The Express.
London, England, 1863-06-15 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

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PARIS, SUNDAY EVIIIMYO.

The balotaae between M. Gueroult and the
government caadiAlate, M. Fouchd Lepelletier, in
the 6th circumscription of Paris, has been going on
with great spirit all day. Several of the 10,000
voters who abstained a fortnight ago, have taken
out their electoral cards. The result, which is very
doubtful, cannot be known till to-morrow evening.
The religious journals recommend the 7,000 elec-
tors who voted for M. Cochin (a clerical candidate
now withdrawn) to abstain rather than vote for
such a black enemy of the church as M. Gueroult.
The nine other cases of balotage in various
provincial circumscriptions will all be decided
to-morrow. M. de Persigny's "dear Mr. West"
having no better opponent than M. alias Count
Migeoo, who is under a cloud, will probably suc-
ceed in Alsace, so perhaps will General Mellinet in
the Seine and Oiae ; though there the contest will
be a close one. All the other seats will probably
be carried by the opposition.
A court of law, the Correctional Tribunal of
Grenoble, has given a highly creditable judg-
ment against the government in an electoral prose-
cution. The Memorial des Deus Sivres was pro-
secuted for the simple fact of having reproduced an
electoral address, duly registered according to law,
and placarded by M. Morin, an opposition candi-
date. The constitution expressly authorises a can-
didate to publish placards, and distribute his
address, at any time within 20 days of the election,
subject to the sole condition of depositing a copy
24 hours beforehand at the procureur-general's
office. But the authorities, out of their hatred
and jealousy of even that small measure of liberty
which the letter of the law allows, desired to get
a precedent fur the doctrine that a newspaper pub-
lishing a lawful electoral address was just as
responsible for any objectionable matter that
might be pounced upon in it as if the editor had
issued such matter in a leading article. Accord-
ingly the journal was prosecuted for having
"excited to hatred and contempt of the Emperor's
government," by echoing M. Morin's censures
upon the present law of the " press, individual
liberty, municipal liberty, public worship, and
public instruction." But the court had the
courage to say that "M. Moil% as a
candidate for the legislature, had an in-
contestable right to demand the repeal or
modification of any laws which he might
think bad," and that even if there were any libel-
lous matter in the address, which the court thought
there was not, the newspaper which had reproduced
it in good faith was not, under the circumstances,
liable.
Another court has fined a garde champotre for
tearing down an opposition candidate's address,
and only gave the delinquent the benefit of atten-
uating circumstances because he acted under the
orders of the mayor. These circumstances are by
no means " attenuating" for the government under
whose sanction it is that preterits, mayors, and
minor officials systematically confiscate, and gene-
rally with impunity, the rights of the electors.
The French journals say that the government
intends to demand reparation from England for
alleged illtrestment of Captain Cordier, of the
Havreship Leopard, by the English oorvette Zebra.
The case was mentioned in parliament the other
day, and seemed to have been disposed of. Captain
' Cordier, whose long complaint is greedily adopted
by the Paris journals, was, on his own showing,
, very much in the wrong, as he dissembled his
colours, refused to show his papers, and conducted
himself in a way naturally provoking suspicion.