The Express.
London, England, 1864-02-16 00:00:00

111(1D WATILKATIAPSDOM BALDG/L

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Tge Day Nforning, e 6. Wm.... Memos th. 311.
To-mouor— morning. 9h. 43m • • • Aftmlman• I. 2,111.

LONDON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16.

Ir has not been the practice of this journal to
discuss the comparative personal merits of two',
or more Liberal candidates contending for the I
same seat in Parliament. This neutrality may
possibly have its disadvantages, but we conceive it
to be only respectful to the electors, who should be
the best judges of the qualifications of the gentle-
men before them. Our steadfastness has been
put to a severe test by what has taken place at
Brighton during the last few weeks, but now that
the electors of that town have declared their pre-
ference we are free to note one or two facts for
future use. At the polling yesterday 2,464
votes were recorded on the Liberal aide,
and 1,634 on the Conservative. The opinion
of the constituency cannot, therefore, be claimed
for the Conservatives. But, in spite of this
preponderance of liberal votes, the Conservative
candidate has been returned. The very votes
which showed the seat to belong to the Liberals,
being distributed among three candidate;
gave it to their antagonist. To make the loss
more vexation; it involved the defeat of a
gentleman singularly qualified for a Parlia-
mentary career, and who, as the result showed,
was the choice of a great majority of the Liberals
of the constituency. Mr. Fewest,. obtained
1,453 votes; Mr. GOLDSIIID, who came next to
him, 781 votes ; and Mr. Druas, 230 votes. Mr.
Moos, the Conservative candidate, headed the poll
with 1,634 votes. Had the 230 votes given to
Mr. Draw been polled for Mr. FAWCETT, that
gentleman would have had a majority of votes
over Mr. Moos„ leaving Mr. GOLDSIIID'S 781
followers to go their separate way. The dis-
astrous result of the divisions in the Liberal
camp was of course foreseen, and if the
two Liberal candidates were as sincerely attached
to Liberal principles as they professed to
be, they moat feel deeply the discredit which
belongs to them for having given Mr. Cotemensat's
seat to a supporter of Lord DERRY. The largest
share of this blame must fall to Mr. KUPER Dulies.
We have no desire to pressharclly onagentleman who
is new to public life, and who may yet do some-
thing for the Liberal cause to atone for his first
fault ; but we must tell him that if he wishes
to stand well in public estimation, he should
renounce at once and for ever the advisers who
have counselled him in this Brighton election. Mr.
Dumas arrived in Brighton • few weeks ago, as if
he bad dropped, like 31. NADAL, from the clouds.
He was " first in the field "—that was his peculiar
merit—and he was " determined to go to the poll"
—that was his engine for coercing the constitu-
ency. He soon discovered that he had not the
support of the leaders of the Liberal party. A
Committee appointed to consider the quali-
fications of the candidates reported in favour of
Mr. OTWAY, and placed Mr. DCM►s at the bottom
of its list. Thereupon he resolved to ignore
the decision of the Committee, and his agent ob-
tained from a noisy meeting by • piece of clap-
trap
a vote to give countenance to his candidature. I
At a later period, when the dangers of a division
of the Liberal party were impressing men's minds,
a proposition was made which, if it had been sin-
cerely adopted, would in all likelihood have saved
the seat. It was proposed by a gentleman of
influence, unconnected with the borough, that the
pretensions of the several Liberal candidates
should be submitted t. a preliminary ballot of the
electors, and that the candidates should be
governed by the preference thus ex- I
pressed. It appeared likely that this suggestion
would be adopted, when Mr. Dulles' agent, Mr.
James AcLisn, intimated that the only ballot by
which his principal would abide was one in which
the Conservatives as well as the Liberals should I
take part. The pretensions to be tested were those
of candidates who called themselves Liberal, and
who relied on Liberal votes, and yet it was demanded
on the part of Mr. Dress that the Conservatives
should be brought in to adjust the differences of
the Liberal party. It is not to be supposed that any
honourable men among the Conservatives would
place themselves in a false position by so inter-
meddling ; but it was plainly for the interest of
their party that the name to come out of such a
ballot should be that of the Liberal candidate least
likely to command support. This device was, of!
course, spurned by all fair-dealing men, but
the ballot unhappily was rendered impossible. As
far as Mr. DUMAS was concerned, this was of no
consequence ; but the opportunity of uniting the
Liberal party was lost. For the sake of con-
stituencies who have not hitherto been favoured
with the attentions of Mr. JAMES ACLAND we may
mention that Brighton is not the first town
in which he has attempted to force one of his
clients on the Liberal party by a ballot accessible
to Tories, a proceeding which can only be described
as perfidious. Mr. Coto-min, who stands next to