Just on theeveof the Prime Minister's retarn to England for the opening of Parliament his Government has received the severest blow from a constituency that it has ever experienced since the general election. The Unionists of Mid-Devon have turned a minority of some six handred into a majority, and that in a constituency that had been a Liberal stronghold ever since it came into existence under the Reform Act of 1885.
Of course it would te rash to draw large inferences from 4 single by-election, but the Tariff Reformers are justified in pointing to the fact that the new Member, Mr. Morrison Bell, is a whole hogger,"" who has never hedged on the fiscal question, On the other hand, the Free Traders make the most of the fact that Mr. Smith, the son of Viscount Hambleden and the late!
W. H. Smith, as well as other prominent local Unionists Free Traders, who had held aloof in 1906, on this occasion supported Mr, Bell, though the this may be the last on which the Unionist Free Traders will rally to the support "Fiscal Reformer," for their relations with the remainder of the Unionists re lately been mich ttered owing to.the—strong protest which the Tariff Reformers have recently raised against the Unionists of a Worcestershire constituency on the! subject of a candidate" who has decided learnings towards Free Trade. In connexion with this i incident the Morning Post" has revealed the existence of a" confederacy"" of Unionists, whose business it is to see that no Unionist Free all ever be adopted as a Times" Lord Robert Cecil, M. P., candidate. In this morning's
refers to the members of the confederacy Moonlighters," and dets Free Traders will not submit to their domination.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.