NEWS OF THE WEEK.

THE struggle in the constituencies is over. Accounts of the return of 657 Members have been received; and Orkney has by this time elected a Representative, though the result is not known in London.

According to our calculation, on which we have bestowed con- siderable care and diligence, and the details of which will be found in subsequent columns, the strength of parties may be thus stated: Anti-Ministerialists 370 Ministerialists 237 Doubtful 51 658 These numbers are given on the supposition that the Tory can- didate for Orkney is elected, as is most probable.

The majority of the decided opponents over the decided friends of the Ministry is therefore 133. Even if we give the Duke all the Doubtfuls, he is still in a minority of 82. But an inspection of the names which compose our Doubtful list will satify any candid and well-informed person that Ministers cannot cer- tainly reckon upon the constant support of any one of the number, though upon some questions they will get the votes of several. After all their boasting, the certain Tory gain does not exceed 67. The Ministerial journalists count upon a much larger num- ber; but on striking the balance of gain and loss, keeping in view the actual state and prospects of parties, and the peculiar notions and position of individuals where they are known, we feel satisfied in putting down the net gain at the number above- mentioned. It is not fair to let doubts weigh on our side only, though this has been the perpetual artifice of the Tory writers during the contest.

The February Number of Blackwood contains an article on the 4" Result of the Elections," in which, we may be sure, the force of the Ministers is not underrated. They announce the Ministerial calculation of adherents to be 300. This is an admission from the enemy that there is a majority of fifty-eight against him. But from the whole tone of the article, it is clear that the writer anti- cipates the array of greater strength on the Opposition benches. He doubts whether " irremediable changes" were not made by the Reform Act, and whether " power " has not been "irrecover- ably vested in improper hands. He calls upon the friends of their country to keep up their spirits ; and not to be discouraged, " because the Reformers, as they call themselves, still boast of a majority, perhaps a considerable majority, in the House of Com- mons." Again, Blackwood is brought so low as to court the Whigs, upon whom for so many years, and so lately, lie emptied all his vials of insult.

" A great and glorious part now awaits the Whigs, who are really worthy of the name—who have imbibed the spirit and embraced the principles of Mr. Burke, Lord Chatham, and Lord Somers. To separate liberty from demo- cracy—to encourage freedom without licentiousness—to establish popular inde- pendence without inducing revolution—have ever been the principles, and the noble principles, of their party. Now is the time to show that they still in. herit them—to convince the world that the spirit of their fathers still lives in their descendants. Matters have at length come to a crisis: the fate of the empire, and with it of freedom all over the world, is at stake ; a single false step on their part may now consign all the institutions of the country to the dust."

The Tories bullied the Whigs as long as they flattered them- selves with the hope of a majority in the Commons; they now try to coax and wheedle them. They annoyed and intrigued against Earl GREY, Lord LANSDOWNE, Lord ALTHORP, Lord JOHN RUSSELL—all belonging to the old Whig party—until they suc- ceeded in "turning the key of the closet upon them ;" now they have the inconceivable meanness to fawn upon and flatter them. But the 'Whigs, to a man, spurn the proffered alliance. There is not a single deserter of note from the old Whig party to the Tory camp. But the Tories are insolent only because they have been beaten. Had the people returned a majority of KNATCHBOLL and STORMONT Representatives, how they would have kicked and spit upon the Whigs I Theiz present abject demeanour reveals the. secret consciousness that the Elections have resulted in their defeat. The People of England have elected a majority of Reformers amply sufficient to turn out theories, and carry on the Govern- ment of the country on Liberal ininciples. This will be evident to all who remember the comparative strength of parties in the Parliament that passed the Reform Bill. Upon reference to our summing up of the numbers at the close of the election of 1831, we find that there were returned—" For the King and Country," 392 ' • " For the Boroughmongers," 265 ; (the account of one elec- tion being then wanting.) What is the result of the election just over? If we divide the Doubtfuls equally between the two decided. parties (certainly a liberal allowance to the Tories), we shall find that the Reformers muster 395; the Ministers, 263—majority, 132. The majority in the Parliament of 1831 beat down all opposition, and carried the Reform Bill. The majority elected to the new Parliament, if as faithful and diligent as their predecessors in 1831, can secure to the country the beneficial effects of. the Reform Bill. Its poWer for such a purpose is undeniable. It has generally been calculated that a Ministerial working majority should not be less than a hundred. This was under the old Boroughmonger Parliament, when Ministers were not so likely to be thwarted by sudden and unexpected opposition as they are now. This, or a larger number, should, therefore, be added to the majority against Ministers, in order to obtain a clear view of their actual position in the House of Commons. A Go- vernment strongly supported out of doors, might not require a. large majority in the House ; but as we proved last week, by un- doubted facts in an unanswered article, the Masses are against the present Ministry.

In another point of view, the Duke and his Cabinet stand badly. While the Reformers have exchanged in many instances luke- warm and inefficient Representatives for zealous, thoroughgoing, and laborious Members, the Ministerial candidates have been most scurvily treated by the constituencies to whom they have offered their precious services. Did ever any previous Ministry suffer such a series of defeats, when appealing at their own time to the People ? Let the Dictator of the Cabinet refresh his memory by perusing the following list.

Sir GEORGE MURRAY beaten in Perthshire.

Mr. WORTLEY Forfarshire.

Mr. DAWSON Devonport. Sir C. ROWLEY Portsmouth.

Sir GEORGE COCKBURN

Plymouth.

Sir EDWARD OWEN

Sandwich. Mr. PLANTA Hastings. Mr. MAURICE FITZGERALD Kerry. Lord TULLAIWORE Falmouth.

The Ministerial patronage which, it was thought, would have secured their election, seems to have irretrievably damaged these unfortunate officials.

There will be fewer Waverers, probably, in the new Parliament than in any that has been elected for many years. The middle men have in great measure disappeared. Our reckoning gives only 51 out of 658. Were the Ministry firm in office, they might, per- haps, fairly count upon receiving more support than they will get from the undecided gentlemen, who generally have a penchant for the powerful. But all the timeservers must see that the pro- babilities are in favour of ousting the Tories ; and that their worldly interest lies on the side of the Opposition. We have had this consideration present to our thoughts in making out the lists of Members, and have, therefore, classed several with the Anti- Ministerialists, who, under other circumstances, would have been put down among the Doubtfuls, or Ministerialists.