THE MEANEST PIECE OF POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM.

[TO THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECT.110R.']

SIR,—In your issue of the 22nd instant " Liberal " gives a presentation of our electoral conditions which is quite frag- mentary, by no means clear, and quite inconclusive for his purpose. May I submit a fuller presentation ? I have com- piled the electoral statistics for our last three General Elections, excluding those constituencies which were contested on one or two of the occasions only, and including only those constituencies which were contested on all three occasions, thus furnishing results which are properly comparable. No Irish results are included. The summary of these results I give below :— 1906. January, 1910. December, 1910.

Votes Members Votes Members Votes Members cast, returned. cast. returned, east, returned..

Liberals 2,215,639 328 ... 2,310,465 ... 2 5 ... 2,170,301 ... 222 Conservatives 1,934,61.9 ...

83 ...

2,427,926 ...

1S7 ...

2,297,579 ... 189 Labour 433,525 ... 38 ... 452,855 ... 37 ... 357,032 ... 38

443

449

449

These figures show that on all three occasions the Liberals received more than their proportionate number of repre- sentatives. The discrepancy between the actual representa- tion secured and the representation which would have been proportionate to the votes given is set out in the following tabulation

1906 Liberals • Conservatives ... 1910' 1_ Liberals... Jan' 1- Conservatives ...

1910/. Liberals Dec. 1- Conservatives ...

The facts here set forth demand the serious consideration of the electorate. They certainly justify your remark up to the hilt that the Government in pressing for the abolition of plural voting while ignoring these grosser inequalities is guilty of " the meanest piece of political opportunism ever con-

Proportionate.

2'21

1 1

211

10,1

211.

Actual.

••• ••• ••• ••• ••• • -•

templated."—I am, Sir, &c., WILLIAM COATES. 15 Elyne Road, Stroud Green, N.

Lire cannot continue this correspondence.—En. Spectator.]