The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 1910. THE BRITISH ELECTIONS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXV, Issue 12983, 26 January 1910, Page 4

The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 1910. THE BRITISH ELECTIONS.

When King Edward dissolved Parliament last month the Liberals claimed a majority of 336 over the Conservatives, the position of parties then being— Liberal and Labour 386 Labour 34 Nationalists 83 —503 Opposition 167 16/ Total 670 Ministerial majority 336 The record of the elections to date gives a very different result, as will be se.'.i from the'following figures: Liberals 205 Labour • 32 Nationalists 68—305 Opposition 226 —226 ■f Total 670 Ministerial majority 79 Naturally there has been a great deal ol speculation at Home as to the results ot the election. The Pall Mall Gazette about a month ago was informed by a high authority that the general belief in London was that the Liberals would be returned with a reduced majority. It was confidently predicted that the Conservatives would win very largely in England; but they were not likely to win one single seat in Wales, hardly any—perhaps half-a-iozen—in Scotland, and probably none in Iceland. The Gazette’s authority added; that any reasonable man could see that the Unionists were not coming into power it the general elections; for, even if they won a hundred seats in England, and presuming that they were equal or had more members returned than the liberal party, notwithstanding such a gain, they, would still not be able to govern the country in Face of the Irish and Labour Party being able by their yote to turn them out at vny moment. Though the estimate of the lazette was probably much more specuative than the forecast of the Times, pubished just on the eve of the election, it ; s levertheless not very far from the mark. Che Times, which went to very great care in summarising every constituency, forecasted 134 Unionist gains, 3 Liberal gains, ind 88 doubtful, of which latter the Times vuggested the Unionists would probably *ain 17. In the new Parliament if the stimate of 136 Unionist gains is borne out ,by the final returns, there will be 290 Liberal and Labour members, 83 Irish Na- . 'ionalists, and 296 Conservatives and Unionists. In other words, the Liberal \nd Labour vote and the Unionist vote .will be approximately equal, and the balance will be held hf the Irish Nationalists, vho, as we remarked yesterday, will be in v position to dictate the terms upon wh : ch their allegiance to the Government is to be maintained. The position revealed by :he-figures is very interesting, and it ’s lot easy to predict what will be the out:ome. . The Government went to the country on the question, as to the right or otherwise- of the Lords’ veto, which quesion Mr Asquith made the chief plank in ;is platform. The Conservatives, on the >ther hand, made tariff reform their battle •ry, while the Nationalists placed Home - lule for Ireland first and foremost. Whatever may now happen it can hardly he said a hat either the Finance Bill of, the Liberals" ■or their campaign, against the’ Hdnso ’o¥ ; -Lords - 'commands the confidence of the country.; Yet the new Government will: have no option but to advance to the conflict that has been marked out for it. It might, naturally he concluded that both the reform of the Lords and an alteration in ±he fiscal system will eventuate, either ior both of which could be given effect to provided the Nationalists were agreeable, hut the problem of how tha iftyss of difference between the two grea~ parties is to he bridged is not so-easy of solution. ' It may be that a further appeal to the country, as suggested by the Hon. C. P. Merriman, Under-Secretary to theLocal ' Government Board, will be necessary.’ It certainly-would be very much more : ,.satisfactory it either the" Conserva fives or 'the Liberals had an absolute majority.