The Sun.
London, England, 1868-11-23 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 23, 168.

ment ; but not a single Cabinet Minister has lost his
seat. On the other hand, three members of the last
Cabinet are among the slain. Mr. AUSTIN BRUCE
has, indeed, been defeated by a Liberal, but that will
scarcely diminish the satisfaction felt at his over-
throw. Mr. MILNER GIBSON owes his defeat, the
CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER tells us, to his
opposition to the Cattle Market Bill, a fact,
if fact it be—though we suspect Murphyism
is really responsible for the event which
will rather increase the delight at the re-
verse sustained by that not very energetic
statesman. But the great victory, the " crowning
mercy " (if the Constitutionalists may borrow a
phrase from the rebel CROMWELL), is the fall of the
Marquis of HARTINGTON in North Lancashire. This
constituency has never been contested since the first
Reform Bill. Its representation has been always
divided between the two great political parties, and
generally between the two great territorial families
of CAVENDISH and STANLEY. But on this occasion
Lord DERBY was determined to exert all his influence,
and to spare no expense to defeat the Whigs.
So a STANLEY and Tory Lord of the Admiralty was
set up to do battle with a CAVENDISH and ex-Secre-
tary of State for War. Thirty thousand pounds
are said to have been placed by the late Tory chief
at his son's disposal, and the Duke of DEVON-
SHIRE, no less liberal, has, it is also said,
been allowing his son to spend £5,000 a week.
The result has been what our readers learnt on
Saturday. The STANLEY has beaten the CAVENDISH,
and Mr. GLADSTONE is for a while deprived of one
of his future Ministers.

We do not intend to explain away the signi-
ficance of this Conservative victory. The
Marquis of HARTINGTON was the best man that
could have been brought forward to contest the
constituency, the only man who could have contested
it with any hope of success. North Lancashire
must henceforth be classed as a Conservative county.
It has followed the example of Bolton, Ashton, Black-
burn, Staleybridge, and other Lancashire boroughs.
We think it not at all improbable that the divisions of
South Lancashire will follow the example, and that
this week the Conservatives will win a victory which
will almost atone for the overwhelming majority
against them in other parts of the country. The
defeat of the Marquis of HARTINGTON in North
Lancashire is at all events a bad omen for the
success of Mr. GLADSTONE in South-west Lanca-
shire.

At the same time, of course, pace Lord SALISBURY,
Lancashire does not govern England—at all events, as
yet. In such a question as the present Ireland will have
more influence than Lancashire. Murphyism may
abound in one county of England, but itis Ireland, after
all, that must decide the great question of the Irish
Church. And how has Ireland gone ? The answer
is astounding. We expected, of course, that Cork
and Limerick and Galway would return Liberals
pledged to disestablishment, but that Orange
Belfast should do this seemed inconceivable;
that Ultra-Protestant Londonderry should re-
ject the son of the VICEROY for a lawyer
pledged to abolish Protestant ascendancy is
extraordinary. Even Bandon, on whose gates were
engraved a sentence consigning Catholics to
eternal perdition—even Bandon, the pocket borough
of an Orange Earl, has rejected the Earl's brother
and has returned a Liberal. In Wexford the
Conservative candidate, Mr. HALL DARE, has
retired before nomination day. On the other
hand, the Conservatives have won Dungarvan.
Altogether, Ireland has responded far beyond
our anticipation to the appeal made by the
Liberal party. The response comes not alone'
from Munster and Connaught, but from Leinster,
and even from Ulster. Had there been any doubt
before as to the fate of the Irish Church, there is no
longer room for the smallest uncertainty.

THE GALE.

CULLERCOATS, NORTHUMBERLAND, Sunda:

Captain Adamson reports that the brig Robert
and Sarah, of Blyth, in ballast, struck on the rocks
at Cullercoats in a south-east wind and strong sea
last night. The lifeboat Palmerston, of the National
Lifeboat Institution, was at once, launched, and
fortunately succeeded in rescuing the crew of eight
men, who were safely brought ashore. The night
was very dark. The ship remains on the rocks, and
is likely to become a total wreck. This lifeboat was
presented to the society by Peter Reid, Esq., of the
Stock Exchange, and since she has been on her sta-
tion she has rendered good service to distressed
vessels and their crews.