Swansea is so very little given to Conservatism that the
attempt of that party to start a Conservative candidate for the General Election is regarded in a light almost comic in that grim and very plain-spoken place. Last week an attempt was made to reconcile the people of Swansea to young Mr. Meredyth's candidature by getting the Duke of Beaufort to speak for him at one of his meetings ; but this was a device singularly un- successful, the people of Swansea holding that the last person to interfere in an election is a Peer of Parliament. A more uproarious meeting was never held, Mr. Meredyth being inter- rupted by remarks that the people of Swansea did not want " boys " in Parliament,—by patronising requests to "give the boy a chance,"—by frequently intercalated cheers for Mr. Dillwyn,—and by storms of hisses. When the Duke of Beau- fort came forward he did not get even a momentary hearing, the Swansea people being evidently too deeply interested in the Duke's character to allow an opening for any record of his breach of constitutional principles by interfering in the election of a Member of the House of Commons. Even the existence of Conservatism is regarded in Swansea somewhat grimly as an inconvenient freak of nature which should be extinguished with all possible promptitude.
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