Philips, 3,695; Gibson, 3,575; Murray, 3,115; and Entwisle, 2,692.
The county elections decided the fate of ministers. Lord Howick lost his seat for Northumberland, and Lord Morpeth and Lord Milton theirs for the West Riding of Yorkshire; and when the new house was analysed it was seen that, although there was a whig majority of nine in Scotland, and nineteen in Ireland, there was a conservative majority of 104 in England and Wales, leaving ministers in a minority of 76. The inquiry now became, not what they would do, but what the tories, who were sure to succeed them in office, would do—what Sir Robert Peel, who would succeed Lord John Russell, would do. The question, it seems, was often put to himself. At a Tamworth dinner he said: "I am constantly asked what it is I mean to propose, supposing I am called to the administration of affairs. I will answer the question when I am placed in that position. My advice for the present is, dismiss those who are at present in office. They have not the confidence—they had not the confidence of Parliament—they have not the confidence of the people. Change your physician; the patient has not confidence in him. They found her in health and they left her in sickness; and then they say to me what do you prescribe? But I will wait till I am regularly called in." The first great object then was to get rid of the old practitioner. It was thought that the new physician would be required by his own party to declare what his practice would be before they promised their support. The out-voted ministers assumed the air of men who held principles which, sooner or later, would prevail. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, at a dinner given to him at Winchester, said of the union of monopolists: "He felt no despondency; they might destroy a government, but they could not destroy truth and reason. They would triumph they were now silently winning their way, and whoever—he said it with perfect
