page 4

BRITISH ELECTIONS.

London, Dec. 6. The returns so far announced place the position of parties as follows (the total number of seats in each part of the Kingdom in parenthesis) : Govt. Union’ts. England (465) ... 84 107 Wales (30) ... 11 Scotland (72) ... 6 2 Ireland (103) ... 16 6 117 115 Returns to hand at midnight show that the Government have secured 116 seats and the Unionists 116. A total of 232 seats has now been filled, and the representation of 438 constituencies still remain to be decided. For West Pancras, a Loudon constituency, Mr Cassell, Unionist, 3384 ; defeated Sir W. J. Collins, Liberal, 3376. [Last election Sir W. J. Collins was only elected by 10 votes.] Wakefield—Marshall (Liberal) 2837, Brotherton (Unionist) 2651. Liberal gain. Liverpool Exchange.—Scott (Unionist) 2330, Muspratt (Liberal) 2187. Unionist gain. Birkenhead. —Bigland (Unionist) 8304, Vivian (Liberal) 7249. Unionist gain. North Islington. —Touche (Unionist) 5428, Waterloo (Liberal) 5022. Unionist gain. Cheltenham. —Mathias (Liberal) 3846, Lord Duncannon (Unionist) 3753. Liberal gain. Dewsbury. Right Hon. W. Runciman (L) 7,061, Mr Simpson (U) 4,033. Unchanged.

Lancashire, S.W. —Bootle, —Mr Walter Smith (U) 6,383, Dr W. Permewan (L) 5,039. Unchanged. Leicester. —(Returns two members). Mr E. Crawshay Williams (L) 13,238, Mr J. Ramsay Macdonald (Lab) 12,998, Mr Wiltshire (U) 7,547. Unchanged. Liverpool (Scotland Division). —Mr T. P. O’Connor (Nationalist) 2,943, Mr Ockleton (U) 689. Unchanged.

London, Dec. 4,

Unionist newspapers consider the polling at the elections so far is encouraging.

The Standard argues that the Ministry is already condemned to impotence.

The Daily Chronicle declares that a crushing blow has been dealt to the hopes of the pro-Peer, a food-taxing party. London has given a magnificent lead to the country. The discouragement of the Tariffites at Mr Balfour’s referendum trick and his announcement that tariff reform was not an issue of the election is shown by the fall of the Tory vote at Birmingham, where the aggregate of 20,683 Unionist votes recorded in January for three Birmingham seats had fallen to 15,981. At the same time the Liberal vote had increased until the Liberals had nearly captured West Bromwich. The decrease in the Tory vote in London was 15,596. as compared with the Liberal decrease of 5,873 votes. The total Liberal poll throughout the country was 347,740, as against 306,489 for the Peers. The Tory majority in Gloucestershire was four, and in West Bromwich five. The cause of Free-trade in a free House of Commons was already safe. The Daily News states that any hope of the Peers’ party that they would be victorious has been shattered.

London, Dec. 5

Lord Rosebery, at Edinburgh, in acknowledging a vote of thanks, said the Ministers had respectively dubbed the House of Lords as criminal and lunatic and likened them to the foolish virgins. He was aware the Government was turning the key on the Lords, keeping them in subjection and confinement, and therefore treating them as criminals and lunatics ! The other metaphor was less applicable. The foolish virgins forgot to trim their lamps, but the Lords had been for a year trimming their lamps. One of the principal accusations against them at this moment was their impudence at the eleventh hour in trimming their lamps and so presenting themselves as wise and well prepared before the tribunal of the constituencies.

The Financial News says there are two outstanding features of Saturday’s polls. One and the more prominent is Lancashire’s recoil from non-representative Government and the other is the overshadowing of Mr Redmond’s hopes and Messrs Asquith’s and Churchill’s ideal of an irresponsible Cabinet. “ The junto,” adds the Financial News, ‘‘is too much

even for Lancashire’s strong Liberal stomach !” The Pall Mall Gazette considers the outer portions of the Empire will be able to judge in juster proportion than those in the thick of the conflict. Therefore, it is not surprised at the Australians welcoming the referendum as a long stride towards Democratic Government. It agrees with the statement of Mr Nesbit, an exCanadian Judge, that if the Dominions find the Empire is to be administered by the dictates of political passion they will take some thought as to their - own future —politically and materially. The Dominions are not ready to make obeisance to “ President Keir Hardie !” NEW ZEALANDER’S VIEWS. Mr J. L. Kelly, who arrived in Christchurch last week, after spending a few years in England and Scotland, had a good deal to say in regard to politics, social life and other subjects, when he was interviewed by a Times reporter. He said that there was a very strong feeling in favour of tariff reform. Nearly all people with whom he conversed had a good grip of the subject, and evidently were deeply interested in it. As far as the House of Lords was concerned, he concluded, from the impressions he received from the last general election, that there was not a strong feeling against that branch of the Legislature. There was some feeling at the beginning of the campaign, when wealthy peers reduced their expenditure and declined to continue subscriptions, but much of that, apparently, was forgotten when the election was held. He expected that the same thing would be noted at the coming campaign. He believed that unless the Liberals worked up the country reform. The Labour party which Mr John Burns had represented was almost extinct, and the working classes now seemed to place their faith in Socialism. His own impression, which perhaps was guided considerably by his opinions, was that tariff reform would be carried. Church establishment was another element in the struggle. That question would probably catch many votes for the Liberals. The Church of England exercised extraordinary influence throughout England. It was an active and wonderful electioneering force, outside of the pulpit and the church building. The vicar of the parish for instance, was often practically the squire of the district, and the whole weight of his influence was on the Conservative side. It was a condition of local cricket clubs, football clubs, brass bands and other associations that members must have been confirmed in the Church of England. In some places, also, residents boycotted dissenting tradespeople The result was that the dissenters were combining and were creating a feeling in favour of the Liberals. His observations had induced him to form an opinion that the Church of England, the Conservative element and the tariff reform, in conjunction, would carry the day. Apart from politics, one of the most noticeable phases of national life observed by Mr Kelly was the dissatisfaction with conditions in England. He said that evidence of this was found in the continued outflow of the best of the farming and artisan classes. People with enterprise and a little money wished to get out of England. Aliens, on the other hand, flowed in. The latest influx, apparently, was represented by Poles, many of whom, with turbulent and uncontrolled passions, had begun to work in the coal mines. England’s attitude towards the foreigner was brought under Mr Kelly’s notice at a place at which he stayed in Loudon. There were two French girls in the same house. They were attending free classes at night, established solely to teach foreigners the English language. In that way, he said, England encouraged people from other lands to enter into competition with her own workers, who paid rates to give facilities to their rivals. Italians seemed to roam the United Kingdom from end to end. Even in the wilds of Scotland they had their fruit-stands and ice-cream stands, and their hawkers’ equipments. The presence of the foreigners caused no comment. The Englishman was utterly devoid of fear in that respect, and looked upon the invasion with the magnificent indilference bred by over-weening confidence. “ Poor devils,’’ he said, “let them all come in. This is Merrie England, the friend ot the world, and we’ll find room for them here.”