LIBERAL REVERSE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 313, 28 September 1908, Page 7

LIBERAL REVERSE.

NEWCASTLE SEAT. WON BY THE UNIONISTS. TARIFF REFORM ' AND LICENSING. ' ' (IT TEtEORAPH— rEESS ASSOCIATION—COrTKiaUT.I ■ London, September 26. ,Tho by-olectidn for one of,the two seats at Newcastle-on-Tyne, caused by the death of Mr. Thomas Cairns (Liberal), resulted in the Unionist • candidate winning the seat. The figures are as under .Mr. 0. Renwlck (Unionist 13,863 Mr. Shortt (Liberal 11,720 Mr. Hartl9y (Socialist) 2,971 Unionist majority ... 2,143 " . Liberal majority (1906) 6,481. CANDIDATES' VIEWS. . EFFECT ON THE STOCK EXCHANGE. • (Rec. September 27, 4.15 p.m.) London, September 26. i Mr. Renwick attributed his victory to a general belief that tariff reform will do mueh to "relieve unemployment. Mr. Shortt attributed His' defeat' to the ; Licensing Bill, and to the general trade de pression which prevails. i - The result of: the by-election has had an inspiring effect 011 the Stock Exchange. A GREAT TURNOVER OF VOTES. The -figures of the polling at the last'elec- . tidri—two seats-rwore. riadson (Labour) ... ... 18,659 ■ Mr.\Tt)ornas Cairns (Liberal) ... ... 18,423 Sir' TC# R. Plummer (Unionist) ... ...,11,942 Mr; 'peorge Renwick (Unionist) ... ... 11,223 labour majority ... ... ... 6,717 ... Y-- liberal majority ' ... ' 6,181 At:SiiT/preceding, election, in 1900, the' Union/ ists.were on top, Sir W. R. Plummer and Mr. Geo. "Renwick being returned, the former having &• majority of 4609 over the nearest Liberal candidate. the'- pendulum : has; now swung backwards:lh.the direction of. 1900. The pre. aenfcJUnionist vote is not -an absolute majority' of polled, ', being 800 odd' votes less than .the' Liberal and Socialist.aggregate; still, '• it .jeprfcsents.. as compared with 1906, a great of • votes to the Unionists. And, though the contest is triangular, the fact re- • mains : that the seat is lost.- It was cabled ' the other day that Mr. Asquith's attitude to , the Procession of the Blessed Sacrament had ■ driven the Catholic voters into the Unionist f- camp. ; . ' RECORD OF .UNIONIST SUCCESSES. The following record of by-elections since the beheral election: shows how steadily tho ■' tide has been flowing in favour of the Unionist party'and'agairist the Liberar Government (the increases and decreases shown ' aro in the majorities at by-elections, : as compared with.those at the Goneral Election) ; 100 S. •■•'l'-"' • February 27.—City of. London, Unionist in-, crease, 1034. ' '' . Maroh 12.—Basingstoke, Unionist increase, 139. March 30.—Leicester, Liberal. decrease, 3681. ; ' May ! 15.—Dulwich, Unionist increase,. 922. July ,24.—Bodmin, Liberal decrease, 79. August 1 3.—Cockermouth, (Seat gained.) ■ ' November 28.—Huddersfield, Liberal decrease. : ' - 903. ; ' , : ■" '■

■ wo 7. . .- • January 31.— North-East Derbyshire, Liberal • decrease, 1040. Februarylß.—Banffshire, Liberal decrease, 191. February 20.—South Aberdeen, Liberal de-

'.crease, 4077. •■' v ' " . February. 27.—Britfg. (Seat. gained.) March 29.—Hexham, Liberal decrease, 928. May 11.—Stepney, Unionist increase; 312. May/16.—Wimbledon, Unionist increase, 4852. June; 13.—EntlaBd.rvUnionist increase n 34B. July G.—Jarrow, Labou/ returned for Liberal. July :;20.—,Colne Valley, Socialist returned for ' -Liberal. • o i ■ ■■' . .. . August 2.— N.W. Staffordshire,' Lab. and Lib. liicrease, 239. ' .August 26.—Bury St: Edmunds,' Unionist Increase,- 456. -j • ■■■.'- , August t 2B.—Kirkdale,, Unionist increase, 78. November 30.—West Hull, Liberal decrease 2008. ; :

• 1308. .• January 17.—Mid-Devon. (Seat gained.) February. .2.—Ross (Hertfordshire). (Seat ; gained.) .. 11 February 6.—St. Austell (Cornwall).' Liberal returned unopposed.. ■ ~\ February 9.—Worcester, Unionist increase, 480. February 14.—South ■ Leeds, Liberal decrease, . . 320.- > . • • ■ . ' March 11.—Bewdley division of Worcestershire, • Unionist elected unopposed. ■March s.—Hastings, Unionist increase, 177. ■ March 22.—West Down, Unionist increase, 349. March : 2S.—Peckham,. Liberal majority of 2339 converted into Unionist and tariff reform ; majority of 494. , April i 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, 651; Liberal Minister loses seat. . 6.—East; Wolverhamptdn, increase in Unionist votes, 1761; decrease in Liberal votes, 1096;' Liberal majority reduced from 2865 to 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 returned. May! 15.—Newport (Shropshire), Unionists re- . tain the seat by a larger majority (increase . 785). Unionist total vote increases by 480, while Mr. F. Neilsori (Liberal) polls 305 fewer-votes than he did in 1906. May'23.—Stirling. Liberals retain late . Prime Minister's seat (unopposed at gene: ■ ral election) by majority of -1861. June 1 21.—PudSey (Yorkshire, W.R.), Liberals .lose.seat, a Liberal majority (in a dual contest)of ; 3502 being converted into a Unionist piajority (in, a triangular contest) • of 113. Increase in Unionisf .votes cast, 1903. July 17.—Pembrokeshire,' Liberals retain seat with a majority reduced by 1106, Increase in Unionist votes cast, 680.'; August' 2.—Haggerston' (Shoteditch), Liberals lose seat: a Liberal majority of 401 (in a dual contest) being converted into a Unionist majority of 1143 in! a triangular con- , test; Unionists' absolute majority (over Liberal and Socialist votes added 'together) 156. ; :