The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-07

| London, December 6.-At the close
of to-day's polling the complexion OF
| the House of Commons stood as fol-
lows:
Government coalition--Liberals. 1o6.
Laborites, 20; Nationalists. 26; total.
l152.
Opposition: unionists, 147.
A situation has been developed
almost phenomenal in the closeness of
the race between the government
coalition parties and the Unionists.
The pendulum swung slightly toward
the government to-day, and the result
of three days voting, in which 2e9
seats have been filed. gives the coali-
tion one more member than 1t had
in the last Parliament from the same
| constituencies. Up to last night the
unionists had clear gain of five.
Regain st. HeIens.
The returns tonight showed that
the Unionists had regained st. Helens
from the Laborites. This borough,
with the exception of last election.
had been unionIst since 1905. The
Liberals gained southwark (West),
Burnley and Coventry. and the Labor
ties gained woolwich and White
Haven. all from the Unionists, while
this mornings returns from Sunder-
land showed that the Liberal candi-
date, Greenwood. and the Laborite,
Goldstone. had replaced the two
Unionists there
The turning of the tide toward
Liberalism is a surprise and great
disappointment for the Unionists, who
counted upon capturing half dozen
seats from the enemy. The greatest
surprise was in Coventry. because that
is the seat of motor manufacturing,
and the protectionists had put great
T.. &1.-.
would prevent the growing competition
from American machines In this dis
trict, ID. NJ. Mason, Liberal. was elect
ed by majority or 523.
The Liberals hardly expect TO win
Burnley. because the Socialist. Hynd-
man. was in the field, and hopes to
take part of the labor vote.
The Southwark contest was one of
the most interesting, A. S. Strauss.
Liberal. winning by only twelve
of the hardest. In this constituency
VIII Crooks. well known working
man. who was turned out in the last
election. recaptured his old seat by
majority of 236.
The Unionists concentrated their
heavy fire on Battersea, but John
Burns. president of the local govern
Inent board, again surprised them by
bringing up his majority from 555 in
the last election to 1899. The Socialist.
Shaw, whom Mr.. Burns's enemies
among the workmen, put up in the ex-
pectation that he would divide the
votes. polled mere handful.
Fewer Ballots Cast.
Almost everywhere fewer ballots
were cast than in the last election.
More Liberals than Unionists STAYED
away from the polls. Excluding the
districts which changed their complex
ions. the Unionists made relative gains
in eighteen, the Liberals in twelve,
The Socialist candidates in London did
poorly. none commanding 500 votes.
An impressive lesson Of the campaign
Is how strongly British voters are we'd
ded to their parties how slow they are
TO break away, though the parties
change their platforms radically
The newspapers appear exercised
over their surprisingly small influence.
Almost all the most Important among
them and those with the largest circu-
lation championed the Unionist cause,
vet they were unable to make material
inroads into the Liberal and Labor
lines.
The betting on the Stock Exchange
b*fore election was that the coalition
majority would drop to sixty-fve. AS
the elections progressed the betting
favored eighty. then ninety. It now
concedes that the government will have
LOG majority.