NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE Election returns are now completed, save for the two Scottish University seats and the Orkneys and Shetlands. Leaving out these seats, 378 Liberals have been elected, 51 Labour Members, 83 Nationalists, and 152 Unionists. If the Nationalists are ranked among the anti-Free-traders, as they no doubt should be, considering the nature of the fiscal views entertained by most of them, and if the Labour Members are counted as Free-traders, this makes the House contain 429 Free-traders as against 238 anti-Free-traders. The Election has thus resulted in the return of a Free-trade majority of 191, a result which, if the Unionist Party are not devoid of all political instinct, should be accepted by them as settling the Fiscal controversy for the present generation. Considexed as plebiscite on the question of Free-trade versus Protection, the verdict of the country has been overwhelmingly against any attempt to overthrow our present Fiscal system. The result of the elections as far as the Ministry is concerned is to give it a position of immense strength. It will enjoy a majority of close on 90 over all the various sections which can by any possibility be regarded as non-Ministerial. Old Parliamentary hands are inclined to consider this majority as too large, and as likely to lead to carelessness ; and so perhaps it is; but, at the same time, we cannot but be devoutly thank- ful that the nation has pronounced with such emphasis against spy form of Protection.
