Star.
London, England, 1831-05-04 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE JO URNALS.

Timm—The Tories.—lt is perfectly manifest, that the incorrigible
]'cries have themselves alone to blame, for the sweepingness, which
•Ilev ascribe to the Reform Bill as its chief and most alarming evil.
,had they voted for even the smallest shade or particle of reform. when
He opportunity WAS presented to them two years ago—when the most
;firing abuses were exposed to the whole world—and the moat in.
ielligent and affluent bodies in the kingdom humbly craved to have
definite share of legislative authority conferred upon them—an act of
justice might have passed for one of generosity—the Tories might have
been sopectrd of some faint sympathy with their countrymen,
the Wellington Administration would have been still in office,—and
di,: measure of Reform now impending over the boroughmongen, might
have been railed at with impunity, or laughed at as a dream. Let this
mire subject be taken to heart by the educated and well-meaning
al, of electors, who are just on the point of determining the repre-
stweion of Ambridge. Has the church no enemies? Are there
ao abuses in the church ? Is there no danger at such a time in any
;Teat portion of the English clergy exhibiting themselves to the empire
a large, as acted upon by prejudices or feelings wholly opposite to
those of the Rngliah nation If the church, instead of going fairly to
woe:, and inviting remedies to the abuses which may have crept into
i!5 onn government, shall rashly take.under its protection the abuses
Which belong to the state likewise, we, the staunch and consistent friends
or :he Church of England, cannot refrain from warning the clergy of
consequences to which they expose all that is really defensible and
vaJuable in the church establishment.

por.—Cambridge Ekeiims.—The struggle has begun—the rescue of
the ciiistitution from the fangs of the destroyers may yet be effected..—
Cambridge, the seat of learning, and the nurse of genuine liberality, is
vindicating itself from the attacks of its malicious and illiterate enemies,
and stems determined to fling back the aspersions of its slanderers with
threefold force. The question of reform Is now subjected to the opinion
and .xaminatioa of the most influential and well informed body of
men, comprising no less the ecclesiastical than the enlightened and
professional rntelligence of the country:; the influence of authority,
the intrigues of party, and the threatening. of power are all ranked on
the side of the hitherto losing candidates ; against these are arraigned
the zeal of patriotism, the independence of birth, and the intelligence
of education. Mr. Ooulburn and Mr. Peel, by the result of the day's
r,ll, are foremost in the battle ; but the gallant leaders of a contest,
more eventful than any which the country affords can alone retain their
round by the unflinching activity of their friends. The fortune which
hitherto attended the contest, to ensure success, should be
but an incentive to every relaxing heart to hurry with alacrity to its in-
mint support. The victory is in the hands of the supporters of Mr.
Goulburn and Mr. Peel, but to obtain that victory there must be no re-
laxation of zeal. Every member of the senate anxious to enrol his
name on the records of public opinion, must " take then the instant
path" to the poll; and, whether lay or clerical, no its. for his own ho-
nour than for the preservation of the interests he has at stake, hasten to
&clue himself to the world as ready to sacrifice all selfish considers.
:ions at the shrine of his country's good.
HEZALD.—THE ELECTIONS.—The number of cities and boroughs
which had returned teal or nominal representatives up to last evening
ate 126. As London returns four members, if the other towns return-
.ll two each, the whole number of members yet returned would be
al, but in consequence of five boroughs—namely, Abingdon, Bewd-
ley, Denbigh, Radnor, and Banbury, returning but one representa-
tive, the whole number is 249. Of these 134 are for the reform
and 114 against it, making a majority in favour of the bill
:if 21. The contests now going on in several of the more open
boroughs will increase this majority. The battle of reform in the
counties has yet to be fought, and will, according to all appearances,
considerably swell the ranks of the Constitutional supporters of the po-
pular cause in the new Parliament. But while there is every ground
for the best confidence on the part of the people in the ensuing elec-
tions, we think it necessary to warn them against being misled by ex.
sygerated statements of success, which might throw them off their guard
and cause them to relax their exertions before the battle is won.--
To indulge in premature shouts of triumph is not always the
say to ensure victory. If the immense majorities that some
ethos have anticipated could be obtained, it would furnish
a strong argument against the necessity of reform, because it
would show that the people bad in reality, in their own
ands, the power of returning, under the present grossly defective aye.
:cm, a decidedly popular House of Commons; and it would be their
own fault if they did not always effectually exercise that power. It is
certain that in several places where the popular will has been for a long
course of years merely passive, or but feebly felt, while the dictation of
corrupt influence has been all powerful, the body of the electors have
heen roused from their torpor into an energetic vindication of their
tights ; but in some other populous places, as for instance in Sudbury,
corruption has struck its poisoned shaft so deeply into the heart of the
electoral community, that reform alone can cure the evil. We cannot
aspect that examples of independence should be given by pocket
boroughs on the present occasion ' • or that paltry corporations should
have the self.denying virtue to make the people a voluntary restitution
of the rights which they have usurped; yet we have to record to-day
the liberal and spirited conduct of a close corporation, which forms an
honourable contrast to the more open borough of Sudbury. We speak
of Banbury, a place where the right of voting has been confined to the
mayor, aldermen, and capital burgesses, who, a few years ago, amounted
to only 19 voters in all, and, we presume, are not more at present—
&re the corporation have thrown off the trammels of the patron, the
Marquis of Bute, and chosen a Reformer; but, unfortunately, such in-
' arses of corporate coincidence of sentiment with the public will are
e.:ttly valuable for their rarity. When shall we have such a bream.
,:ante to relate of the wretched boroughs of Marlborough or Devises 10
On the whole there is a great deal to inspire the people with the best
tones of the ultimate triumph of their cause. The -ascendancy of re-
lent in such places as Ipswich, Newark, and Bristol, gives the most
encouraging presage of victory, but no good general calls upon his
soldiers to rejoice until the battle is over, and the enemy fairly driven
from the field.

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

NEWARK ELECTION-(BY EXPRESS.)
THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE'S NOMINEE DEFEATED.