THE SMALL MAJORITY OF FIVE ACCOUNTED FOR.

MELBOURNE-Whigs may now see why the question, " How to keep out the Tories?" has been, of late, almost discarded from our columns: they ought to perceive also, why, from Easter last year down to the opening of the present session, we scarcely passed a week without discussing that question in one shape or another. So long as it was possible for the Whigs to save themselves, we failed not to point out the safe course : since then—since the time has been passed for " defeating the LYNDHURST policy by a plan of action calculated to unite and stimulate the Reform party"— we have only marked the progress of events towards that "Tory majority in the Commons," which, as it had before appeared to us, could not but arrive sooner or later, if the policy of the Whigs were confined to rubbing on any how. Friendly importunity, not only failing of its object, but being received with disdain and anger, has been naturally succeeded by the indifference of a mere

looker-on. We could not take a lively interest in the play, after, according to our view of the cards, the game seemed to be lost.

That it is lost, is now pretty generally admitted; for nobody will

be surprised if a majority of five on the wrong side should turn up one of these fine mornings. That the game has been lost by

bad play, and by the very blunder which we urged our own side to avoid, it behoves us to make out as clearly as we are firmly per- suaded of it.

" Why," asks the Chronicle, " was the majority in favour of the Government measure (Church-rates) no more than five?"

" The answer," he continues, " is very simple. Because many gentlemen who ought to have been present were absent." And then our Whig contemporary singles out Colonel THOMPSON for the following grandiloquous attack-

" Are there any Dissenters at Hull?- We wish Colonel Thompson joy of the reception he will meet with from them ! That gallant gentleman set off last night quietly and comfortably to be present at a dinner where he was to sit on the Mayor's right hand—on the Mayor of Hull's right hand !! We venture to say, that Mat worthy city officer would rather hare had his right hand cut ruithan find the gallant Colonel sitting upon it when a question involving the conscientious scruples," &c.

Colonel THOMPSON, and other "gentlemen who ought to have been present, were absent in a manner unaccountable " to the Chronicle. Their absence, we think, is easily accounted for. This

time last year, though the Mayor of Hull might not "rather have had his right hand cut off than find the gallant Colonel sitting

upon it when a question," &c. yet neither Colonel THOMPSON nor

any other Whig-Radical Member would have dared to quit his post in the House of Commons, upon any occasion that was deemed

of importance to the MELBOURNE Ministry ; much less would his

constituents have asked him to dine with them when such a ques- tion as that of Church-rates was before the House. Colonel

THOMPSON'S constituents invited him to be "absent when he ought to have been present !" This must be still more unac- countable to the Chronicle; and would have been surprising in-

deed if it had occurred last year. It is all explained by the dif-

ference between last year and this year. Then, LYNDHURST had but just proclaimed his policy of obstruction and of insult to the Ministry and the Commons majority ; then, it was hoped by

all earnest Reformers, whether Members or electors, that any mea- sure desired by a majority of the National Representatives would,

by some means or other, be carried into effect; then was there a general belief that Lord MELBOURNE had been prepared for the LYNDHURsT policy, and knew how to deal with it; then there

was union, hope, and earnestness, not to say enthusiasm, amongst

Reformers. Now, the LYNDHURST policy is triumphant; the nation is habituated to injury, and its Representatives to insult

from the Peers; no one expects that any Liberal proposal, how-

ever strongly supported in the Commons, will pass the Lords; it is plainly seen that the MELBOURNE Ministry never had any plan for earls ing their proposals into effect; and the Reformers are dis- united, desponding, and careless. Would the proposal about Church-rates have been a whit nearer to being carried if Colonel

TtiomesoN had not gone to Hull, or even if an out-and-out Tory had not been elected for Westminster? It is vain to call for exer- tions and sacrifices without holding out some prospect of reward.

" Cui bone ?" is now the common sentiment of Reformers, im- plied if not expressed, when they are urged to vigorous eflorts in support of the Ministry. Our own painful prediction has been fulfilled to the uttermost. For we deem it of little importance

whether Ministers resign presently, or wait to be turned out either by an adverse vote in the Commons, or by the Court after LYND- HURST shall have repeated his last year's prank. As they have

sown, so must they reap. Yet a little while, and those parasites of the Ministry who have encouraged them, as the GREY Minis-

try was encouraged, to commit suicide, will find it easy to account for that which we deliberately foretold at a tune when the fatal course might have been avoided.