THE LIBERAL PARTY IN MANCHESTER.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
more miserable surrender than that which has just been made by the leaders of the Liberal party in Manchester to the Tory candidate has seldom been known, certainly never in .my knowledge in Manchester. The Manchester leaders get old, and want changing now and then. And money for an election is not easily found, at present. These are the chief reasons. But another is, what to do with the third Liberal Member at the next election. We cannot carry three seats. The talk about only two Sessions to run in the present Parliament, and about the etiquette of allowing the minority Member to retain his seat, are only after-thoughts of men who have not got strong argu- ments to support the conclusion they had come to, not to fight.
• The Pankhurst difficulty is of the same nature. Dr. Pank- hunt will take the Irish vote from Mr. Houldsworth, and weaken him as much as he will weaken the Liberals. And we have the Doctor always with us. The crowds outside the Reform Chit last night showed how Liberals felt. If we were a small borough, a volunteer could easily step in and win the seat for Gladstone. The thing is not in the least impossible even in Manchester.— I am, Sir, &c., •
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