LORD HARTINGTON'S LIBERAL SUPPORTERS IN ROSSENDALE.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—My attention has been called to your note on Lord Hartington's recent election. As a member of the Liberal Executive, and one who has taken part in the last two contests, will you kindly permit me to offer a few words on the analysis of the vote P-1. The Irish vote has been greatly exaggerated ; at the fullest, when the register was compiled, it was only about 600, and on account of the migratory character of the Irish class, deaths, &c., I doubt if so large a number as 450 of them voted at the last election. 2. Lord Hartington's own local Liberal supporters do not estimate the number of Liberals who voted for him at more than 2,000; probably they were not more than 1,200; but even supposing the number were 2,000, then 5,399, minus 2,000, equals 3,399 as the Conservative vote for Lord Hartington on this occasion. 3. On the other hand, no one supposes that Mr. Newbigging received Conservative votes ; yet he polled only 51 short of 4,000, so that it could hardly be probable, as you say, that " nearly as many English Liberals voted for Lord Harlington as voted for Mr. New- bigging." At the previous election, the undivided Liberal vote was 6,060. As a matter of fact, Lord Hartington's workers admit that without the Conservative vote his Lordship would certainly have been emphatically rejected.—I am, Sir, &c.,
Swinshaw, Rawtenstall, My 22nd. S. CO3IPSTON.
[Lord Harlington himself admitted that he could not have been returned without the Conservative vote, and we accepted and repeated his admission.—ED. Spectator.]
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