The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-02 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE PROM PAWL

(FRO3I OUR OWN conntsponzwr.)

PAETA. TuE4pA7, June 1.

A.maire was elected on Sunday at Zorraont, Ail).lace of
M. G ourdon, who has resigned, owing to his refusal to
put the screw on as vigorously as the Prefect desires. At
this election the Prefect, in an address, declared that he
had nothing to do with the elections. The voters, he
said, are not dependent on mayors, prefects, or even en
the Emperor, but are entirely free and responsible only to
God. The Gironde says the question was asked among
the 'persons present whether this miraculous conversion of
a Count de Bouville to such excellent sentiments mist
not be attributed to M. Courdon's letter.
The Temps calls attention io the fact that all the polling
cards which were left unclaimed by the electors who did
not vote on Sunday and Monday week, have, in the case
of the second circumscription, been taken to the Prefecture
from the mairies. As it is not likely that this proceeding
has peen adopted to awaken the zeal of the electors, the
Temps delicately hints that these voting cards may pro-
bably be delivered to false electors, who will use them in
the Government interest when, the struggle reopens on
Sunday. It exhorts the scrutators to be on the look-out
for such mancenvres. This i 3 certainly a cry uncharitable
suggestion, but I cannot wonder at it. The doings of the
authorities at the late contest were so discreditable as in
great measure to dissipate all confidence in their honesty.
It is on this account that the session so confidently
predicted for the end of this month becomes more and
more doubtful. There can be little question that if the
Corps T-6gislatif is opened at so early a period, the Radi-
cals will find vent for their recruited energies in a tremen-
dous row. Never has the verification of the election been
so laborious a task as it promises to be on this occasion.
The protests against the return of many of the Government
deputies increase ; revelations are coming in from all sides.
No doubt the validity of a great many returns will
be contested, and though it by no means follows that they
will be set aside, a furious contest will be involved in the
attempt to du so. Hence the impolicy of opening the
Chamber in June is urged, I know, by several Ministers.
The Emperor can postpone the evil day for six months;
but at the end of that time the process of verifying the
elections will still have to be gone through, and the
Radicals will be as much disposed to mischief then as they
are now.
I am informed that M. Thiess is pretty certain to be
returned at the next polling. You will remember that
M. D'Alton Sh6e, the Radical, promised to retire, and
afterwards resolved to stand. But I am told that the
great majority of his supporters, displeased at this breach
of faith, have given their promises to M. Thiers, who is
thus safe. There is now no doubt that the Government
was secretly abetting D'Alton Shee—a Red—in order to
keep out the dangerous Thiers. The chocolate maker
remains in the field, but he roust fail if his coalition actually
takes place. Everywhere in the departments the candi-
dates at the bottom of the poll are giving way to their
more successful competitors. "When the polling reopens
there will be in nearly all cases but one Liberal against
one supporter of the GoVernment. It has been decided
that the original project of the Constitution does not
prevent new candidates who did not put in an appear-
ance at the first balloting from coming forward at this
second poll. But I have heard of none doing so. The
public meetings, which have enjoyed a brief period of
unqualified uproar, are closed again.
A curious literary work is now contemplated, which,
I imagine, may prove of no little utility, and might very
advantageously be imitated in England. M. Emile de
Girardin contemplates publishing, in a collected form,
all the election addresses and chief circulars of the can-
didates, successful and unsuccessful, who presented them.
selves before the country. This work will serve to spew
by which political principles the votes of the various
districts were influenced. No doubt it will be an instruc-
tive document to those who read it.
The two seats in Corsica have been won by the official
candidates of course. Nobody expected that the Liberals
could carry these rural constituencies.
The parties to the affair of the poisoned bonbons,which com-
menced so dramatically and collapsed so utterly, are likely
to appear in a different capacity. The Duchess of Beauffre-
mont, whose lover proposed to poison the Duke, is suing
for a separation de corps et de biens. The Duchess, who
was an untitled heiress, was wooed by telegraph, and
accepted the offer in the same way. The pair lived very
affectionately for some time, but at length the Duke fell
into the usual course of infidelity. Her affection, how-
ever, did not diminish. She managed his property admir-
ably throughout the Mexican campaign, and watched
anxiously for his return. At length he came, and a tele-
graphic message from Paris was couched in the following
affectionate terms :—" I cannot find any shirts. Inform
me where yens here put them.—Beauffremont." Now,
, the unfortunate lady is finally tired of the husband she
has served so well. But can she obtain a separation? How
about the Polish count?
The Algerian news announces a massacre of a Tunisian
caravan on French territory. Commercial relations were
opened about a year ego between Guefsa, in the Regency,
i and Taes%a, in Algeria, the merchants of the former
place sending oil, carpets, &c., and receiving in
I exchange corn and printed cotton stuffs. Last month a
caravan composed of twenty-six Arabs, a woman, and
three Jews, all Tunisians, with about fifty camels or
asses laden with merchandise or specie of the value of
50,000 f., were returning to Guefsa, and had arrived
within six hours' march of the frontier, when they were
attacked by 150 horsemen of the Algerian tribe of
Nr6mencha.s., headed by three Caids. The Tunisians did
not resist, but were nevertheless cruelly put to death,
with the exception of the Jews and the woman, who
escaped wounded.