SCOTLAND.
The Reformers in Scotland are beginning to discover the true cause of the Liberal disasters in the late election. They perceive that the Reform-damping policy will not succeed. The Fife Herald, one of
• the few newspapers capable of forming sound opinions, and of maintaining them consistently, says— "It' the battle of Reform is to continue to be fought successfully, the standard of principle, not of expediency, must be again raised. A miserable dispute is going forward as to the precise amount of the Ministerial majority ; but whether that majority is some twenty or forty, matters very little. As an indication of the tide of aristocratical and corrupt influences which is setting in upon the constituencies, the test in either case is equally certain. It is not for the Liberals to shut their eyes upon the fact, but rather, by a timely and close inspection of the difficulties of their position, to set about the necessary means required for their removal. To trust to the new direction of Court influence— to a more judicious exercise of Ministerial patronage—(all very good in their small way when they happen to be favourable)—or to any thing short of the maintenance of the moral integrity of the constituencies, and the force of an enlightened public opinion—would be, of course, to trust to a means of support totally unequal to the occasion, and still more so for affording to the country an adequate security for the future maintenance of a progressively ameliorating Government."
Mr. 'Macleod's friends entertained that gentleman at Inverness on the 25th ultimo. In the abridged account of' the proceedings, given in the Morning Chronicle, we find little worth notice. Mr. Bannerman, the Member for Aberdeen, was present ; and the following extract from his speech is the most effective bit of oratory the day produced" Gentlemen, the elections are over : the Throne, the Church, the State, and otir institutions, are as yet safe. Lord Melbourne is still Prime Minister ; and I beg to inform the Tories, and on his own authority too, that he intends.to remain Prime Minister SO long as it pleases his gracious mistress to continue his services, and while he is supported by a majority of the House of Commons. It is quite true that the majority is not so large as was expected ; but if the Tones consider they have public opinion on their side and have gained any voters, I hope they will try their strength on the choice of the gentleman who is to preside over our deliberations, and divide on who is to be our Speaker. Sir Robert Peel, when he dissolved Parliament, made choice of his own Speaker : we heat hint by ten. Lord Melbourne will propose, I doubt not, if he will accept of it, our present excellent Speaker ; and we will beat them by forty-five. If the Tories say this is not a fair question to try the House upon, hay they tried their strength on the same question, and on every other one. With good and liberal measures our majority will increase. That the Inverness district has added one Member to that majority, will be, I can assure you, most gratify. leg to every Member who sits on the same side of the house that I do : that you have returned my honourable friend Mr. Macleod, is most gratifying to me, as it must be to every one who is acquainted with him. Gentlemen, in particularly alluding to the result of the election for this district, I may also congratulate you on the result of the elections in Scotland. Netwithstanding our being so singularly situated in the two counties of Stirling and Lanark, which the Tories carried by majorities of one, Scotland has returned 34 Liberals Out of its 53 Members. Stirling and Lanarkshire are not loo, for they, as well as Caithness and Peebles, will be tried by petition, with every chance of success. Upon the whole, we may be proud of the support which Scotland has given to the Liberal cause."
I." Good and liberal measures," carried, would increase the majority ; Inn the proposition of good and liberal measures for rejection, Mr. Bannerman, will no longer serve the turn of your friends the iVhigs.]
Some of the Edinburgh Liberals have had a preliminary meeting to make arrangements for giving a public dinner to Mr. Hume.
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