The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-03 00:00:00

CORRES

PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, FRIDAY, April 2.
The great contest relative to purity of elections has
terminated. Why M. Jerome David brought up his inter-
pellation on money corruption it is difficult to imagine.
There is undoubtedly little money corruption in France
compared with England, but the question could hardly be
palatable to the authorities. M. Rouher was able vir-
tuously to assert that the French were not as other men,
even as you in England. The French did not bribe by
money. But M. Rouher well knew at the time that if
the French did not bribe by money, the authorities
scattered favours and offices of every description broad-
cast in order to carrythe elections. Intimidation, promises,
and bribes of every kind are employed to gain votes. The
English are certainly by no means a model to imitate iu
matters of electoral purity, but if by corruption is meant
all sorts of undue influence, then France is the most
corrupt country in the world.
This debate on money bribery—l have already men-
tioned its result—paved the way for the interpellation of
M. Picard on purity of elections generally, and especially
official candidatures. The Left were warmed by M. Jei One
David's impudent insinuations respecting bribes. A vir-
tuous exordium to purity by a member of a majority
elected by the most unfair influences was too much for
the leaders of the Opposition to tolerate. M.
Picard, who is rarely a mild speaker, was unusually
bitter in his condemnation of official candidatures, The
Minister of the Interior, M. Forcade de la Roquette,
replied in a speech, the gist of which was that the Govern-
ment neither could nor would abolibh official candidatures.
The Minister made a shew of reasoning, but this was the
Alpha and the Omega of his logic. Official candi-
datures were necessary, he said, as a measure of
self defence ; without them deputies might be elected
who would reduce the army to 200,000 men,
or ev( n less, and propose all sorts of subvertive mea-
sures. In short, M. de la Roquette argued that if official
candidatures were abolished the Government would be
made uncomfortable, and, therefore, it did not mean to
abolish them. By pleading that extreme measures would
be the consequence of non-interference in elections, the
Minister admitted that extreme measures were now pre-
vented by Government influence, in other words that
Government controlled the Legislature.
M. Emile 011ivier made a smart speech. He said
that the entire system was one of buying and selling.
Official candidateships led the people of the rural districts
to look on the post of deputy as a Government office,
and to consider the candidates of the Opposition as
very indelicate in trying to obtain such a place
against the will of him who had to bestow it.
The whole character of the Administration was
impaired by the system. The prefect most approved of
was not the man who managed well the affairs of his
department, but he who caused the inhabitants to vote
with the greatest unison ; and when, as in the Jura, he
failed, his post was taken from him. The mayors also lost
their influence by acting as election agents. He con-
trasted freedom of election as in England with
"cooked" elections in France. In England every
case was submitted plainly to the electors ;
they were asked if they wished for electoral reform or
not. Did they want to have the Irish Church disesta-
blished? And the people having pronounced, the matter
was decided once for all. It was in that way that free
trade had been established, and silectoral reform voted.
When once such changes had been effected the most
obstinate Tory would not think of going back on them.
And why? Because the nation had first been con-
sulted. In France, on the contrary, every evil became
chronic, and nothing was finished. The debate con-
cluded by a division. The Chamber decided to pass on
to the order of the day by 157 to 47.
Father Claret has undoubtedly gone to Rome.—
Madame Schneider, wife of the President of the Corps
Legislatif, is dead.

I mentioned yesterday that the Emperor's speech had
been very freely distributed—at the public cost, of course.—
throughout France. The Etendard is happy to announce
that the speech has made the most profound impression
upon workmen, for wl om it was intended. In the Allier
departmcnt the workmen 1 ave made public manifestations,
and at Vichy and Cusset they grouped themselves
round the place where the speech was posted up, crying
" Vive l'Empereur !" The Etendard is a semi-official
paper. I doubt much how many votes the speech will
get.

