The Express.
London, England, 1868-11-25 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY

Clay of the parechisl angry, alto. have+ anawcrol
the Bishop of I.ontioN'a best of drain. and takon
their stand, like Lord Rrecto, on the 'brim:lV,, of
Establishments; wideripread social avvi I ity booola-
lag more and morn a middleaarlass infirmity; the
valet's idea that Toryism is fashionable. with all
the customary art.. of omroion wed corrup-
tien practised with a optician regardless
alike of scruples and expense surely these
things ale more than enough to account
for the Tory triumph in South-West Lan-
caddie, and, for Co matter of that, avistaiie
weettomdis, in kliddlesox. In the metropolitan
county, it is true. there were other eirounistance*
and cuaditions exceptionally unfavourable to the
Lawrals on this occasion. Ilad Lord Baratta)
thought a little loss of his personality and a little
more of his principles a few weeks ago, and
iTontancoubly identified his cause with that of his
colleague, from tie first, as he did roluotantly at
last, n fatal examplo of discord and disunion
night have been spared, and thousands of Liberals
who yt sterday abstained from voting might have
rowel both rant& Of course, we do not affort to
doubt tkat in Middlesex, as in Mid-Surrey, there
is a Ft reng body of honestly consorvativo opinion,
which, both in tLo old and the new constituoncy,
came gallantly to the front yesterday; them i.
Ind alb also, a cunsiderablo fiuctaatirrg 1111.43
of electors, who would dread. nothing
co much ea to Lo confoundod with the
" :homey " candidate, nt.d who would
ri ft r a (Jung lord, or oven arm " oltiorly son ,-
- Leder" wi.b a big bonne and safe const:tutionsl
irite'rlea. to a Mideast even with a handle L. hie
Lame, and who have not studied in vain the order
et rrreedenee in the Peerage. Thew two contorts
cut ed b in importance all the vat of ywiterlay'n
Tay gLinc. happily the Liberal majority, stroll
um it is. uud such as it will remain, has a tolor.rbly
Licari Luck, and will bow. a good deal of beating.

OUR CON TEM PO RA I:1 141 S.
OHM DAY.)

lon. erases OF as. ormerrosrs
Itio rin,..4 lout no de4ro to underrate the im-
peitanee of Mr. 01..ilsterad defeat in lloutlt-West Un-
eathir. Tho battle has been avowedly fought on reli-
gions grounds, Una on the Frinciief qumtion the judgment
of the • leuseashire electors is adverse to that which hat
Lain formed by the teat of the kingdom. Tut+ littera*
Imre bad to contend with • party whillt ha" boon roused
to t xiraotdinal y activity by the nature et the qaoltion on i
which the national °pillion was to be taken. No ens
ran doubt the readily of the seal and the offirieney of
the prcpatations they made for 'this ountvt. Ind. aI.
throughout the counties in general the whole
strwinth of the tarty has boon put forth, am' no
influence, political or social—may we not add peoaniary i'
—has been wired in order to maintain the government
and to defend the It WI eataidishment. The great bmly of
conservative society Wm beets utilised for the ;tattooist
came*, and the wonder*, not that the government has
had a certain number of unexpected /moment , hat that
the result upon the elections potently has been 4 small.
The principal cause of Mr. Oladidone's failure, however.
is undoubtedly to be sought in the extraordinary preju-
dit e which the Irish immigrants hive created * Lance-
*lie. Lie Times believes the fact to be that the *user-
relit's, reaction in Lancashire regards om4udively the Iries
chest 1., end that though the members returaed mogene-
iagy euppuilierts of the ',mount government. yet Mr. Dis-
ict li iu.d his petty need not expect to retain any perma-
nent hold ova the con-ditucuoles.
Ike Polly Aron 0135 that flunth-Wostsfonet irie 13.3
bold drat tmwoitby to be ripicteutod by Mr. 01 1 .I.tone.
Eo ranch the worse for rinutli-Wass 1,,,,,, .a a,,,. „.„,,,!,
piaci.** itself 'tome: thy to be represonted by tI tomit-
uir fur all England. fur. o:ndstone'd cutsit,..i sc ores
always tcown, by himself as well as by uthera, to 51 a
donlAtut one: It was lib salami* to seals "the potions
aat.*".l he Tinfoil would ha re been glorious ; 4lt dabs
is suet ignoble. That hi, ,houht have been able, en the
ince of an opposition dleeiloss in its euorgy, alansit blusd-
lin in Its remurtes„ and timcrupulous as t 1 its Mint, to
Mb Ids adversaries so close as he did yo terse
shoed a
growth of opinion sa,4 courage in his favoar. Osr cos-
tcwpwary tap this tut the credit td the people of Smith-
West Lancashire, who need all the ',elastic.* ut their
conduct that cast he offered. They have not yet emerged
hunt tot) hot ; but they *corn to Do etrugglirg titter.*
the light.
Ibe l'est rewash that the part which Lancashire
lisp d towards Oxford Ind goners! eluetion is nosh played
by Ili tt nwich towards Lulictothis O. and if the tnauNitiou
for such a man as Mr. olailstono from the representation
of the first acad. nay in England to that of a large manu-
facturing diet pct was a rude one, the change from Lan-
cast** to tireenwish must be still more so. hie. Olad-
atone may, however, mance* himself for his defeat with
the radection that it is not essential that a great party
{cutler should be the representative of a very important
constituency.. _ .. . .. . . ..

_
Local fseling and religious sentiment have, says the
Tif,greph, backed the Lancashire tortes, and the fate
whwh boa successively befallen Mr. Milner Urban, Lord
llartingten, and the future iremier, clearly provas that
—for the law—the majority in that county separates
Keen from the dominant opinions and policy of the
nation. his IlksfropA does not underrate the importance
of the incident, but the mischance cannot for an boar
hinder the onward march of the party which is shortly to
be called into power. Indeed. the conservative niece ass of
jeAeirlsy diminish only to a slight degree the strein,th of
the liberal majority.
The btar admits that Mr. Gladatone's rejection is a sen-
sible reverse and misfortune. But it is equally true that
the liberals can add the lose, and though mortifying
enough, it will not occasion the assailed practical incon-
venience. The revolt, kindled by Murphy's infamous pro-
pagandism. and sustained by all the power of the great
Wry families, has beguiled three divisieue of the county
and several of the large towns into a aluuntiful betrayal of
principle and trust.

.
The /braid affects to be sorrowful because of what it
calls "this second great humiliation" of Mr. ttlgastons;
Whatever exultation one may be tempted to indulge in
cannot but be tempered with a feeling of pity for the man
who las brought himself to this signal disoomature. Mr.
Gladstone's place in parliament tieing secured in the
borough of Greenwich, his defeat in south-West Lancs.
shit e can affect him only as the judgment of one of the
foremost of English constituencies upon the character of
the liberal leader, and especially upon his policy in regard
to the h church. But, it is something more titan •
conservative victory. It may be of no avail in shoeing
the position of parties, but it is lull of hope and en-
couragement for the future.

The /Standard thinks the event would be significant
enough if it stood alone; but it is the culmination of •
series of conservative successes in Lancashire; the last
vote but one required to complete the verdict of the great
centre of manufacturing wealth and industry naburt the
yolicy of revolution and confiscation.