The poll for the Wisbech Division of Cambridgeshire, which was
declared yesterday week, proved a great triumph for the Gladstonians, Mr. Brand (the son of Viscount Hampden, formerly Speaker of the House of Commons, and at one time Liberal Whip during Mr. Gladstone's Administration) being returned by a majority of 260 over the Unionist candidate, Mr. Duncan. The numbers were :—For Mr. Brand, 3,979; for Mr. Duncan, 3,719. In 1886, the Conservative, Captain Selwyn, was returned by a majority of 1,087 over the Glad- stonian Liberal, Mr. Rigby, the numbers being :—For Captain Selwyn, 4,169; for Mr. Rigby, 3,082. Indeed, the Glad- stonian majority polled last Thursday was almost as great as that polled by the candidate of the undivided Liberal Party in 1885, when Mr. Rigby secured 3,919 votes, against 3,596 given to Captain Selwyn ; majority, 323. The explanation of this catastrophe given by " Unionist " in Monday's Times, is that Captain Selwyn intimated his intention to resign as long ago as last October, and himself sought out and recommended a successor whom he thought likely to be very popular ; that the central office at Westminster overruled the choice, though Captain Selwyn's agent was strongly in favour of the candidate selected ; and that, as a consequence, nearly ten months were lost for the purpose of organising the Unionists in the Wisbech Division. If this account is accurate, there has obviously been great mis- management. Still, mismanagement or no mismanagement, the defeat is a most notable one.
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