By the death of Viscount Helmsley, the North Riding of
Yorkshire loses its Conservative Member, and the contest for the seat will probably be very close. At the last contest, in November, 1868, Mr. 0. Duncombe, the Conservative, was re- turned at the head of the poll, but only by a very small majority, he having polled 7,689 votes, against 7,429 given for the Liberal, Mr. Milbank. In July, 1868, however, just four months before, there had been a contest, in which the Liberal candidate was placed at the head of the poll, Mr. Milbank having polled 6,585 votes, against 6,362 given for Mr. W. E. Duncombe, the Conservative candidate ; from which it would appear that in the North Riding parties are very equally divided indeed. In 1874 and 1880, Mr. Milbank and Lord Helmsley came in with- out a contest, thus obliterating the influence of the constituency as regards all contests between the two great parties. In the present instance, the seat will most likely be contested, and there is good ground to hope that it may be won for the Liberals.
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