The news of the close of the poll in Renfrewshire,
fell in the
Reform Club, on Monday, like an unexpected thunderbolt. We Loped to have been able to 'give this week a detailed expose of the causes of the Tory triumph ; but information still continuing to pour in upon us from Scotland, we are induced to postpone it till next week. when we can state the facts at large. There are more Scotch Commits on the eve of being lost. There are, however, some peculiari- ties in the case of Renfrett shire, which may be enumerated now. At the first election under the Reform Act, the weight of the Whig families in Renfrewshire was thrown into the scale of Sir MICHAEL SHAW Srewanas in opposition to the popular candidate. The seine game was played at the last general election ; although Sir MO IIAEL was as well known to be false as subsequently to his act of apostacy. Nay more, Sir JOHN MAXWELL and his son were in the psilieg-hooth, overawing by their presence those who were inclined to vote fur Dixos:,:the Radical candidate ; and had Sir MICHAEL cur. vived, he would not have been opposed by these families. The anxiety of the three families, STE1VART, SPEIRS, and MAXWELL, to keep the county in their own hands, frustrated the formation of a Regis- tration Association ; and for two years there has been no regis- tration on the part of the Liberals, while the Tories have been indefatigable. Sir JOHN Maxwess—a worthy, warm-hearted, old country gentleman, but who was obliged to resign Paisley be- cause he had been inveigled into acquiescence in the STANLEY policy towards Ireland—was brought into the field by a hole-and-corner requi- sition, apparently to: keep the place for Mr. SPEIRS, who could not resign Richmond during the recess. Sir JOIN, by the advice of some person not on his committee, issued an address for the purpose of catching the alienated Radicals, in which he declared fur extension of the suffrage. On this ground, some county Whigs hung back, and did not vote. Lastly, Mr. HOUSTON is a nonentity; but his uncle is much mid we believe justly beloved, and curries with him all such vote's in his neighbourhood as are moved by personal attachment, not pally Al principle. The consequences of these cooperating circum- stances have been—first, not reaction, but apathy in the public mind; sceond, a Tory majority on the roll of electors, of 1;30 at the least. The Whigs, and some loud professors of Radicalism, may lay what flat- tering unction to their souls they will, but Renfrewshire, an out-and. out Reforming county, has culpably and wantonly been thrown away by misconduct, persevered in by the influential families professing Re- form principles for a series of years.
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