The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-10 00:00:00

THE VOTE ON THE PLEBISCITE.

The long-looked-for day of the Plebiscite passed over
tranquilly throughout France. In Paris where naturally
some uneasiness had been felt there was no breach
.of the peace, though the excitement was, of
course, great, and the people flocked to the
bureaus in crowds. The electors succeeded each other in
thousands round the ballot boxes where oui and non were
tossed in indiscriminately. The people seemed
bent on proving that universal suffrage was
consistent with order and decency. The citi-
zens formed themselves into lines and waited
patiently their turn at the boxes, and this self-
control was maintained all day. The number of
voters was even greater than was expected, many who
had previously resolved on abstention changing
their minds on the decisive day, and putting
their votes in the boxes. The International agents re-
quested, it is said, the workmen of the great manufac-
tories to keep quiet on the day. Whether they did so or
Ile, it is certain that the quiet was undisturbed.
The Government took the most elaborate precautions. A,
council of war was held at the Tuileries on Saturday, and
sat from 12 till 3, the whole army of Paris being under
arms, ready to march at beat of drum. Marshal
Canrobert and all the generals of the Pails
division were present at the council. The NB'
nisters were fully prepared to act if there
had been any occasion, and M. 011ivier, it is reported,
passed Saturday night at the Prefecture of Police. The
Government organs were eager in exhorting all good
cititens to vote early in the day, to avoid risk ;
and the Pays, in particular, begged the Government
to watch the gunsmiths' shops. Meanwhile the official
censors have been busy among-the papers. Four Parisian
journals, the Siecle, the Avenir National, the
Revell, and the Rappel, were simultaneously seized
on Saturday, their offence being publishing a false
proclamation professing to have been issued by
the Emperor in 1848. The proclamation was
not new, having been published in a provincial journal
some time since. It was then passed over
by the Government, but they thought it ad-
visable to , interfere when it reappeared in
the Paris journals at a time when their circulation is
enhanced by the Plebiscite. It is thought the Siecle, by
no means one of the extreme papers, would have been less
harshly dealt with, had not M. Cernuschi, the Italian, who
subscribed eight thousand pounds to the anti-Plebiscitary
fund, been one of the shareholders. One man has reason
to be grateful to the Plebiscite, for a new explanation is
now given of the reprieve of the murderer Lathawers,
which a few days since puzzled and displeased the public.
It appears that it was thought imprudent to risk the
assembly of a crowd at the place of execution on the
eve of the plebiscite, and as there was an unwil-
lingness to prolong the man's suspense it was decided to
commute his sentence instead of delaying its execution.
M. Lermina, who was under trial for reading a libel
against the Emperori at a public meeting, has been sen-
tenced to two years' imprisonment, two years' additional
loss of civil rights, and £4OO fine. The police, it is
said, consider he is implicated in the complot.
On Sunday the Prefect of Police placarded a notice in
Parii, which stated that rumours had been propagated in
several quarters to the effect that disturbances would
break out after the verification of the vote. The Prefect
informed the inhabitants that prompt measures had been
taken to repress any seditious attempt, and invited all
good citizens to avoidthose places where seditious attempts
might be made. By this means he declared that they
would strengthen the hands of the authorities, whose duty
it was to maintain order.
In Paris the official result was as follows :
Noes
Ayes
In the Department of the Seine :
Noes
Ayes
In the barracks of Prince Eugene the voting was
Ayes
Noes 7OO
This result was of course what was looked for in Paris,
and in Lyons the return was equally unfavourable. Lyons
which has 79,597 registered voters, gives :
Noes 35,769
Ayes 22,294
The returns from Lille shew 65,367 ayes and 13,803 noes.
Marseilles, with 76,627 registered voters, has 34,829
noes, 18,412 ayes, 866 notes being anulled•
Toulouse, with 30,817 votes, has 12,534 noes ; 9,112 ayes.
In Bordeaux the ayes have been 18,469, and the noes
10,187.
The total result of the vote, so far as known on Mon-
day morning, was :
Ayes ... ... 5,180,000
Noes ... 1,130,000
A later return is as follows :
Ayes 6,189,506
Noes 1,315,881
An afternoon return is complete with the exception °if
twenty-six arrondissements and the vote of the army an
u
navy and Algeria. The numbers are :
Ayes
Noes

The latest results of the voting, including those re'
ceived from Algeria and a part of the army, and only eV
cepting five arrondissements of France, give-
-7,138,000 Ayes.
1,518,000
At eight o'clock last evening numerous groups assembled
before the barracks of the Chateau d'Eau and in the Fall'
bourg du Temple, and it is stated that an omnibus has
been overthrown by a mob in the Belleville quarter.
The other parts of Paris are perfectly calm.