NEWS OF THE WEEK.
Tas elections for Cities and Boroughs in England are nearly over ; more than three hundred returns having been already received. Tas elections for Cities and Boroughs in England are nearly over ; more than three hundred returns having been already received.
This is quick work ; and in this respect the proceedings of the week have been satisfactory. We have little else on which to congratulate our readers : but if the results of the elections are not what they would desire, and what, for the credit of the country,
we could wish them to be, let it be remembered that the Spectator held out no hopes of addition to the Liberal strength in England.
While the Ministerial journalists were boasting of the mighty deeds the Whigs were to do with the help of the Queen's name, and by straining Court and Government influence, we calmly asked for figures, and the means of verifying them. These were not produced.
It is now ascertained that neither party has gained any nume- rical advantage worth mentioning. The Whig and Tory news- papers dispute about a Member here and there, whom both claim ; but the fact is, that gains and losses are very nearly balanced, according to the statements of both sides.
This, be it observed, is the result of the elections of more than three hundred Members for towns. The contests for the Counties 'reset to come ; and in the counties, we believe, the Whigs them-
selves expect to lose ground. Should this expectation prove to be well founded, it will appear that the Spectator looked at the electoral map with no jaundiced eye, with no disposition to anticipate loss to the Whigs. On the contrary, it must then be allowed that one estimate was too ,fiivourable to the Ministerialist-, • folltre eat* lated that they wmild come Out ot England without any aeduction lobe made from the increased numbers which we still think they may obtain in Ireland and Scotland. As Jr as mere numbers are concerned, the Independent Re- formers have suffered no diminution as yet. Loss in one place has teen balanced by gain elsewhere; but we have to lament the de- feat of several of the most able and enlightened Members whom the young Reform Act sent into the House of Commons. %Vial extreme difficulty Mr. GROTE'S return for London was secured, together with those of his colleagues in the representation of the city; but it is not quite certain that he will retain his seat, as the Tories, duly estimating the party advantage of putting such an opponent out of Parliament, threaten a petition and scrutiny— and who can guarantee the composition or justice of an Election Committee? Even Mr. GROTE, then, is not safe : and Mr. Rog- BUCK has been defeated in Bath, Mr. HUTT in Hull, Mr. EWART in Liverpool, and Colonel THOMPSON, who had previously given up Hull, in Maidstone. We rejoice, on the other hand, that Mr. LEADER has obtained a complete victory in Westminster, and that Sir WILLIAM MOLESWORTH has ousted Sir JOHN BECKETT from Leeds.
But still, what are we to think of that system of representation under which such men as ROEBUCK, HUTT, EWART, and THOMP- SON, are rejected, to make room for LUDLOW BRUGES, WALTER JAMBS, CRESSWELL CRESSWELL, and DISRAELI the Younger ? The defeated candidates had been tried and found faithful ; they had displayed industry, independence, knowledge; and Mr. ROE- Bucx, in addition to usefulness, had exhibited talents of a very high order. His absence from the House of Commons leaves a void which no other man in England, at present known to the public, can fill up. We look in vain elsewhere for his high tone of political morality, combined with his courageous independence and oratorical and detating power. And this accomplished senator has been set aside by one Ismosow BRUGES, whose very name grates upon our ears like something strange and harsh. Rotten must be our representative system, and retrograde our course, or the men whom the Tories aim at as most vulnerable, and strike down with the greatest certainty, would not be those distinguished for political virtue, the leaders in the march of national improvement. The rejection of candidates whose only offence is their superior virtue, is but a symptom of the degradation into which the conntry has fallen. Never within living memory has corruption been so general. Every description of undue influence has been used to an extent that is almost incredible. Already it is a! car- tained that a large portion of the time of the next session must be occupied in investigating charges of bribery and intimidation. The Parliamentary agents and counsel expect more business next session than any general election ever produced before. Retainers are forced upon them by the dozen. It would seem as if we had gone back to the days of WALPOLE, when "not to be corrupted was the shame."
We have mentioned the victory of Mr. LEADER in Westminster and of Sir Wismar.' MOLESWORTH at Leeds. To these successes we can add the return of Mr. WARD for Sheffield, and the ex- change of Monmouth for Mary lebone by Mr. Ham.. It is also satisfactory to see that the Trimmers are generally turned out of Parliament. Sir EDWARD Scorr has lost Lichfield, Mr. ROBIN- SON Worcester, Mr. SCOURFIRLD Haverfordwest, Mr. Nowt's( Hastings ; and Mr. Headmoney HARDY may condole with Mr. WALTER on their mutual desolate condition. The Tory Whip- pers-in, too, Mr. Rosa and Mr. BONHAM, have been cast oet,— the first from Northanapton,by an excellent Radical, Mr. RAIKES CURRIE ; the second (for want of 1,0001. to buy the odd vote) from immaculate Harwich, by Captain Estace, a Whig. As a consolation to the Tories, however, our old acquaintance Mr. WILLIAM HOLMES has ousted Sir HAMANN DONKIN from Ber- w ick-u pon-Tweed.
Particulars of the electioneering proceedings, wherever they possess interest, with soma account of the causes of success and defeat, will be found in subsequent pages, together with tables of the Members returned, and of the party gains and losses, up to the hour of going to press.
