Mr. Bradlaugh has been returned again for Northampton by a
majority very slightly diminished from that of last year. He polled on Thursday 3,796 votes, against 3,688 given for the Conservative Member, Mr. Corbett. No other Liberal contested the seat. At the general election in 1880, Mr. Bradlaugh polled 3,827 votes; and last May, 3,437, so that this time he polled many more votes than he managed to poll last year, though fewer than at the general election. We regret Mr. Bradlaugh's return, as we do not think that he has fought his own political cause on anything like the highest principles ; but in the absence of any truer exponent of that cause, we do not greatly wonder at it. The House of Commons has not treated Mr. Bradlaugh as a Court of Law would undoubtedly have treated him, had it been possible to bring the question of the oath before such a Court, and this is very naturally resented. No constituency will stand having its Member rejected by the Howe bf Commons on no legal ground.
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