A great meeting of Lancashire Liberal Clubs was held last
Saturday at Rawtenstall, to celebrate the definite selection of Lord Hartington as one of the candidates for North-East Lancashire at the next General Election. Eight thousand people assembled under the marquee, while a great number who were obliged to remain outside were separately addressed by speakers in the open air. The meeting was very enthusiastic on behalf of Lord Hartington, who, it was announced, had so far accepted the proposals of the Liberal Committee, as to release them from any pledge of silence or privacy in relation to their plans. This means, of course, that Lord Hartington sees his way to such support that, whether he wins the election or not, it is evidently desirable not to discourage his supporters ; and that unless unexpected reasons should appear against his candidature, he will be quite willing to fight the battle. In North-East Lancashire, in 1868, Sir U. J. Kay- Shuttleworth polled 3,463 votes, only 131 fewer than Mr.. Starkie, the lowest of the Conservative numbers at the poll; and only 149 fewer than Mr. Holt, the Conservative, who headed the poll. In 1874, again,—the lowest ebb-tide of Liberalism,—the battle was even nearer gained, Sir J. Kay- Shuttleworth polling 4,401 votes against only 4,488 given for Mr. Starkie, and losing only by 87 votes. The conver- sion, then, of a very small fraction of the total number of voters would bring in a Liberal ; and certainly of Liberal can- didates, none could have so good a chance as Lord Hartington, who will take to the contest not only the prestige of the Liberal leadership in the Commons, not only the Lancashire influence of the House of Cavendish, but, in very considerable degree at least, the influence due to the well-known fact that the head of the House of Stanley now favours the foreign policy of the• Liberals, far more than the foreign policy of the Tories. With such great advantages, Lord Hartington should be able to carry North-East Lancashire for the Liberal party.
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