Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-30
THE CONTEST IN ENGLAND,
The Liberals Not Sure Of q Majority
over the Tories and Parnellites.

Dispatch 10 y Y sun.
LoxpoS. October 27.-The remarkable and
exhaustive canvass OF the United Kingdom,
which was mentioned in these dispatches on
the 18th inst. has now been completed and its
results haze been put in tabular form. The
canvass made with a view of forecastins
the general elections by the Central News OF
London. which made similar canvass during
the exciting campaign Of 1880, and with such
success that its predictions were confirmed
almost to the letter. The canvass was begun
weeks ago by sending to- correspondents
throughout Great Britain and Ireland a series
of questions, to which they were instructed u
obtain brief and positive answers Hundreds of
correspondents were thus employed, and every
constituency in the British islands has been
visited at least once by practised and impartial
judges.
that the liberals are sure OF plurality in the
next parliament, but that they are not yet GER
overcome the tories and Parnellites together
when combined in opposition. The internal d.
visions of the liberal party are shown to have
dergOne a great change In the past the wings
have largely outnumbered the radicals. In the
next parliament they will be almost exactly
balanced. An accident may give the prepon.
derance to either faction at any moment, and
it is within the bounds Of possibility that the
whie-radical coalition may be disrupted by the
dissolution of the former faction. In this case
the land owning and conservative wings would
go to the tories. and the rest would nalgamate
with the radicals
OF the tory candidates thus far nominated
36S are partiSanS of Lord Salisbury. the regular
head of the party. and only az are ready to-
follow the impetuOus leadership of Lord Ran
doIph Churchill. a few of them are still unde-
cided OF the liberals, 2:;S are followers of Lord
Harrington the wing leader. and 232 will fol-
low Mr.. Chamberlain, the Birmingham RADICAL
who Is supposed to bave reVersionary rights to
Mr.. Gladstone ; mantle.
The tory candidates everywhere Will receive
the solid party vote. but internal diSsensions
epdanSer the success of the liberals in siXty-twO
bOroughs and divisions which they would other
wise carry beyond doubt. The English Catho-
lies will support the tories almost every where.
have aiarge influence i'm contests for twenty
four oil the British seats. In sixteen OF these
cases they will be sufficiently powerful TO turn
the scale. All will vote for the tory candidates
in furtberance of Mr.. Parnells policy of form
ing large majority, so as To give the irish party
the balance of power.
In Ireland seventy nationalist Will be elected,
either without opposition or with large MAORI
ties over their opponents. Eight more are
equally certain of election but with smaller
majorities. Ten tories will be elected with
large majorities and six with small majorities.
Four seats are conceded to the liberals, and
only five seats in Ireland are considered doubt
full
The probable totals for each party are as fol-
lows: Nationalist, rs in Ireland and / in
England: tories, IL; in Ireland and 49, in Great
Britain. liberals, 4 in Ireland and SO in Great
Britain: doubtful, 16. III 81 of these doubtful
seats can be captured by either of the national
isis or the tories ii will make their united
strength equal TO that of the liberals
The returns OF this canvass have been shown
to the officials at both the liberal and tory
headquarters. and the opinion in both camps
is that the figures are trustworthy.