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    240 THE lEADER. [SA^trft&A^

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    Letters From Paris. [From Our Own Corres...

    officially declared to be duly elected . A colourable story , malicious people say , this of the white votes—and , at all events , a very black looking business . The juggle of the votes given in favour of General Cayaigiiac has led many to suppose that the officials who are charged by Louis Bonaparte ' s electoral law with the seals of the balloting urns , have taken advantage of their office tor effect a clandestine modification of the votes in favour of Government . This supposition would explain the votes of the 20 fch of December and of the 29 th of January .

    But this is not all . I will cite another fact or two to give you an idea of the electoral manoeuvres by which the free and sincere expression of the popular voice , so emphatically and ostentatiously recommended in the circulars of i ; he Minister of the Interior , has been ascertained . In a great number of localities , the bulletins of independent candidates were seized , and their distributors arrested . At Chartres , for instance , bulletins , in the name of Monsieur le Marquis de Gouvion Saint-Cyr , were stopped at the post , and bearers of the same imprisoned as disturbers of the

    peace . Notwithstanding all these preventive obstacles , the son of the celebrated Marshal had nearly two-thirds of the votes ; unfortunately , his bulletins were debarred access to the rural districts . In the Puy de Dome , M . Combarel de LeyvaL ex-deputy and ex-representative of the people * a man of order , and a wealthy landowner , happened to be the candidate of a certain number of electors , who had remained faithful to him for sixteen years . He found it impossible to get a circular printed , or even a few voting tickets . Two out of four of his friends who were distributing his bulletins , were arrested , and thrown into prison .

    The prefects resorted to acts of even more glaring violence . At Avignon , about 150 electors are in prison . For some hours , a certain number of mayors were incarcerated . A host of citizens were personally threatened . M . Henou , the Socialist candidate , was elected at Lyons ; his nomination was officially announced . After a public reckoning of the votes , the Government declared his election null . At Brest and at Nantes , the same method of getting rid of the opposition was enforced .

    Perhaps you are not aware that the elections of the 29 th February were undertaken by M . Romieu , exprefect of the Dordogne , celebrated for the boisterous excesses of his youth and for his metropolitan orgies . It was he who , under the iEgis of M . Persigny , conducted the whole electoral movement . M . Persigny was giving magnificent instructions to the prefects , in which he ostensibly enjoined the utmost freedom to all candidates at the very time when M . Romieu was summoning the prefects to Paris and giving them those secret orders which they have faithfully executed .

    At Paris , the number of votes obtained by the Government candidates is 134 , 487 ; that of the Opposition , 106 , 125 , including 18 , 34 . 7 votes cancelled . The difference in favour of Government is only 28 , 362 . On the 20 th of December , the difference was 100 , 588 . Subtract from this amount 28 , 362 votes disallowed . The number of abstentions is no less significant . The electors inscribed at Paris were 338 , 843 ; the number of voters was on tins occasion , 246 , 073 : making 92 , 770 abstentions . In the provinces the abstentions were equally striking . In the Ariegc , there were G 2 , 000 voters on the 20 th December ; there aro 32 , 000 on the

    29 th February . At Rouen , one-half abstainod . At Rhemes , where last December the election was almost unanimous , there ai * o now 6895 abstontions out of 11 , 374 voters ; there wore but 4479 votes , and the Government candidate only polled 2337 . If the nonvoters be reckoned as belonging to the Opposition , it may be said that half of Franco is adverse to the present state of things . Besides , it must not bo forgotten that a good number of the new deputies , although labelled with the title of Government candidates , aro , nevertheless , members of the old parliamentary majority , who having an old score to settle , aro naturally eluded amongst tho enemies of tho Government . It is then

    nearly certain that even in tho heart of tho legislative body thoro is forming an opposition which will speedily become Horioun . Many of the representatives recently elected arc now in Puris , and thoy have entreated of General Cuviiignno not to send in hia resignation , desiring , as they say , to form an Opposition . , Under tho shelter , of hor nairio , tho guests of the Princess of Wugnim , at a bull on Thursday , in estimating tho composition of tho now Assembly , woro unanimous in their opinion that thoro would bo a 'focus of 80 or 90 members ( out of 230 ) , who would ussumo in tho Assembly tho character of sincor representatives of tho pooplo , and who would not bo contont silently to sanction tho edicts brought boibro thorn .

    Tho clergy huvo ovorywhoro votod and caused to voto in favour of tho Government candidates . Tho proof of this in in u letter from tho Biuhop of Moreoillos ,

    addressed to the Courrier newspaper of that city where he says that , being consulted by several of his clergy on the line of conduct which it was proper for them to observe at the coming elections , lie did not hesitate to advise them to vote in favour of the Government candidates . This preference of the Church explains itself in the continual concessions made to it by the government of L . Bonaparte . Such , for instance , is the suppression of the University .-

    I pointed out to you in my last letter , and three days before all the Paris journals , what were the principal features of the future law on instruction , now expected daily . I omitted , however , to remark one which denotes an immense concession to the clergy . AlVthe ecclesiastics and the members of religious congregations ( read Jesuits ) will have the right to establish a school or college without any previous authorization , and especially without any surveillance of the State . Plain citizens , on the contrary , will be subjected to that authorization and that surveillance . This disposition , if Bonaparte lasted , would render the clergy a formidable instrument , in giving to it the absolute direction of the education of our future generation . It is not , then , surprising that the clergy should repay in votes for Bonaparte its tribute of gratitude .

