East Surrey is the only properly metropolitan county which has
shown the slightest depth of Liberal conviction. There Mr. Locke King and Mr. Charles Buxton (in spite of the futile efforts of Mr. Hamilton Hume, biographer of Mr. Eyre, and his friends against the latter) were returned by a considerably larger majority than at the last election. But Mid-Surrey has thrown itself with enthusiasm into the arms of the Conservatives, and in West- Surrey, which is polled to-day, there is but one Liberal, Mr. Pen- nington, put in nomination. Mr. Briscoe, who is an ex-Liberal, and is about to be, we trust, an ex-member, calls himself "inde- pendent ;" but he refuses to support Mr. Gladstone's policy on the Irish Church, lie declines to say whether ho will vote for or against the vote of no confidence in the existing Government, and lie confesses that he has united with the Tory, Mr. Cubitt, for the purpose of conveying voters to and from the poll. lie made the offer to both candidates, and the offer was, very naturally, re- fused by Mr. Pennington, and accepted by Mr. Cubitt. Doubtless most of Mr. Cubitt's supporters will split with Mr. Briscoe, and would reap their reward by seeing Mr. Briscoe's name (if he should be returned) among the supporters of Mr. Disraeli in all great party divisions. We believe, however, that Surrey has at least Liberalism enough to send Mr. Pennington to Parliament for West Surrey, and so return half its county members Liberals, — which is the best that can be hoped for after the extravagant act of faith in Toryism performed by Mid-Surrey.
