11 NOVEMBER 1905, Page 3

The results of the election of the new Lord Rectors

of Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities last Saturday show the strength of the reaction against the present Government and all associated with it. At Edinburgh Mr. Haldane beat Lord Dunedin by thirty votes, and becomes the first Liberal Lord Rector of that University for twenty-five years. At the last poll Sir Robert Finlay defeated Sir Edward Grey by nearly three hundred votes. At Glasgow Mr. Asquith achieved an even more remarkable victory, beating his opponent, Lord Linlithgow, by over two hundred. Such results need not necessarily mean much, for the Scotch student is not a bigoted politician, and reserves his right to vote according to his fancy ; but the great Universities have always been Con- servative, and such a complete reversion cannot be without significance, for both the defeated candidates had high claims upon the regard of their fellow-countrymen. In any case, Edinburgh and Glasgow are to be congratulated on securing for their chief offices two most distinguished men.