The net results of the polling up to yesterday afternoon
give very nearly a tie between the Conservatives and Liberals. And all now depends on the counties, or the comparatively few boroughs still to be polled. We may count on a considerable increase of our numbers from Scotland and Wales, Scotland having yesterday returned only fifteen Members, and Wales very few ; but then the chances are that the urban-county constituencies, of which the number is greater than of genuinely rural county constituencies, will follow the lead of the large towns, and yield as many Con- servatives as Liberals. As to the vote of the genuinely rural county constituencies, we know as yet nothing ; but even if it be very favourable to the Liberal Party, we cannot well expect to gain seats enough to give us a working majority over the Tories and Parnellites combined. Mr. Parnell is only too likely to succeed in his purpose of holding the balance between the two parties. In that case, as we have elsewhere argued, every- thing should be done to induce the Tories to lean rather on the Moderate Liberals than on the anti-British confederacy.
