The Sun.
London, England, 1868-11-19 00:00:00

ELECTION HUMOI7II3.

In the North they carry on their political warfare
to bloodshed ; in the metropolis they confine their
exertions to throwing comparatively harmless, but
very unpleasant missiles at every respectable elector
who goes to the poll. At Clerkenwell-green the
amiable roughs armed themselves with flour, red
ochre, and soot. They were indiscreet enough to
include the constabulary in their playful humour.
A policeman is very jealous of his own dignity, and
very sensitive to personal annoyance, though
he contemplates the distress of others with
philosophical indifference. A dead cat came into
contact with the face of one constable, and this was
followed by a boot in the back of his neck. The
affair became rather serious, when the police took the
ringleaders into custody. Lime, coal, and stones
were introduced. The offenders were fined 10s. each.
These rioters seem to have distributed their favours
impartially between Whig and. Tory ; and the case
proves that the present organisation for taking the
verdict of the people is in itself an incentive to riot
and disorder.
THE NEW HOUSE OF COMMONS AND THE
TEMPERANCE QUESTION.

It is rather early yet to make up the losses and
gains so far as the temperance cause is influenced by
the elections, but still we can form many ideas of
what has been done. In Bath, the second Liberal
candidate won the seat from the old Conservative
member, through the votes of the teetotalers,who per-
suaded Dr. Dalrymple to give their cause fair play. In
Bedford, Mr. Whitbread, the brewer, retains his seat.
In Bodmin, Mr. Wyld, who voted for the Permissive
Bill, but whose advocacy of that measure does not
inspire confidence among those who know him best,
has given way to Mr. Gower. In Bristol Mr.
Berkeley, the publican's friend, has held his own ;
but Mr. Morley, a friend of the temperance party,
has come in second. In Carlisle a great victory has
been gained by the return, at the head of the poll,
of Sir Wilfrid Lawson, the mover of the Permis-
sive Bill in a former Parliament. This triumph
is to some extent marred by the defeat of Mr. Pope
and Mr. Barnes at Bolton, and Mr. Cossham
at Dewsbury ; but as only one of these three gentle-
men was in Parliament before, the temperance party
at least hold their own. At Cheltenham Mr. Gar-
diner, a brewer, has been defeated ; on the other
hand, at Chichester, Mr. J. A. Smith has lost his
seat. Mr. Bass, the brewer, has kept his in
Derby ; Mr. Sheridan, the publican's friend, his at
Dudley. The satisfaction which we feel at the return
of Mr. Coleridge is diminished by the con-
sciousness that he is considered the organ of
the Exeter victuallers. Gateshead has, in Sir
William" Hutt, returned not only an old mem-
ber, but a warm supporter of temperance views.
The new borough of Hackney has not only placed
Mr. Homer, the ex-publican, at the bottom of the
poll, but has returned Mr. Reed at the head of the
poll, who is, we believe, friendly to temperance, and who
has displaced Mr. Butler, a friend of the publicans
In the neighbouring borough of the Tower Hamlets
Mr. Coope, the brewer, has been defeated by a narrow
majority, that would have been overwhelming but
for the fact that five Liberals contested the two
seats. In Halifax, Mr. Stansfeld the brewer,
has kept his seat, and so, too, has Colonel Jervis,
the bitter opponent of temperance legislation, in Har-
wich. Helston attaches so much importance to the Per-
missive Bill that it has compelled Mr. Young, though a
partner in a brewery, to promise support to that
measure. In Hull, the Conservative candidates were
the most friendly to temperance legislation, but they
sittair