24 JANUARY 1880, Page 1

The Liberals and Tories have settled on the candidates who

are to contest the seat for Liverpool vacated by the death of Mr. J. Torr. The Liberals have accepted Lord Ramsay, eldest son of the Earl of Dalhousie, and representative of the great Marquis, a stout Liberal, who unhesitatingly condemns the foreign policy of the Government, " which, for the first time, has made England act the part of Bombastes Furioso ;" and will support land-law reform. The Tories, on the other hand, have selected Mr. Edward Whitley, an extremely popular local solicitor, who will vote steadily for the Government, who professes strong Church principles, and on whose behalf Lord Bandon intends to speak. Mr. Whitley is spoken of by his admirers as the " Protestant candidate," and will undoubtedly poll a heavy vote. It will be impossible, however, to raise the cry of being a destructive against the heir to an earldom and the great Panmuro rent-roll, and local popularity is not always preferred to ability for the House of Commons. As the "interests " will be pretty equal in Liver- pool, and the constituency is enormous, exceeding sixty thou- sand, the battle will really be fought round the foreign policy of the Government. It is believed in Liverpool that the election may take place on Wednesday or Thursday week, and so give Parliament, on its assembling, a valuable hint.