returns, during the brief interval, abundantly justifying him—Mr Disraeli thus deliberately and confidently addressed the constituency of Buckinghamshire from the hustings: “I express my firm and solemn conviction, in the face of the county of Buckingham, after witnessing the present temper of the public mind, and scanning—I am sure with no prejudice—the results of the general election, that the Ministry will be permitted to bring forward their measures; that no manœuvres of faction will terminate their career; and that those measures will obtain the assent, and I will even say the enthusiastic approbation, of the great body of the people.” On the ensuing day, the _Spectator_ observed—“The elections have not yet decided the question of the majority; and it is still possible that Lord Derby may have the balance of numbers.” In the “Postscript” to the same number of his paper, the editor, in recounting additional gains, observed—“Lord Derby is steadily gaining in the elections.” Before these pages meet the reader’s eye, all the elections will have been completed; but up to the day on which we are writing, it would appear that nearly six hundred are decided, and the results are thus classified in the five morning papers of this day.[18] It is curious to see how the various organs of political opinion deal with the same facts, viewed through the disturbing medium of their own hopes and wishes. The _Times_ distinguishes between “Ministerialists” and “Liberal Conservatives,” giving 252 as the former, and 63 as the latter—together, 315; Liberals, 271;—placing the latter in a minority of 44. The _Morning gives— Opposition, Majority for Herald_ Ministerialists, 311 269 Ministerialists, 42 _Morning „ do. Liberals, do. Post_ 289 275 14 _Daily „ Derbyites, do. do. News_ 285 293 Liberals, 9 _Morning „ Non- Majority for Chronicle_ Ministerialists, Ministerialists, Non- 250 326 Ministerialists, 76!