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

LONDON, THURSDAY; NOV. 19, 1868.

Already more than half the House of Commons
has been returned-376 members altogether. And
of these-129 are Ministerialists, and 247 Opposi-
tionists. Showing that—as yet—the advantage ac-
corded to the Liberals by the appeal to the country
is one giving them a clear majority upon that num-
ber over the Conservatives of 118 altogether. But
then, these for the most part are the results of the
borough elections. There be "pippins and cheese"
to come yet for the Government, in the shape of the
counties. And even here in regard to the borough
elections, there can be no doubt of it that much may
be said on both sides in the way of exultation. The
Gladstonians have wrested a great number of seats
from their antagonists. The Disraelites, on
the other hand, have signalized their success in a
remarkable manner by ousting some of the most im-
portant of the Liberal candidates and by replacing
them with staunch Conservatives as representatives of
first-class constituencies. In the City of London,
Mr. BELL has been returned in place of Baron ROTHS-
CHILD. In the City of Westminster, Mr. SMITH, of
the Strand, has headed the poll even in the teeth of
all the great Marquis's influence, and more than
that, has driven f firth ignominiously, as a
man utterly rejected and cast aside, that vaunted
champion of the most advanced opinions, Mr.
JOHN STUART MILL, the Positive, the very Positive,
Philosopher. Manche 3t2r has returned —at the bottom
of the poll Mr. JACOB BRIGHT, the brother of th 3
member for Birmingham ; at the Op of thc p)11 M.
BIRLEY, an out-and-out Constitutionalist. Liver-
pool, out of its three members, has returned two
Conservatives. Bewdley, in selecting its one me►n
ber, has in Sir R. Gt. ass chosen a follower of Mr.
DISRAELI in preference to a disciple of Mr. GLAD-
STONE. Bolton and Boston have each yielded a gain
of one seat to the Government. Chester, in the per-
son of Mr. RAIKES, has accorded a Tory colleague to
the Liberal Earl GRO3VENOR. Coventry has done
the like by linking Mr. STAVELEY HILL to Mr. EATON,
thereby coupling a resolute Liberal with an equally
resolute Conservative. Malmesbury is a clear gain
of one seat to the Government. So also, for that
matter, is Norwich, and so, too, Nottingham.
A Tory replaces a Whig at Pembroke. at Ports-
mouth, and at Preston. And so on, and sa on.
The list might be lengthened out to very
respectable dimensions. Only, there is a catalogue of
losses to the Government of a far lengthier charac-
ter. Numerically the losses of the Ministry are more
considerable. But only numerically. The import-
ance of the seats won to the Opposition, is in no pro-
portion to the importance of those secured to the
Government candidates. But, counting heads, or
noses as the odd phrase is, the advantage is, be-
yond much doubt, with our own side, with the
Liberal Opposition. It will be advisable,
however, before any distinct calculations are adven-
tured upon, as to the actual results of the General
Election, to wait until the General Election is really
over. A very few days, a very few hours, so to
speak, and the roll or the. new Parliament will be
filled up. We can afford to wait patiently for this
brief interval, satisfied already that the country has
spoken with no uncertain voice.

Glancing down the lists of the accepted and re; e tel
candidates, we grieve to recognize several old familiar
names among the latter—names of men who will he
sorely missed upon the reassembling of the New
House of Commons on the 10th of December. A
veteran reformer like Mr. ROEBUCK, we sincerely re
gret to observe among the rejected. And, if the
Cabinet has the chagrin of noticing that a seat has
been refused to both the Attorney-General and the
Solicitor-General, the chiefs of the Opposition
will very seriously miss the presence among them
of the Right. Hon. T. MILNER GIBSON. As for Mr.
BERNAL OSBORNE'S rejection by Nottingham it is
simply bewildering. It appears to have taken every
one, himself included, by surprise. And he accepts
his failure with such delightful good-humour that
we more than ever hope a seat may be opportunely
found for him somewhere else. The House of
Commons will miss him. Ile must by hook or
by crook be returned to it smeho ; and
whenever ho is so returned, his coming back
to his old haunts do ma at Westminster, will be
matter, we sincerely believe, for very general satis-
faction.

It is deeply to be regretted that the working men's
candidates have made so sorry an exhibition of them-
selves upon the occasion of this first appeal to the
enlarged constituencies. Of Mr. BRADLAUGH it
would be satisfactory to know that we should never
hear again. Mr. ODGER, we still conceive, was
rather badly used by the three referees whose deci-