The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-26 00:00:00

THE GENERAL ELECTIONS IN FRANCE.
PAnn, TUESDAT.

The result Of the contest in Paris is very remark.
able. The struggle has excited unprecedented inte-
rest, has been conducted with remarkable order,
and has had a decisively unanimous issue. The
proportion of votes given was very large. In the
first circumscription in 1863 24,000 votes were given; in
1869 the number is 35,000. In the second circumscription
the numbers are respectively 21,000 and 32,000 ; in the
third, 28,000 and 36,000 ; in the fourth, 23,000 and 33,000 ;
in the fifth, 26,000 and 37,000, and so on throughout. The
number of electors has, indeed, increased also ; but, I need
hardly say, not in this proportion. Notwithstanding
the immense number of voters whose suffrages had to be
taken in two days—a vast army of 300,000 men in Paris
alone—no disturbance arose ; everywhere the electors have
behaved irreproachably, and both Liberal and official
journals agree that the election reflects the greatest credit
on the city of Paris. The result has been a " Red" vote.
The extreme men have been preferred in almost
every circumscription. In the first, Carnot, a
Republican of advanced views, an excellent repre-
sentative, one would have thought, fur this Republican
city, has been easily Lenten by Cambetta, the extreme
Radical, who has recently risen to famo by his splendid
eloquence. Carnot was a good depn'y ; everybody
respected him ; but the Parisians felt that if their
cause, be it good or lrul, is to prosper, it must be entrusted,
not merely to men who represent it, but to men who
can eloquently plead for it. Hence the overwhelming
defeat of Carnot in the third circumscription. Bancel
has beaten Emile 011ivier, the leader of the Tiers-Parti.
The decision of this most important contest amounts to
nothing less than a declaration of war to the knife between
Paris and Imperialism. Emile 011ivier thought that France
might accept the Empire if grievances were redressed—
liberty conceded. Paris, for its part, maintains that the
Emperor is an enemy with whom no compromise is possible,
and therefore none shall be attempted. Instead of the
moderate, but by no means Imperialist 011ivier, the third
circumscription has returned the most furious Radical in
all France, Bancel, member of the Provisional Govern-
ment of 1848, a politician who will take the oath of allegiance
only with the avowed intention of breaking it, and who
enters the Corps Ugislatif only the better to secure the
fall of the present Sovereign. Picard, Jules Simon, and
Pelletan, all advanced Republicans, have been elected.
In the other circumscriptions the battle will have
to be fought over again ; but the contest will
be only between one form of opposition and
another. In the second circumscription M. Thiers
has obtained 13,300 votes ; Devinck, the chocolate maker,
10,404; and D'Alton Slit% the aristocratic Republi-
can, 8,000. The latter will retire, and then M. Thiers
goes in easily. Ia the fifth the struggle is between
Raspail and Gamier Pikes, both extreme men. The
official candidate is nowhere. In the seventh Jules Fevre
and Rochefort, one a shade redder than the other, will
fight for the seat. The official candidate, a shoe-
maker, who can noither read nor write, met with
the fate his ignorance merited. It is only in
the sixth circumscription that an official candidate has
made anything like a fight. There the representative of
the Government was M. Cochin, an able man, and of very
powerful
influence. If an Imperialist could get
in anywhere for Paris, it was in this section.
But Jules Ferry, the Republican, gained 12,916 votes,
Cochin got 12,470, and Garoult, another Republican,
4,851. At the next trial the Liberals will con-
centrate on Ferry, and then what chance will
Cochin have ? The second balloting takes place
on Sunday and Monday week, the 6th and 7th of June.
At the second ballot, which is necessary whenever no can-
didate gets more than half the total number of votes
polled, the majority, be it half or not, is decisive.
The important question, " What has the country done?"
can hardly be answered yet. Some returns have not been
received whilst I write, in others the contest has
been indecisive, and a second teat will be. neces-
sary. But enough is known to enable certain re-
sults to be stated with perfect confidence. Almost
all the moderate men, no matter of what party,
have been defeated. France has recognized only the
two extremes—the Imperialists and the Republicans.
In the last Parliament and its predecessors there were
representatives of various shades, Imperialist, Orleanist,
Legitimist, Tiers-Parti, and Republicans of various
shades. In the Parliament of 1869-75 there
will be only the first and the last of these—a circum-
stance which irresistibly prompts the reflection,
lea extremes Sc tOUChtne. The Orleanists and the
Legitimists have vanished. M. Thiers, the leader of the
former party, will doubtless get in for Paris, though not
so triumphantly as the extreme candidates. He has been
beaten by large majorities in no less than five provincial
constituencies—at Lille, Marseilles, Morlaix, and in two
clictunscriptions of the 'Vienne. All his lieutenants have
failed absolutely. Casimir-Perier, de Broglie, Remusat,
d'A niliffret, Pasquier, Bother, Prvost-Paradol,Lanibreclit
DuchAtel, De Witt, Peeazes, and Jattl:ert have tried and
have not succeeded. The most fortunate of them received
only the srria'l number of ‘4,7::0 votes. The Orleani,t
party formed only a very small fraction of the la,t
Chamber, but this tune it is doubtful whetl er it
will be represented by more than a unit. The route
is complete. The Legitimists are in even worse case. I
believe that not a single representative of the Count de
Chambord will find his way to the Corps LtCgislatif. The
election of 1860 has ended in the disappearance of these
once powerful parties from the political stage.
The Government has gained 196 seats, and the Opposi-
tion 26 ; the remainder are doubtful or unknown. The
official candidates, as might have been expected, will once
more be in a large majority. But the Opposition will be
much more formidable than in the last Chamber, for it
will be homogeneous, and it will be slightly larger. It
will consist almost wholly of Republicans, and mostly of
extreme Republicans. The great towns have followed
the example of Paris. Lyons has chosen Bailed
and Raspail ; Marseilles has given a large majority
for Gambetta, who must prove the victor at the
second test. In the fourth circumscription the
officia
and the votes l candidate i s first, but there
which were are three. espread
Opposition
candidates,
amongst these three must be decisive when con-
centrated on one. Bordeaux and Nantes have
equally pronounced for the Radicals. The Jura
has again elected the Liberal, whom, to the astonish.
meat of everybody, it chose a short time age. M. Emile
nsolsibmi
te
ieeourno successfulucsancannot
otindecisivee i
en v
elections the Var. The full strength
of
n t the 011ivier
e n approximately
are
fought
estimated
uover
again. But it is certain that it has gained by the contest.
Even the Patrie admits this.

