NEWS OF THE WEEK.
pREDICTIONS about an election which will be finished within a fortnight are not of much use, but the great question at issue this year is, we believe, virtually settled. Mr. Gladstone will be elected Premier of the Empire, by a majority of more than one hundred. We will allow, merely for the sake of argument, that "'Liberals and Tories each gain half the contested seats,—an immense concession,—and there remain :-
UNCONTESTED SRAM.
LIBERALS. CONSERVATIVES.
Ragland and Wales—Counties
38 75 Boroughs 92 10 Scotland—Counties 16 3 Boroughs 22 0 Ireland—Counties 34 23 Boroughs 14 5 Total 216 • 116
—leaving the Liberals a clear majority of 100. There are, how- ever 5 uncontested university seats, of which only one is Liberal, and the total majority is, therefore, 97. We expect a real majority after the contests of at least 105, and it may rise much higher.
