The Express.
London, England, 1863-11-19 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS•

(mow coos OWN COREESPONDINf.)
PARIS, WEDNIKIDAT EVEIMIO.

M. Pelletan's election for Paris was quashed yes-
terday without a dissentient voice. But the ab-
sent* of all opposition is to be attributed to the
fact which M. Emile 011ivier took care to put upon
record—that the Minister of State had promised
the bureau that the new election should come on
directly, and not be postponed for six months.
This being the case, it is not worth while to
analyse the ingenious legal argument offered by M.
Pelletan himself, in a maiden speech of great
ability, the purport of which was to show that
although, for want of the "absolute" majority,
his election was not definitive, it was not invalid,
and that he was entitled to be remitted to the
position in which be would have stood had the Pre-
fect of the Seise not made a mistake. Equity
is, no doubt, on the side of M. Pelietan's argu-
ment, but it is clear to me that the text of an
imperfect law makes him the sufferer for the mis-
take of that high functionary the Prefect of the
Seine. He admitted that he ought not now to be
declared a member. But his contention was that
the chamber ought to declare, not that his election
was void, but that the proclamation of the Prefect
of the Seine which sanctioned it was void. A new
election is on all bands admitted to be necessity.
The promise of the Minister of State that this elec-
tion shall not be delayed does away with the main
injustice done to K Pelletan. There is, however,
a secondary consequence of the decision of the
chamber worth noting. If, as K Pelletan con-
tended, the chamber, as sovereign judges of the
elections and all the proceedings relating to them,
had decided that the declaration of the poll only
was to be avoided, and the primary election to
stand good, the relative majority at the second
poll would have been conclusive. But now that
the election is oonsidered to be a new one, M.
Pelletan must obtain the absolute majority at the
first poll, or else submit to another trial again a
fortnight later.
K Pelletan, whose speech, as modest as elo-
quoit, proved him to have an oratorical talent on a
per with his fame as a writer, was frequently
interrupted by a hostile majority, and cries of
"Paris is not France" answered his allusions to
the great spectacle of the Paris demonstration of
May SlandJune 1. He ooncluded with these words,
which, though met by the cry of " question, ques-
tion," are very true, and wall sink deep into the
public mind :

_
The people d Paris voted for the prioeiplas of 'B9, those
glorious abash= who awe had a seat withia thee. we".,
who now knock at your door and demand to enter, and
who tell you that the people whose sovereignty you profess
to rewagniae oanoot be sovereign if it is not free.

These heretical doctrines fired up the Duke de
Moray, who said, interrupting M. Pelletan :
You ars making a great dial too mach at the quaitios.
The 'Woes vats for a candidata, sad aid ter either
liberty or despotism. The electors al Paris vote t far yor
That is all yea have to my hero.

M. Pelietan'a only reply to this was that he had
done. After the vote annulling his election be
withdrew from the house.

Another election, but this time that of • govei a-
ment candidate, was subsequently annulled without
discussion. It was proved that in the Ist circum-
scription of the Vosges the absolute majority ob-
tained by K Botanist de Villiers, the government
candidate, was attributable to some 600 votes
given by electors who were not registerri tOll
after the 31st of March last, and who, according to
law, were not capable of voting till next year. K
Buffet, the opposition candidate in that district,
will therefore now have a good chance.
The above two elections—those of K Pelletan
and K Bourcier de Villiers—are the only two
which the chamber has yet annulled, and those, it
sal be observed, were upon mere dry questions of
law and figures. No election has yet been quashed
for any of those general and moral oonsiderations
which played so large a part in former parliaments.
In 1844 K Charles Laffitte's election for Rouen
was declared void four times running, be-
cause he had promised his constituents •
railway, M. Duple, the present Procureur-
General, being one of the loudest declaimers against
the corruption of the constituency. Now, tempora
etutaritur! the government, on the eve of an
election, promises railways, roads, bridges, schools,
remission of fines and taxes, and whatnot; and
the government orators, with virtuous astonish-
ment, inquire whether there is any law to prevent
the government from conferring benefits upon the
people at election times as well as others 1
When K Pelletan left the Chamber yesterday
K Thies gave him a squeeze of the band saying
"Au revoir !"

The France says that the government has deter-
mined not to delay the other two elections for
Paris which are rendered necessary by MM. Jules
Fevre and Navin, who were each returned by two
constituencies, having elected to sit respectively
for the Manche and the Rhone. If this news is
true it is creditable to the government ; hitherto
the course has been to put off elections at which
opposition candidates were likely to succeed to the
latest period allowed by law.
Three elections for Paris, coming immediately
after the new situation created by the imperial
speech, would be no mean test of public opinion.
The Bourse opened heavily, and Rents was for
some time quoted lower than yesterday; but later
in the day, in spite of a fall on the bourses of
London, Frankfort, and Vienna, there was a
sudden rise, which is attributed to news (probably
false) of an armistice in America, and of the
acceptance by several powers of the Emperor's pro-
posal for a congress.

During the mat three months much has been
done by the Russians, not only in strengthening Croastadt,
but also is fortifying the entrances to the Neva, in
guoboate, batteries, kc.
The medical returns in Paris for the month of
October give as extraordirsary increase of rheumatism. Tin
hospitals are fall of patients suffer* from slat a few
years ago was called an " English disease." The Paris climate
for six weeks has been more variable than it ever is even in
England; and the number of "severe colds" may be judged
from the fag that, one night last week, a salon which is
generally crowded with all that is famisating and agreeable
contained the bast sad beaten end or visitor—all tke net
of the society being is bed.
THEATILICAIA AT COMPIIGNIL—The Eden de rOiss
gives the following from Compi4ne :—"The artistes of the
Ciyosses gave the sew comedy of Moaoere.ht the theatre
of the palms, on the "wooing anommeei Ey eight o'clock
all the penass invited from the town were Dement, and at
half-pas t the Emperor, the Empress., the Prime Imperial.
and the guests in the palm% arrived. It was the erg
time the yoanif prime was prawiat at a theatrical preform-
sees at Oompiegae. Me sat at fret es the Emperor's knee,
and afterwards ea a chair betweentheir Majesties. Os the
Emperor's right were the Primus. Clotkilde, Prism Laden
Murag and the Primer Asir Moist, and as the Em-
press's left Prince Napoleon. the Princess Leaden Murat,
sad Prime Joachim Murat. The whole of the guests were
in the boxes adjoining, sad the toilettes of the ladies were
magnidoest."