THE REASSEMBLING OF PARLIAMENT.

Mr. Glyn, the Liberal " whip," has usual a circular to
Mr. Gladstone's supporters in the House of Comrhons,
announcing that a division will be taken on the third
rea4ig of the Irish Church Bill on Monday evening, and
earnestly requesting the attendan'ce of Liberal members
on that occasion to support the Government. Divisions
are also expected on Thursday evening on important
features of the Budget.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

Major-Gen. Sir David Wood, K.C.8., R.A., is
appointed Commandant of the Garrison at Wool-
wich, in succession to Major-Gen. E. C. Warde,
C. 8., R.A., whose period of Staff service expires at
the end of the present month, but as Sir David
Wood has obtained permission not to assume the
command before the Ist of July next, Major-Gen.
Warde will still continue to carry on the duties of
the command until that period.
The officers of the 18th Hussars dined together
last evening at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-
street.
The officers of the Bth (King's) Regiment bad
their annual dinner last evening at Willis's-rooms,
King-street, St. James's.
The annual regimental dinner of the 33d (Duke
of Wellington's Regiment) was held yesterday
evening at the London Tavern, I3ishopsgate-street.
The 94th Regiment of infantry, comprising about
30 officers and 500 non-commissioned officers and
men, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel
Mein, paraded yesterday morning on Woolwich-
common, and underwent an inspection by the coin-
mandant of the garrison, Major-General E. C.
Warde, C. 8., R.A. After the Major-General had
passed down the front rank and up the rear rank,
the regiment broke into open column of companies
right iu front and marched past, and subsequently
formed on their original ground, when they were
ad tressed by the commandant, who exiressed hmj-
self well pleased with the smart, clean, and soldier-.
like appearance of the men, who reflected the
greatest credit upon.the corps after their journey
tiona Dover iu such unsettled weather during the
four days they were on the line of march.
The Greenwich Hospital pension of £5O a year
vacant by the death of Mr. W. Folds, Deputy In-
spector of Hospitals and Fleets, on the 11th inst.,
has been granted front that date to Dr. John W.
Elliott, retired Deputy Inspector of hospitals and
Fleets.

The course of exchange at Now York on London for bills at 6)
days' sight was on the 17th inst. about tORt per cent. At this rate
there is IZQ profit en the inipertntiou of gold twin the United
NAM!