THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN ENGLAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 90, 16 April 1874, Page 2

THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN ENGLAND.

The causes of the reaction in public feeling in England which has led to . the Conservatives being once more placed in power are well summarised in the London Spectator of February 7» from which we take the following paragraphs: — Tho Liberal party has been smitten hip and thigh from Dan to Beersheba. The result yesterday afternoon, after the return for the city aud for Westminster had become known, but before the result of the other metropolitiou election of Thursday was declared, was that the Liberals had pained 26 seats and the Conservatives 65, showing a net gain for the Conservatives of 39 seats, making 78 on a division. As the Liberal m&jority was about 64 at the time of the dissolution, this more than obliterates if, leaving a majority of some 14 votes for the Conservatives. There are still moro than 220 elections to be made known, and nmoogßt them we shali have many losses, bo that we may be quite sure the Conservatives will have at least a working majority of 40 — more probably 50 — when the fight is over. There can be no question but that there is a mighty victory. Yet it is one gained without a policy, nay, in the boast of having no policy, and therefore without either the inconveniences or the still greater advantages of a framework of principle. The new Government must belong to the order of Invertebrata, or at most to the Ascidians, where tbe first germ oi only a backbone is to be discerned. The cause of this extraordinary reaction are many, but they are not very far to seek, Tbe country in the first place, is weary of the Gladstone Government, not because of anything it has done, so much as from an indefinite desire for change, which the dissolution has enabled it to gratify to the full, then the Ballot has released a vast quantity of non-political impulse, which without the security of secrecy, would have been ashamed to avow itself. Then one class has been bo irritated by the Education Act as to abstain from voting or even to oppose, while the only "harassed" interest, that of the publicans, has displayed that of an unexpected and tremendous strength. Tbe failures of the- Government in foreign policy, the delayed termination of the Ashantee war, and the Alabama arbitration greatly annoyed the political classes whose feelings soon filter down And, finally, there has been a great, deal of true "reaction," — that is of desire to check the pace at which the Government desired to proceed, to rest and be thankful, and let things alone for a time, and see how they will go under new hands. Nobody wants any measure repealed, but a great mony people want to prevent anything else being attempted, and they have voted To?y. We must add to all these causes one other, the almost entire failure of Mr Gladstone's expedient for regaining popularity. The people, did not understand and did not like a. Budget being submitted to a plebiseitura, and persistently affirmed that Mr Gladstone meant to take taxes irom the rich and put them on the poor. Owing to the excessive and injudicious speed with which the elections were forced on there was no time to correct this, no time to perfect organisations, no time for the appearance of new men. The Tory party, being undivided and having no cry but tbe Constitution, scarcely felt this; but the Liberals, who were in a chronic state not so much of quarrel, as of controversy among themeelves, felt it >.bitterly, and were beaten in many places from sheer inability to unite in time on tho right candidates. This was especially tbe case in the medium boroughs, where, moreover, the caprice of men just relieved from the pressure of social, proprietary, or other influences made itself most keenly felt.