NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE result of the North-West Manchester by-election, which was declared on Thursday night, was a surprise for every one—a slap in the face of unexpected severity for the Government and a far greater triumph than the Unionists had dared to prophesy. Optimists among the Unionists had whispered that the majority for Sir John Randles might be as high as 500. No one had foreseen a majority of 1,202. The figures were :—Sir John Bandies (U.) 5,573; Mr. Gordon Hewart (L.), 4,371. At the last election Sir George Kemp had a majority of 445 over Mr. Bonar Law. It is clear now that nothing that the Government can do in the way of inventing new battle-cries is likely to arrest their " chute," as the French say. Mr. Gordon Hewart soon discovered that an extreme policy of land taxation was not at all to the liking of the level-headed Lancashire people, and it is notorious that he fell into disgrace with the Henry Georgians of his own party.
