A contemporary, not at present indisposed to the Government, advances
a charge against Lord Palmerston, which is perhaps the severest that can be made against a Prime Minister. It is the accusation of losing ground. The charge is aggravated with a circumstance—the accusation that Lord Palmerston is losing ground by a wanton use of dictation, where dictation does not apply. Sligo was, through Parliamentary agents, ordered to re- bra- Mr. Somers, " the bosom friend " of the Premier ; a candi- date Qui;-* while he claimed the votes of the electors, boasted that he had refused to sell his seat even on the tempting offers made by the prime agent of the Reform Club. Sligo de- clined to adopt Mr. Somers, and gave its votes to an Anti- Ministerialist. New Ross was ordered to return Sir Tho- mas Redington, a Liberal of the Whig pattern : a candidate of a more decidedly Irish tinge was available, but the Ministerial- ists insisted upon Redington. Mr. Tottenham was at hand, with Derby principles adorned by Tenant-Right and many other popular Irish professions ; and Tottenham is sent up to West- minster. Two votes are thus handed over to the Derby party by the attempt to thrust the Reform Club down the throats of the wild Irish at Sligo and New Ross. When the votes begin to crumble away, adherents of Government begin to criticize, and independent men ask, who comes next ?
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