BRITISH ELECTION.

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6926, 26 January 1906, Page 2

BRITISH ELECTION.

HICKS-BEACH RETURNED. LIBERAL AND LABOUR GAINS, LONDON, January 25- j To-day's returns give a further Unionist loss to the Liberals of fifteen seats, and to the Labourites of three seats. The most interesting features of the polls are the return of Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, the third of the Unionist leaders to find his way back to the House, and the remarkable Labour victory in South Glamorganshire. Including the latest returns the state of the parties is now : Liberals 309 Labour ... ... 47 Irish Nationalists ... 79 Unionists 134 Total seats filled .. 509 leaving 101 constituencies still to be represented.

FURTHER RETURNS. LONDON, January 25. Further Liberal gains are as follows Sutherland : Morton, Iccles,-* and Pollard. Southport: Ashbury (elected). Hallamshire; Wadsworth. The following Liberals have been re-elected : Radcliff, T. Taylor, Booties, Sandys, Horssey, C. Balfour, Otley and Duncan. HOME RULE AND EDUCATION-* LONDON, January 24. Mr Michael Davitt, in a remarkable letter to the Freeman's Journal, says he rejoices at the approaching secularisation of the Catholic schools in England, and that the act of the Irish bishops in instigating Mr Redmond to assist Mr Balfour to enact the Education Act of 1902 was "asinine stupidity." The result of this blunder was that the triumphant Radical majority was pledged to secularise the schools in England, and not piedged to provide Home Rule for Ireland.