29th July.
Reuter}'and from the telegram' whic!
Inst our darkness is illumined by we publish' this" morning the constitution' of the new House' of Commons is apparent:'' "It will be noticed that the return comprises only 668 members, two' short'of the full nutiber composing the Hotise, but one of the vacancies is admittedly Orkney and: Shetland, and the Gonstitiéney resehat by the we may Yurmise that. in all probability
Speaker is riot included in the list. If this be'éo, the net result would probably not be' affected,, as the former district' is' by' tradition "Gladstonian, and the' Speaker' is' a Liberal Unionist. 'Whit tHon's the result of the contest, which, if cah: be truthfully said, has been one of almost unparalleled strife? It is that Mr.' Gladstone, followed by his party, "and backed "up by' the Irish Natioriatist merabers; will be able to outvote his" combined ' oppotients—Tories and' Dibetal'Unionists—by 40. In a recent telegram we received there was some "suggestion that Lord~ Salisbury should' continue to hold the reins of governnient,"but' in face of these figures it could'tét be for any length of time, an, adverse' vote would soon oblige him''to. retire "into the' "cool shade of oppdsition.""* Already the Glad-stenions have' inet' in council,' under their chief, and no doubt at the present moment there' is considerable anxiety amongst them as to how the things" of office will' be distributed. In the circumstances in which he is placed, Mr. Gladstone will'find that the task of forming the new Cabinet will be far more' difficult than his previous efforts in that, direction. He' will have to face'a couisolidated and determined Conservative "bitty; more closely allied members, so that once more has he been prevented from obtaining that for which in 1885" he pleaded so hard, viz., a majority sufficient to allow him to deal.
independence. '''o all intents and pur-with the Irish question with absolute poses therefore, in dealing with the subject of Home Rule, he will be led rather than leading. When we come to contemplate' his possible position upon! the questions which: the "British electors' have been given to understand 4 will be considered, it must be said that it is one of great difficulty, and the whole case is summed' up when say, that unless constantly supported by the Irish 'Nationalists, he may find himself li a' minority upon even an English question, and thus be forced to appeal i to the country.
In due course, no doubt, we shall be treated to all Sorts of ingenious analyses that of the voting'and its result. "Suffice it at resent to sav that, at any rate upon the Irish quests; a Unionist majority of 66°-at the time of the dissolution has been converted into a Home Rule majority of 40; and that the electors who in 1886 rejected Mr. Gl stone's Irish policy by a majority of 116, have now to a certain extent endorsed his present proposals—whatever they inlay be,—by 40. As compared with the 'election of 1886, it may be interesting to add, that the Gladstonians have gained 83 seats, and the Nationalists have lost 5 seats whilst' the Conservatives have' lost 54 seats, and the Unionists 24.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.