13 JUNE 1874, Page 2

The division list is rather curious. Four members of the

late Cabinet, Mr. Lowe, Lord Hartington, Mr. Goschen, and Mr. Stansfeld, voted in the minority, and no less than twelve mem- bers of the late Government,—i.e., the four Cabinet Ministers already mentioned, and also Mr. Baxter, Dr. Playfair, Mr. A. Peel, Mr. Grant Duff, Mr. Campbell-Bannerman, Mr. Lefevre, Mr. Trevelyan, and Mr. Adam. On the other hand, of the late Government, only Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen voted with Mr. Forster against the second reading. Notwithstanding this great accession of official Liberalism to the side of Mr. Richard, the Liberals who voted for him were only more numerous by thirteen votes (exactly one more than the official accession itself) than those who supported Mr. Candlish in his motion of two years ago, when he received the support of 115 votes. Of course, a great many Liberals abstained altogether from voting, while a few very strong ones, like Mr. Locke (Southwark) and Mr. Rathbone (Liverpool) voted with Mr. Forster, Mr. Knatch- bull-Hugessen, and the Conservatives. Clearly the Birmingham League has not as yet gained any ground.