The Express.
London, England, 1863-06-03 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 3, 1863.

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORIULSPONDINT.)

PARIS, TUESDAY EVENING.

There are at least ten opposition deputies elected ,
in the provinces to be added to the nine in Paris.
MM. Marie and Berryer (a tremendous result this,
added to the election of Thiers in Paris) are re-
turned for Marseilles ; M. }linel (one of the
" five") resumes his seat for Lyons ; M. Lanjuinais,
a liberal of great talent, influence, and eloquenoe,
has been returned for Nantes. The other opposi-
tion members whose election is beyond ques-
tion are Plichon (Lille), Lambrecht (for a '
northern district), Dorian (St. Etienne), Glas
Bizoin (Cotes du Nord), Pieron (Pas de
Calais), and Gamier (Hautes Alpes). These
' have all obtained absolute majorities, and their
number comes singularly near the twenty which I
prophecied as the outside of almost a wild hope a
month ago. But there are at least five cases of
ballotage, or second elections, in which the decisive
result a fortnight hence will probably be in favour
of the opposition candidates. We may therefore
expect a compact opposition of 25 men ; and these
will be reinforced by defections from government
candidates on particular questions. The prospect
transcends all reasonable anticipation.
The French papers are too much occupied with
the task of collating the latest electoral telegrams
and adding up the figures, to make any profound
or extended remarks upon the political bearing of
the elections. The Constitutionnel—whose eloquence
on behalf of the government candidates, signed
Paulin Limayrac, has been distributed gratuitously
for the last week so extensively as seriously to in-
convenience the other journals, which could not get
stamps fast enough for their daily use—ingeniously
endeavours to put a good face upon its defeat. At-
tributing the Paris elections partly to the very
shocking "coalition" of old parties, and partly to
the division of the Emperor's friends caused by the
journal La France, it calmly observes that there
were about thirty opposition members in the cham-
ber just dissolved, and that there will not be so many
in the new one. That is too impudently false a
view of the important crisis now going on to be
worthy of serious refutation. The opposition in
the late chamber, properly so called, consisted of
the " five" only ; and the Constitationne/ has con•
tinually taunted them with their small number
and their isolation. The other members were
originally government nominees, never joined any
systematic opposition, and only ran rusty upon
the religious question—and now and thou on some
financial projects. There is of course no security that
some of the men whom the government now thinks
its obedient bumble servants may not turn against
it just as those of 1837 did. The score of men who
will sit on the opposition benches in the new house
are as radically opposed to the system of govern-
ment officially adored by the Constitution/ad as
were the "five," and contain among them some of the
greatest parliamentary orators of this or any other
country. The difference is enormous and speaks
for itself.

The Pays expresses itself " surprised and af-
flicted" at the elections for Paris, but is neither
"troubled nor uneasy." Like the Constitutionnel,
it falls back for consolation on the provinces, and
runs a muck at La France.
The Opinion Nationale says :
The result of the election is far less brilliant in the depart-
ments than in Paris. It is, however, already evident that
the opposition will consist of from fifteen to twenty mem-
bers. That number is little for a vote, but large for a de-
bate, as the example of the "five" within the last six years
sufficiently proves. We most not exaggerate the value of
our conquests, but neither must we be very much dissatis-
fied with them. We are persuaded that the vote of June 1
will not be barren of results in the future.
In the Presse, M. Emile de Girardin says :
These elections do not mean the overthrow of the edifice
to restore that which was destroyed on Feb. 24, 1848.
They mean the " crowning of the edifice"--that, and
nothing more.
The Nation is very angry with the Parisians for
their " ingratitude" to the Emperor's paternal
government, and a writer bearing the funny name
of Ulysses Pic goes all the way back to Tacitus for
argnmente to show that they are a froward race,
who ruunt ad seroitutem.

The France regards the elections for Paris as
" symptoms of public opinion, which challenge the
most serious attention of the throne—nothing
more, nothing less."
As to the way in which the elections have been
"worked" by M. de Persigny's agents in the pro-
vinces the Union says :
The known incidents of the electoral campaign show that
the system of official candidature; has been worked this
year with a zeal which leaves 1837 in the shade. The
action of the administration, so powerful everywhere, so
preponderant in almost all cases, has redoubled its activity,
and surpassed the bounds of the wildcat imagination. The
sudden revival of public opinion produced an impression
which seems to have taken the agents of authority by sur-
prise ; and they have met it by acts which have astonished
people who have long ceased to be astonished at anything.
The Sitkie of yesterday, speaking before the
result of the Paris elections was known, spoke in
precisely the same sense, and affirmed that the un-
scrupulous pressure of the administration in the
provinces beat all precedent.
The excitement consequent upon the elections
prevented the Parisians from taking much notice
of the total eclipse of the moon last night, which,
however, occurred under circumstances peculiarly
favourable for observation. The moon was at the
full—its disc began to be obscured at about half-
past 8, when the sun was well down ; the total
eclipse occurred shortly after 11, that is, before
most people had gone to bed, and the sky was
clear all the time. A whimsical coincidence has,
however, been remarked, which, I think worth
recording. M. Haussmann,the Prefect of the Seine,
who has expended so much eloquence and so much '
public money in the unsuccessful attempt to get the
government candidate* returned, has a fine, jolly,
round face, not unlike the full moon. A peripatetic
philosopher, on the banks of the Seine, oh-
served that at about a quarter past 8, when I
the moon loomed high and proud above the Hotel
de Ville, a little bit of its surface was rubbed out,
as if by a piece of indiarubber, just at the very mo-
ment when the newsboys began to cry the second
editions of the evening papers with the earliest'
results of the poll. The moon continued to look
blacker and blacker; and shortly after 11, when all
Paris was shouting with delight at the undoubted
news that the opposition candidates, without ex-
ception, were at the head of the poll, the moon was
altogether out of countenance; the eclipse was
total. It is conjectured that M. Haussmann, who
was probably putting on his nightcap at that mo-
ment, must have felt very uncomfortable.
There has been no such panic as M. Hausmann
predicted at the Bourse ; on the contrary, the
Route rose 30c. for account, and 10c. for cash.
The Daily News is seized. M. de Persigoy yet
reigns in the home department, but his time will
not be long.

The Emperor of Austria ie to accompany the
Empress to Kissingen, where her Majesty is going to take
the waters. The Emperor will return to Vienna for the
epode( of the maim of the Reieharath.