Mr. Laing has been defending himself before his constituents of
the Wick Burghs, both at Kirkwall and Wick ; and as regards his votes on the Reform Bill,—he only voted once against the Govern- ment, namely, on Lord Grosvenor's amendment,—tolerably suc- cessfully ;—as regards his speeches, which were dead against all reduction of the franchise and in favour of the present law, " which has workel so well," very unsuccessfully indeed. At Kirkwall, where he spoke first, he vibrated hopelessly between pure Conservatism and a wish to accommodate himself to Liberal ideas. At Wick last Monday he had wakened up to a perception of more danger, and spoke on the whole in favour of a moderate Liberal measure, though he could not help taking a longing look behind, and again panegyrizing the electoral system which has produced the Parliaments of the last thirty years. A vote of confidence was proposed in him at Wick, and an amendment put expressing want of confidence. The division appears to have been close, the chairman deciding with hesitation that the amendment was rejected.
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