NEWS OF THE WEEK.
IT seems fully clear that the first County Councils will have a very considerable weight of experience behind them, and that the elections have not in general been fought on party lines. In the City, though Sir John Lubbock (a Liberal Unionist) heads the poll, Lord Rosebery comes close to him and has polled more than double the votes of the next man on the list, Mr. Cohen. Again, in one district of West Surrey,—a county which returns a Conservative Member by a majority so large that a Liberal had no chance even before Home- rule was started,—Lord Thring, a Home-ruler, has been elected by a majority of 546 over his Conservative opponent, Mr. De Salis,—in fact, by 892 votes against 346, or considerably Snore than 2i to 1. Doubtless the Egham district is one of the least Conservative districts in West Surrey, and it is barely possible that Egham, if it had a separate Parlia- mentary representative of its own, might return a Home-ruler by a narrow majority, but it would be a very narrow majority. Lord Thring got his magnificent majority by Conservative and Liberal Unionist votes given to him as by far the fittest of the two candidates. In Lincolnshire and Leicestershire, the tenant-farmers have secured a very powerful representa- tion on the County Council, while in the latter county, the anti-vaccinators have scored something for their injudicious craze. But in general, the County Councils appear likely to begin their career Tinder the guidance of prudent counsels and traditional precedents, especially in the rural districts.
