The Sun.
London, England, 1831-07-08 00:00:00

FRANCE.

THE APPROACHING ELECTIONS--THEIR HISTORY,
AND PROBABLE RESULTS.

To the EDITOR of the MORNING CHRONICLE
Paris, July 2, 1831.
SlR,—This is an interesting moment for France!
In a few days the electors will be called upon to de-
cide upon the individuals whom they will select to
represent the national interests in the Hew Cham-
ber. Let me, then, invite your attention to-diy to
this subject, and let us endeavour to understand the
real state of the question.
It appears to be generally understood in
.Parlia-
mentary, Ministerial, Diplomatic, and even in the
Opposition circles, that come what may, Ca,imir
Perier will present himself as President of the Coun-
cii to the new Chamber, and will try the question
whether or no he has a majority. I ircumstances
may occur in Belgium, or even in Poland, between
this day and the opening of the Session, which may
induce him to alter his determination ; but up to
last night that resolution had been taken, and the
Minister was resolved upon facing the storm. This
may be rash or politic, wise•or absurd. I will pro-
nounce no opinion, but simply give you the accom-
panying facts—and then judge for yourself.
The approaching elections will be different to any
which have yet taken place in France. Ever since
the restoration. the conflict has been between an
anti-national dynasty and a united and formidable
opposition. Republicans, Napoleonists, Liberals of
the Extreme Gauche and the Gauche, and indeed a
large portion of the Centre Gauche, have, election
after election, had to contend with the .double vote
—with an interested, selfish, ignorant, and insolent
aristocracy—with Peers pensioned by the Crown—
with clerical influence supported by Princes of the
Blood—and with emigrants and State paupers who
looked for their daily allowance both of bread and
amusement from Louis XVIII., or Charles X., and
their anti-national relations. Sometimes at these
elections, what with promises, and places, pensions,
destifutions, threats, nominations, fraud, trickery,
and so forth, the Bourbons have obtained a majority,
and the nation has been obliged to cry aloud in order
to obtain a dissolution. At other times, as in 1830,
the Bourbons were indiscreet enough to develope
too plainly their intentions—to alarm beforehand the
nation—to make even the Aristocracy tremble, and
to compel the electors, in self-defence, to return
De-
puties, who would at least preserve to them their
electoral privileges. And then came the Revolution
After the Revolution of 1t330, various Members
resigned—others ran away—some would not qualify
--and others said that they protested against a
Chamber " usurping" functions with which it was
not legally invested; and, as M. Cormenin observed,
assuming the rights of a National Convention, and
then of one of the three powers of the State. The
result was, that 130 Members were wanted to com-
plete the number, and a temporary law was passed
which abolished the double vote, and authorized
elections upon the principle of the New Charter, but
with the practice of the old law. These elections
were no sort of test of the feelings or wishes of the
electors, and much less of France. They were ne-
cessarily hurried. The electors had no time to look
about them for new candidates, and so, with very
few exceptions, all the old Deputies who chose to
present themselves to their constituents were again
returned. The Royalists were replaced by Liberals
in many instances—but in no one case were the
Liberals replaced by the Royalists. The Extreme
Droite thus lost nearly all its Members—the Centre
Droite lost several—the Centre Gauche gained some,
the Extreme Gauche some—and the Gauche a good
many. As the system of the double vote had been
abolished by the new Charter, the Royalists had no
chance at those elections, and the new Liberal De-
puties were therefore returned to fill up the places of
the retiring or excluded Royakts. Still, however,
as the qualifications for Deputies and Electors were
the same as under Charles X., with the exception
of the age of the electors, young and revolutionised
France did not assist at the elections of these 130
members, and no marked character, no character cor-
responding with the revolution of July was given to
the old Chamber by, the introduction of the 130