The Nabob of Bengal arrived at Marseilles a few days
ago. He has dined at the English Embassy, and a very
curious sort of ceremonial this was. He sat at the banquet
without partaking of anything ; for neither he nor his
suite can touch food which has not been prepared by the
hands of their own servants. Your readers will remem-
ber the story of the greased cartridges at the commence-
ment of the Indian mutiny.
A terrible domestic tragedy has happened at Nice. M.
Pontlevoy, a boarding-house keeper, had been absent in
Paris for some time on business. Whilst away he was
informed that his wife was living on terms of intimacy
with a jeweller of the name of Bailly. The enraged
husband instantly started for Nice, and suddenly
entered his wife's apartment towards midnight.
His w,:rst Lars be'ng confirmed, he drew out
a revolver, fired with fatal effect four shots
at Bailly, and a fifth at his wife, who had the
presence of mind to feign death. M. Pontlevoy walked
straight from his wife's bedroom to the police-office, his
wife having meanwhile escaped in her night-dress into the
street, where she implored a sentinel to protect her. Her
husband will suffer no punishment whatever for this
sanguinary act of vengeance, Ile will be acquitted by

Thirty-seven men who engaged in the election
riots in Monmouthshire in November last, were on Wednes-
day sentenced by Mr. Justice Keating to imprisonment for
terms ranging from four to twelve months.

Mr. Charley has given notice that in committee on
the Irish Church Bill he will move to strike out the clause
forbidding the archbishops and bishops henceforth to be
summoned or qualified to sit in the House of Lords.

Lord Powerscourt writes to a Dublin paper de-
precating the no surrender cry, speaking of Mr. Gladstone's
bill as reparation for past injustice, and objecting that Irish
Churchmen should be represented by firebrands whose
object seems to be to raise animosities.

Sir F. Gold:mid writes that he, and not Mr. Dis-
raeli, is the author of the proposal that whenever a member
of Parliament is unseated on the ground of corruption the
seat should be given to a defeated candidate who should
have polled a certain proportion of votes.
The Liverpool workhouse committee decided on
Thursday to entertain a proposal from Miss Rye to take all their
orphan girls for her emigration scheme, each girl being sup-
plied with £8 by the parochial authorities. Mr. Rathbone:
M.P., brought Miss Rye's scheme forward.
The Manchester Examiner says that the Court of
Arbitration for the settlement of disputes arising in connec-
tion with any of the trades in Manchester and Salford is now
fully constituted, and will in future meet quarterly for the
despatch of business.

Mr. William 11. Smith, M.P. for Westminster, has
presented his legal agent, Mr. John F. Isaacson, of Norfolk-
street, Strand, with an elegant and costly Cellini silver cup,
inscribed "in grateful remembrance of devoted and success-
ful services at the general election, 1868."
A statement has obtained currency to the effect
that the Solicitor-General has returned his fees in the cause
of Saurin v. Starr, in the belief that Miss Saurin's friends
were not in a position to pay them. The Law Times has
authority to state that the Solicitor-General has not re-
turned his fees, and that Miss Saurin's friends calculated the
cost before instituting proceedings, and are quite prepared
to bear them, should the appeal on points of law reserved
terminate adversely to her.

Great preparations have been made at Con-
stantinople for the accommodation of the Prince and
Princess of Wales. In addition to the konak at
Salihbazar, the Sultan has had Beylerbey Palace
also specially prepared for his guests, in case they
should prefer the Asiatic side of the Strait. One of his
Majesty's state caiqueo is to be placed at their disposal.
A grand ball ivill be given by the Ambassador and Mrs.
Elliot in honour of their /loyal nigbnessesi ani the example
of the English at Cairo will protably be followed by the pre-
sentation of an address from the local colony.

The Athentiarn states, on authority, that Mr.
Prendetsoni of Motitagu4treets intends to bequeath to the
tritish itasetim (bOath:tient of Prints And Drawings) his
hada oelietititing of the 'Works batid Cot and William
Muller. The "David oxf' edliedtioil dote titinsfsts of be-
tween fifty and sixty important works of richly diVereified
subjects. The drawings by Muller comprise a number of
studies and sketches made during tours in Rhodes, Lyda,
and the neighbouring countries of Asia Minor, England and
Wales. Mr, lienderson also intends to bequeath to the
yusounl_lj4 fine ccalcetien of bronze, oriental, and
ether *essels4

„
The Earl of Shrewsbury has written to the
Pbid to eotrect the report of the speech which
he made at Worcester 01l Wednesday, He says:—” I
did not say I trusted that the bill of Mr. Ciladstone would
not be rejected by tho House of Lords; but said I was
doubtful whether the House of Lords would reject the
bill, bat 'wee certain it would be so altered and modified
that it Would be much less injurious to the country. So.
condly--I did not say that I was annoyed with Mr. Disraeli
Ortassing the Reform bill; but that 1 presumed that Mr.
Gladsdn:7; tut?oyed with Mr. Disraeli for passing that mea-
sure, rei6ji;:.l to Otttbid him, and chose the Irish Church for