A CRUSHING DEFEAT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 107, 27 April 1908, Page 3

A CRUSHING DEFEAT.

MANCHESTER mX'LAKKS Full FISCAL UEFOR-M. WINSTON CHURCHILL CNSEATF.D. GREAT EXCITEMENT IX ENGLAND. RECORD POLLING. Received 2Cth, 4.1~> p.m. London, April 2'.The bye-election for North-West Man ah ester, rendered necessary by the men) b«V Mr. Winston Churchill, ravin,; Iktii •ised to Cabinet rank, resulted in -Mr. Caurchill's defeat. The voting wan:— 1!M)H lfHMi Mr. W. J. Hick' (U) .. .--417 430S Mr. W. Churchill (L) .. 4988 5039 Mr. Irving (Lab.) .. 27C total votes on roll .. 11,'JU 11,411 Union majority over Liberals .. 421) tacrciM in Unionist votes .. 1019 Decrease in Liberal vote* tiol The electors included 503 new clcclor». The chief surprise was the smallnc3o of the Socialist (Labor) vote. The UnionieU and Freetraders, excepting a small handful, voted *olid for ilr. Churchill. Remarkable scenes were witnessed at Manchester, London, Liverpool, and Other cities in connection with Mr. Cbu*cfciH°g defeat, and the excitement eqwDed that at the last general elec- ' tion. i

Mr. Churchill, in a speech, admit!,-. the resnlt was a heavy, bitter, ami crushing Mow for Freetradc, and earned disastrous consequences to Lancashire intercuts. He left Manchester without a spark of hatred.

There was great cheering over the h•nk in London music halls and theatres.

A notable fact was that the Premier ■(Mr. Asquith) sent Mr. C;hurchiU no letter of encouragement during me eatUo». This is interpreted to mean that he did not with to be identified with •ome of Mr. Churchill's pledges. Eighty-nine per cent of the electorate TOted, this being a record. The Times says the victory was signal and significant. »en Home Rule »m» subordinated to tariff reform. The Manchester Guardian navs the boMneae centre of Manchester struck a damaging blow at Free Trade, which . must have a wide-reaching effect. Mr. Hicks admitu that many supported Mm who disagreed with' his fiscal ! news.

> Tie Liberals of Dundee have invited Mr. Churchill to stand for that seat.

A cable received a week ago stated that the issue of the writ for the Ea-t VVolTerhampton seat, rendered vacant by the elevation of Sir Henrv Fowler (Chancellor of the Dnchv of Lanca *»«) to the Peerage, hid licen |>ostponed. This was attributed to the desire of the Liberal candidate, Mr .1. Ihorne, to retire in favor of Mr Win■ton Churchill (promoted t 0 the Cabinet ■a President of the Board of Trade) in the event of the latter being rejected bv hi» constituents a t North-West Mail eiester.