The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-22 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TimEs.—ln the elections which were held yester-
day fortune was again favourable to the Liberal
cause. No less than three counties which in the late
Parliament were represented entirely by Conserva-
tives have been successfully attacked, and one
Liberal seat has been gained in each. Even in the
stanch Conservative county of North Essex the
Liberals have been successfully led by Sir Thomas
Western, and the celebrated Conservative champion,
Major Boresford, has been defeated. Mr. Du Cane,

the other Conservative member, retains his seat.
The Liberal cause has achieved a similar success in
Hertfordshire, where the eloquence of Sir Edward
Bulwer Lytton has not availed to prevent the Hon.
W. Cowper from being returned at the head of the
poll. The contest in this instance has been remark-
ably severe. Mr. Cowper is but 70 ahead, and the
numbers polled for Sir E. B. Lytton and Mr. Surtees,
the second and third members, are exactly equal.
A considerably larger number of electors, moreover,
have been polled than on the occasion of the last
contest, when, in 1864, Mr. Cowper was defeated
by Mr. Surtees. The third county which the Liberals
have successfully stormed is North Wiltshire, in
which Lord Charles Bruce, the Liberal candidate, is
returned, at the head of the poll, with Mr. Long.
The defeated Conservative candidate is Sir G. Jen-
kinson. The amenities which passed between this
gentleman and Mr. Long at the commencement of
their canvass will not have been forgotten by our
readers. These three successes in counties which
might have been thought secure to the Conservative
side would seem enough for one day of county
con-
tests, but we have another success
toadd to them,
over an
which, though not so marked a
victory
enemy in possession, is even more important in its
character. The two new seats for the Southernpart of the West Biding have been carried
Mr. Beaumont, the two
seatsam en t wereb y
tchreeaatred.
by Lord Milton and
iLnibtehreal
cocuransdeidoaftest.he
last Theseseats which had been for-
feited The present, therefore, was the
prop riaf
etironbriobfery. two Parliament
first occasion on which this constituency has been
polled, and the Liberals have established themselves
in possession on the first opportunity. There are
many persons living who remembered when the re-
presentation of Yorkshire was in a very different
condition and was very differently decided. This
great county, which, with the addition just made,
now returns eight members to the House of Com-
mons, was represented as late as 1820 by no more
than two, and the struggle at a contested election
was one which none but giants in purse or influence
could maintain. At Wilberforce's last election up-
wards of 23,000 persons voted, the poll was kept
open for fifteen days, and the costs are said to have
been not less than half a million of money. The
change from this cumbrous and extravagant system
represents an immense advance in political science,
and the increase in the number of members is equally
significant of the development of the county in
wealth and population. The remaining elections of
yesterday have probably not affected file strength of
the Government. In South Durham a sharp con-
test has left the representation in the same state as
in the late Parliament. For the county of Dublin
the Conservatives retain their superiority, although
Captain White, the Liberal candidate, has polled a
very considerable number of votes. There now re-
main but 19 or 20 seats to be filled, of which 13 are
to be decided to-day, and as the general result of
the election the Liberals will be able to count a

list of gains which even Mr. Disraeli may be in-
duced to consider of some importance. The dinner
at Newport Pagnell appears to have happened at
the most opportune moment for the ingenious con-
solation which the Conservative leader adminis-
tered to his followers. A day or two later and the
numbers might have surpassed even Mr. Disraeh's

ingenuity.
PosT.—Wbatever opinion the public generally
may entertain with regard to the performances of
the last session of the late Parliament, we feel as-
sured that by one class at least of her Majesty's
subjects a grateful recollection of some of its acts
will long continue to be held. The debates on the
subject of Canada, although revealing the fact that
the actual circumstances and condition of that coun-
try were but imperfectly understood by some of
those who took part in them, nevertheless possessed
an interest not only for Canada, but for the whole
of the scattered colonies of Britain in every quarter
of the globe. Persevering efforts had been made