New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-08
FRANCE.
From Our Own Correspondent.


PARIS, June %, 1867.
The result of the elections in ali but thirty dis
trcts is now known. The candidates proposed by
Government have been even more generally sue
cessful than was anticipated. All allowances be-
ing made for interference of Mayors, Projects aud
Police for official patronage of the imperial caudi
dates and official restrictions of various kinds
the free canvass of their opponents, it still cannot
Justly be denied that the French people last Sunday
and Monday, again. aud after six years trial, ex-
pressed their assent to and approval of the Imperial
regime. We may entertain our old opinions as to
the sin of perjury, or the wickedness of the
Coup dEtat; a majority of the French sanction it,
1t should not be forgotten by those who are always
ready to attribute the great preponderance Of the
Napoleonic msjorites to government pressure on the
voters, that at time when Louis Napoleon was
himself an opposition candidate, he received nearly
five and half million out of lesss than and
half million sufirsges for the Presidency 1t is idle
to deny that to-day be is as popular as any ruler Ia
France can expect to be, and that his rule is more
acceptable to the mass of the people than was the
Republic in 1851.
It is equally idle to assert what so frequently is
asserted by foreign OnlOokers, whose observations
are confined to Paris that there is any popular en-
th,siasan or very general approval Of him and his
policy in the metropolis. The whole number of
registered electors in the Department sfthe Seine
is, in round sumbers $50, 000 of these, but $4,000
voted at all (Which, by the way, is a larger proper
ton than will be found, when we have the official
returns to have gone to the polls in the Provinces)
143, 600, them abstained Now there can be but two
motives for voluntary abstentiOn in this caseindier
ence or hostility. But the candidates of the Liberal
Opposition had over SO 900 votes; add these 10 the
49, above, aud We find the measure of the
Emperor's popularity in Paris, which so many
travellers speak Of Such boast and record as is
made of it by the official and semi-oticial Journals
though it miseads innOcents, should 60 for nothing.
The semi, fiicial sheets are now exultlDg over
their victory iii a tone that seems to Indicate an
agreeable surprise at its extent. Previous to the
election they occasionally INDUCED in tone of Bit
terness and grossness that certain historians always
pretend to be the special quality of revolutionary
journalists. Their adyersaries ON the contrary,
have almost uniformly kept within the limits of de-
cency. La Presse, the organ of the most liberal
opinions that can now get voice in France, has
been throughout the canvass uniformly calm and
where it was not impossible, courteous in defense
and attack
In the Department Of the Seine, five Of the Gov
ernmeDt and two of the Opposition candidates are
chosen. There remain three districts where there
was no choice, and where a new trial will take
place on Sunday, July s. 1t will be in place here to
cite two provisions of the law that rules elections
One is that no one at the first trial. can be elected
unless be has majority Of the votes cast, which
majority must furthermore be at least equal in
number to one quarter of all the electors
registered in the district. If none of the
candidates obtains such a majority new trial takes
place on the second Sunday following, when simple
plurality, without regard TO absolute numbers, de-
cides the election. Nessieurs Goudchaux and Car
not are the two successful Liberals chosen by hand
some msjOrities. General Cavaignac had also
small majority but not the requisite one quarter Of
all the voters of his district IN bis favor. In Of
the other two districts it is quite probable that the
Opposition would have succeeded but for split
among themselves. From the departments we hear
as vet of but three Liberals chosen; they are in
Lille I.,ops and Bourdeax. There were altogether
lis Opposition candidates 10 the country.