The result of the General Election in New South Wales
will be scanned with some interest in this country. At the last election, the Protectionist party, headed by Sir George Dibbs and Mr. Barton, gained a signal victory over the veteran Free-trader, Sir Henry Parkes, and his two chief henchmen, Mr. G. H. Reid and the young Australian-Oxonian, Mr. B. R. Wise. But last Tuesday's polls have strangely reversed this. The Legislative Assembly of Sydney now musters 58 Free-traders as against 39 Protectionists. But here comes in the doubtful element : there are no less than 28 Labour Members returned. Hitherto the Labour vote has been divided,—one-half going with Free-trade, the rest with. the Protectionists. But the real danger now, as heretofore, is that the balance of power being held by the Labour party, it will exact its uttermost terms either from the present Government or from their successors.
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