The advocates of 1'roportlonal Representation may justly point to this
Election as a fresh proof of the inequitable character of our rougheand-ready system. The Coalition would have won handsomely under any systems, but it gained more- seats than its voting-power entitled it to secure. Sixty-four of the Coalition's candidates, including Sir George Younger him- self, won bye minority vote ; twenty-eight of its opponents were equally favoured. In Great Britain, the Westminster Gazette says, the Coalition and the Independent Unionists received 5,550,000 votes and the non•Coalition candidates 4,220,000 votes ; but the Coalition and the Independent Unionists secured threeseats to every one of the other side, instead of only five to four. As a matter offset, this calculation is very inexact, as all the votes given' for such Labour men as Mr. Barnes and Mr. Roberts are classed as " Labour " and " non-Coalition," whereas they were in fact recorded by electors of all Parties in favour of the Government. Still, the Coalition majority, actually very great, is undoubtedly exaggerated. •
Previous page
