NEWS OF THE WEEK.
WE have been badly beaten in East Surrey. It is justpossible that the anger of the publicans, who have determined, if we may judge from the tone of their organ, to turn out the Liberal Govern- ment, may have had an exceptional influence on the contest ; but the result is, from any point of view, most disheartening. Every- thing was against the Tories. They had a wretched candidate, Mr. Watney, a rich brewer of thirty-nine, without an idea, who could not speak, and read to the electors papers evidently written for him and professing the most fossil Toryism ; and the villa vulgarians, who are always Conservative, because they imagine Conservatism to be aristocratic, were away at the seaside. On the other hand, the Liberals lied a fair candidate, Mr. Leveson Gower, who spoke out clearly and strongly, and the great advantage of the unbroken tradi- tion of four-and-twenty years. And still we were beaten on Thursday by 3,889 to 2,770. The party would not vote, and while the Tories brought up 300 more voters than at the last election, the Liberals were less by 1,300, or one clear third. No doubt Mr. Buxton was personally a very acceptable candidate, but it looks very much as if Liberalism were declining,—in the counties, at all events.
