UNIONIST TRIUMPH.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 267, 4 August 1908, Page 7

UNIONIST TRIUMPH.

AN EAST LONDON SEAT. SPLITTINC OF THE RADICAL VOTE. TARIFF REFORM. (DT TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) London, August 2. The election for tho Haggerston division of-Shoreditch,-caused by tho death of Sir William Rapdal Cremer (Radical), resulted in tho return of the Hon. Rupert Guinness (Unionist), tho figures being— Hon. R. Guinness (Unionist) 2867 Mr; Warren (Radical) 1724 Mr. Burrows (Socialist) ... 987 Unionist majority 1143 Mr. Guinness is a oonvinced Tariff Reformer. Two thousand Sooial. Democrats assisted in tho canvassing for Mr. Burrows. THE ELECTION AND THE LICENSING BILL. : _ The Haggerston division of Shoreditch was .wrested from Sir Wm. Cremer and the Liberals in' 1895 by Mr. J. Lowles (Unionist). But Mr. Lowles's majority was only 31, And in 1900 •Sir Win. Cremer won the seat, back by the still smaller majority of 24, beating Mr. Lowles. In 1906 Sir Wm. Cremer's majority over the Unionist candidato (the Ho.n. Rupert Guinness, now elected) was 401. ( : The death of this stalwart Radical and peace propagandist has occurred at a time when the Government is endeavouring to fight through a Licensing Bill in the face of the organised and. bitter opposition .of- "the trade." The j Unionist candidate is the eldest son and heir of Viscount Iveagh, the big brewer who was raised to the House of Lords in' 1891. "The trade" has established a huge campaign fund, and Shoreditch is a poor neighbourhood of the East End of London. No doubt the opponents of the . Licensing Bill will claim a victory. At the last election the figures were as under:— Sir W. Cremer (Liberal) ... ...- 2772 | Hon. R. .Guinness (Unionist) ... 2371 '.• '• Liberal majority , ... ... 401 If the Radical and Socialist votes in the pre--ISent election are added together, the .Unionists still have a majority .of 15G, as-against a Liberal majority in 1906 of 401.' : Tho Hon. R. Guinness has polled 496 more vote's than he. did in 1906. 1 t. - The successful candidato is a considerable athlete, having won the Diamond Sculls in 1895, and in 1596 both' the Diamond and the Wing.field Sculls, the latter in-24min. lOsec. -Ho represents Haggerston on the London County Council.: He served in South Africa, and is Commander of, the London Division of the Royal, Naval "Volunteer Reserve. RECORD OF UNIONIST SUCCESSES.' ■ The following record of by.-elections since tho election shows, how' steadily . the tide has been flowing in favour of the.Unionist party and against the Liberal - Government (the increases _ and... decreases, ■ shown are in tho' majorities at' by-elections, as compared with those at the General Election);— 1906. ■■ February 27.—City of London, Unionist in- , crease, 1034. March 12—Basingstoke, Unionist increase, 139. March 30,—Leicester, Liberal decrease, 3681. . May 15.—Dulwich, Unionist increase, 922. July 24—Bodmin, Liboral decrease, 79. Augnst 3.—Cockermouth. (Seat /gained.) November 28.—Huddersfield, Liboral decrease. 993. , 1907. January. ,31.—North-East. Derbyshire, Liberal decrease, 1040. February 18.—Banffshire, Liberal decrease, 191. February 20.—South Aberdeen, Liberal decrease, • 4077. February : 27.—Brigs. (Seat gained.) March 29.—Hexham, Liberal decrease, 928. 'May 11.—Stepney, Unionist increaso, 312. May Wimbledon, Unionist increase, 4852. Juno~l3.—Rutland, Unionist increase, 348.' July 6.—Jarrow, Labour roturned for Liberal. July .20—Colno Valley, Socialist returned for - Liberal. • August 2,— N.W. Staffordshire, Lab. and Lib. increase, 239. August 20.—Bury St, Edmunds, Unionist Inf crease,- 45G. < August 28.—Ivirkdale, Unionist increase, 78. November 30.—West 1 Hull, Liberal decrease, 2008. . , : 1908. January I?.—Mid-Devon. (Sea); gained.) • February ■ 2—Boas '(Hertfordshire). (Seat gained.) ■■ , - February 6.—St. Austell (Cornwall). Liberal J • returned . February 9.—Worcester, Unionist increase, 480, February 11.—Soutli Leeds, Liboral decrease, 026. \' , March I.—Bewdley division of Worcostors'hire, ' . Unionist elected unopposed. March s—Hastings,, Unionist increaso, 177. March 22.—West Down, Unionist increase, 349. March 25.—Peckhain, Liberal majority of 2339 converted into Unionist and tariff reform majority of 494. April, 24.—Dewsbury, increase in Unionist votes, 1119; decrease in Liberal votes, 1170.April 25—North-west Manchester, increase in ' Unionist votes', 1019; decrease in Liberal votes, 051; Liberal Minister loses scat. May 6.—East Wolverhampton, increaso in Unionist votes) 1761; decrease in Liberal votes, 1096; Liberal majority reduced from 2865't0 8. May 11.—Dundee,, Mr. Churchill returned with reduced majority. Percentage of' votes: Liberal, in 1906 52, in 1908 43; Unionist, in 1906 24, in-1908 27. . May 13.—Montrose Burghs, Unionist decrease 346, Liberal decrease 1333 (Labour candidate in field), Liberal •retutned. May 15,—Newport (Shropshire), Unionists retain the seat by a larger majority-(increase 785). Unionist total vote increases by 480, while Mr. I?. Neilson (Liberal) polls 805 fewer votes than ho did in 1006. May 23.—Stirling Burghs, Liberals retain late: ' Prime Minister's seat (unopposed at general election) by majority of 1361. June, 21.—Pudsey (Yorkshire, W.R.), Liberals lose seat,.a Liberal majority (in a dual contest) of 3502 being' converted into a ,' Unionist majority (in a triangular contest) of 113. Increase in Unionist votes cast, 1003, July 17.—Pembrokeshire, Liberals retain Seat with a majority reduced by 1106, Incroase in Unionist votes, cast, 680, :