THE FINAL RETURNS

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 14957, 3 January 1919, Page 5

THE FINAL RETURNS

THE ASQUITHIAN DEBACLE.

1 ROUT OF THE NATIONALISTS

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association

London, Dec. 29

An analysis of the final returns, except one which has not come in, gives the composition of the new House as follows:—

Coalition Unionists 334 Coalition Liberals 133 Coalition Labour 10 Unionist * 50 Liberals 28 Labour g2 Independents j Socialist 1 Co-operative 1 Discharged Sailors and Soldiers and four others, unclassified 9 Nationalists 7 Sinn Feiners 73

Owing to the doubtful denomination of certain Unionists and Liberals, the precise results are uncertain. The "Daily Chronicle's" revised list gives the Coalition 334 Unionists, 133 Liberals, and 10 Labour members; other Union-

ists, 46; Liberals, 32. The Coalition majority over all others is 248. Other lists give 262 as the majority. It is estimated that the number of I Non-Coalition Liberals will vary owing to the Labour Party claiming several as practically Labourite members, but the above analysis is based on the official party labels. Al lthe Irish Unionists are excluded from the above list of Coalition Unionists because the scheme labelling the Coalition candidates . was not applied to Ireland. Of course, ■ the Irish Unionists, numbering approximately' 27, are expected to support the Government on most' matters. A close study of the figures emphai sises the fact that the Coalitionists scored a pronounced success in every I group of constituencies in Britain. Of 153 out of 61 seats which the Government won in the London boroughs, the Unionists got 42 and the Liberals 11. The other London representatives are two non-pledged Unionists-:—Sir John Norton-Griffiths (Central Wandsworth) and Mr J. Hopkins (South-east St. Pancras) —and three Liberals and two Labour members, neither of whom were opposed by Coalitionists, and one Independent, Mr Horatio Bottomley. Of 193 members elected for the other English boroughs 149 are supporters of the Government; these comprise 106 Unionists, 36 Liberals and 7 Labour : members. The remainder are 16 ! Union, 3 Liberals, 20 Labour members, 4 Independents, and 1 Irish I Nationalist. In the English counties are 191 Coalition members out of a j total of 236 seats, the Unionists again i forming a large majority, with 149, ' compared with 40 Liberals and 2 LW bour members. \The unpledged Lib- • erals number 12 and the unpledged Unionists 2, Labourites 22, and Independents 3. • " In "Wales, 20 Coalitionists were returned but of 35 seats, the others be- ; ing 10 Labour members, 3 unpledged Unionists, and 2 unpledged Liberals. The Scottish boroughs returned 23 Government supporters, namely, 15 Unionists and 8 Liberals, the remaining members being 5 unpledged Liberals and 5 Labour members. In the Scottish counties 13 Unionists and 17 Liberals were elect-ed under the Coalition banner, the others being two unpledged Unionists, 3 unpledged Liberals, and 3 Labour members1. In the Irish boroughs 8 Unionists, 2 Nationalists, and 11 Sinn Feiners were returned, while the counties are reprer: sented by 15 Unionists, 4 Nationalists, and 61 Sinn Feiners. At Dundee, Mr Winston Churchill received 25,788 votes, and Mr Wilkie, (Labour) 24,822. Both scored huge majorities over the Independent Labour candidates. At Glasgow Central, Mr Bonar Law polled 17,653, and Mr Quin (Labour) 4738.

For Duncairn, Mr Carson polled 11,637, and Mr Davey (Liberal) 2449, Mr M'Nab (Sinn Feiner) polling 271. In Stirlingshire East, Mr Glyn (Coalitionist) polled 6771, Mr May (Independent) 5753, and Dr. Chappie (Liberal). 5040.

At Handsworth, Mersey, Mr Thompson, a New Zealander (Coalitionist) secured a large majority over the Independent Labour candidate. Sir Newton Moore was elected for Islington North. For Fifeshire West, Mr Adamson (Labour) defeated Mr Menzies (Coalitionist) by a big majority. Fbr Smethwick, Mr Davidson (Labour) polled 9389, and Mrs Pankhurst 8614.

CABLE NEWS.

[Prebb Association—Coptbjoht.J

fully-pledged Asquithians were returned.

