With the rising of Parliament just a week ago we have entered on what promises to be, from the political point of view, one of the dullest recesses on record; but a few hours after the members had shaken hands with the Speaker and gone their separate ways we had one little inci lent to arouse political excitement. This.was the declaration of the poll in the Brightside division of Sheffield wher+ a vacancy had been created by the death of Mr. Mundella. The candidates were Mr. Fitz Alan Hope (Conservative), a nephew of the Duke Norfolk, who combines with his duties as Postmaster-General those of the mayoralty of Sheffield, and Mr. F. Maddison, compositor and editor of the Railuny Review, who had come forward as a lubuur candidate and had been adopted by the Liberal Party in the constituent; The seat, has been looked upon as a strong. hold of Liberalism, and the Conservatives are more than satisfied with having reduced the Liberal majority, which in 1892 stood at 1,277 to 183. Allowing for the advantage which the Conservative candidate derived from his social position und his wide popularity in the city of which he ix chief, magistrate, the results certainly seem to show that the Government have succeeded to some extent in stemming the tide of reaction which appeared to have set in afew months ago, when Walthamstow was lost to the Party.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.