THE COMING CONTEST IN MIDLOTHIAN.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1842, 17 January 1880, Page 3

THE COMING CONTEST IN MIDLOTHIAN.

' The Earl of Dalkeith, whom Mr Gladstone is trying to oust from the representation of Midlothian, has attended a meeting of the Conservative committee of that county, and in reply to a vote of confidence said : 1 cannot on this occasion refrain from expressing to you the great gratification that has been given to me, and which I have in telling you, by the result of the inquiries which I have made, so far as I have gone, and I have bean endeavoring to visit the different parts of the county during the last six weeks. I can assure you that the result is such that wo have every possible hope of being successful when the day of trial comes. [Cheers ] Our returns are most satisfactory, our margin is considerable, and I think that our majority ought to be substantial. [Cheers.] We ought to thank those gentlemen who have kindly undertaken the arduous duties of the committees in the respective parishes for their labours. [Cheers.] We know that we have a very formidable opponent against us—a man who has been Prime Minister of England, of consummate ability, and great eloquence and power of expression ; a man who would be as likely as any to take the ear of those who listen to him, and in regard to whom, even when you do not agree with him, it is always a pleasure to listen to. [Hear, hear.] Gentlemen, organisation is of the greatest and paramount importance. [Cheers ] As Sir James Gibson Craig so well remarked, it is the best organised army that generally wins, and without organisation, however strong our cause, we may be defeated in the day of trial. [Hear, hear.] The Government have been assailed in every sort of way, and you have seen of late that the speeches which have been made have been almost entirely of one character. They have not shown any particular line of policy that would bs adopted by the Liberal party, but they have fallen back on mere, abuse of those opposed to them. Our people have been accused of murderous acts, as being guilty of shameful mendacity, and that sort of thing. [Laughter.] That is language that does greater injury to those who give utterance to it than to those to whom it is applied. But our opponents appear to have no policy to bring forward, unless in the course of next week we have a new policy propounded —[laughter]—and which perhaps we may find acceptable to this portion of the country. [Cheers.] I can only say that my honest endeavour has always been to do my duty, as far as I could, as your representative in Parliament. [Cheers ] I will not detain you longer, but would only impress upon you the great desirability at this moment of our keeping together. [Cheers.] Staunch I know we are, hearty we are, and enthusiastic I know we are, and I feel confident that when the time comes we shall all pull with “ a strong pull, a hearty pull, and a pull all together ” —[cheers] and thereby bring the contest to a successful issue.