Mr G. N". Barnes (Labour Minister in the War Cabinet), interviewed, stair! Ed that it was his opinion thafe tho country turned against everyone whu had not whole-heartedly supported tba war. He believed that the Labonit Party had lost a great chance l:j t truckling to Bolshevism.

An analysis of the polling shoved that London and Scotland polled les-a than half the total electorate, the English boroughs and counties a little ov«> half, and Wales- just half.

Mr C. Trevelyan ' shared the fate cf other pacifists. The well-known Labour member, Mr Jowett, was also defeated by a Coalitionist. For the nir.o Belfast seats six Unionists, two Labour Unionists, and one Nationalist were returned.

Only the following remain of tie Nationalist Party:—Messrs J. Devlin, T. P. O'Connor, Captain Redmond, P., Donnelly, P. O'Doherty, E. J. Kelly, J. MacVeagh, and T. Harbison. TLdUlster constituencies returned twentythree jUnionists, eight Sinn Feiner.y,. and seven Nationalists.

The Labour successes wefc mostly m Lancashire, Yorkshire, and the Midlands. They won the following seat«: Ormskirk, Leek, Morpeth, Clithere, Suethwock, Rother Valley, Hemsworth, West Nottingham, Burnley, West Hara, Rothwell, Wigan, West. Bi-omwicb, Aberdeen City, St. Helens, 'Prestoi3, : Wednesbury, Kingswinford, Nelson-en Colne, Anglesea, Kettering, Newtor>, Edinburgh, Central Wentworth, Yorkshire, Houghton-le-Spring, Caerphilly, Govan, Forest of Dean, Broxtowe, and Bedwellty.

Among the remarkable results of ths analysed returns are the Coalition successes in industrial centres, jaamely, in Glasgow, thirteen out of fifteen members; in Birmingham, eleven out ioi" twelve; in Liverpool, nine out ct twelve j in Manchester, six out of ten; in Sheffield, seven out of seven; an<3 in Leeds, five out of six. The Coalition secured fifty-six out of fifty-seven seats in some counties, namely, fortynine Unionists and seven Liberals. Sisother counties returned Coalitionists solidly. One hundred and fifty-five candidates, including three Momen, forfeit their deposits.

Mr Lloyd George will proceed with the formation of a new Government en Monday.

The "Daily Express" says it is authoritatively informed that, tjhe Government desire to offer Mr Asquith & peerage, bui^Mr Asquith is unlikely to accept, it., -JFLiberal member has offered to resign in his favour.

Speaking at Liverpool, Mr T. P. O'Connor declared that the Government had driven Ireland into a passionate resentment, and must take tbo responsibility if sixty or seventy Irisli members of the House of Commons were sent to gaol. /;

The'most notable features of the elec'tidns were-the downfall of "-Mr As--quith and his followers, together with "the huge majorities the Coalitionists ob.taineil, ovw their opponents -in nearlgalltHecohtestsV Apart from the Countess Markiewicz, who easily" beat the Nationalist candidate for SC. Patrick' s. t Dublin', no woman was elected.

The Irish returns show; a remarkable turn" over to Sinn Fein, including a heavy majority against •Mr:? John Dillon, the Nationalist leader. ■ .rS>lr Hayes (Sinn Fein) beat Mr Lundon for Easi Limerick by a majority 0£42142. Sinu, Fein scored successes at Olontarf, West W#klbw, .Lo^th, Queen's County, Londonderry City. Mr Ginnell'w.on West'hWatti.by a majority of 9000/r"'Mr Devlin beat Mr De Valera for the Falls Division. The Unionists carried North and South Londonderry, North':;Antrim, North-west Down, and Tyrone South.

An immense women's vote was cast for the Coalition. Numbers of women invalidated their ballot papers hy writing messages on them. Many soldiers did not vote, but scribbled across their papers: "We want demobilisation be..fore polities," . ■■' '~ The'*Sinn.. Feiners celebrated their success by "bonfires on' the' hilltops and torchlight processions. '

' Fifty-five-. per cent., of the. electors voted/ aggregating ;9;3^f0(5<5*% whom ■5,028,000 voted for Coalition candidates. •