    The Legislative body is summoned for the 29 th March . It was at first said that M . de Morny would be the president . Some days before the election ? , Bonaparte had sent to the Moniteur the decree which called M . de Morny to that high dignity . But on an observation of the writers of the Moniteur , that the new Constitution required that the president of the Assembly should be chosen by the elected deputies , L . Bonaparte caused the decree to be withdrawn . That this supreme legislator should have already forgotten

    the articles of his own Constitution was thought very amusing in Paris . As soon as the result of the elections was known , L . Bonaparte wished to name M . de Morny . His pretended uncle , Jerome Bonaparte , would thus have been president of the Senate , and his uterine brother president of the Legislative Assembly but old Jerome opposed himself this time to the nomination . The Constitution confers on the president of the Seriate the right to provide a successor for the chief of the State in case of the decease of the latter .

    In the anticipation of this eventuality , which is not by any means a pleasant subject of thought to Louis Bonaparte , old Jerome of course wished to be " master of the situation , " and desired to have no serious obstacle to prevent the exercise of this right . But he was well aware that if M . de Morny were president of the Corps Legislatif , he could interfere most materially with his views ; and he also knew that De Morny , on Louis Bonaparte ' s death , would use his influence in favour of the Comte de Paris , or even the Corate de Chambord , rather than for any member of the Bonaparte family . He therefore made use of the famous argument with the President of which we have already spoken , the threat of exposing the family secrets , and especially

    Louis Napoleon ' s cxtra-Bonapartist origin . This argument had its usual effect on Louis Bonaparte . He yielded in this case , as he had on that of old Jerome's salary , and it was settled that De Morny was not to be president of the Corps Legislatif . In the Moniteur of this morning ( Tuesday ) , Mi Billault is appointed . These preparations for the event of Louis Bonaparte ' s sudden death aro not founded on a purely gratuitous hypothesis . He is seriously ill . Tho most contradictory rumours have been spread as to the nature of his disease . Some said he was afflicted with a maladie de langueur j others have assorted that his illness is occasioned by a disease of tho spinal marrow , produced by debauchery .

    This last version is tho best accredited . His familiars acknowledge that ho has acute rheumatism in tho left leg , with sovero pain in tho loins , symptoms which would exactly correspond with those of disease of tho spine . Whatever it may Iw , Louis Bonaparte certainly suffers severely ; ho has latoly risen at five o ' clock in tho ovening , received tho ministers until sovon o ' clock , and , except during those two hours , Boon no ono but his physician , Dr . Conneau .

    There is still much talk of tho fusion of tho two branches , but nothing more has transpired regarding tho negotiation at Frohsdorf . A decided incrcaso of favour , however , has boon shown to this solution by tho higher ranks of society . Tho coterie at tho ElyseVaro furious at this , and accountu reach us from every part of tho country of a revival of rigorous measures against both Orloanints and Legitimists . Tho rago of tho Elyse ' o against tho latter party is such , that in tho south , tho Govornmont has not hesitated to turn out Legitimist mayors , and to replace thorn by Republicans . This would bo hardly credible if wo did not know that tho etrangoHt things aro BomotimoH done in tho blindnoBS of passion . On tho other hand , tho Govornmont is playing a deep gamo againat tho Orleans family .

    The Due de Bourbon , in his will in favour of the Due d ? Aumale , had inserted a clause which granted an annual sum of a hundred thousand francs ( 40002 . ) to the descendants of the Vende * ans , who were killed in the civil war . Louis Philippe , under the pretext that this legacy was ^ anti-national , " but really in order to appropriate it himself * had managed to get it- annulled And . now the Bonaparfcists have exhumed this old business ; they have induced some aged Vendeans to come forward , and to demand the arrears of this annual grant . M . Boisviel , a Legitimist advocate , is engaged to support their claim against the Due d'Aumale ' s

    estate . By raking up this business , the Bonapartists especially wished to cause dissensions between the Legitimists and the Orleanists , as the former party might be expected to defend , and the latter to oppose the claim . But events have now rendered the union of the two parties so imperatively necessary , that the Bonapartists will , in all probability , find all their ingenuity Wasted . The Elysee fears nothing- so much as this union , and , therefore , does everything in its power to prevent it . M . de Persigny lately gave vent to his Bonapartist zeal , in a drawing-room , in the following language . A general officer , distinguished for

    his faithful services to the elder branch of the Bourbons , objected in very moderate terms to the decrees of the 22 nd of January , and expressed his astonishinent at seeing all the fear and all the mistrust of the Elysee exclusively turned in the direction of the Orleans family . "JSh , mon Dieut General , ' ^ said De Persigny , vehemently , " we are . not disposed to spare the Legitimists any more than the Orleanists , and we suspect Frohsdorf just as much as Claremont . If at this moment we strike at the house of Orleans—and , in my opinion , on just grounds , —it is because they

    could by themselves re-establish the monarchy iu France ; but the Legitimists , reduced to their own resources , could give us no canse for fear , although , if they were united to the Orleanists , they might make a serious fight against us on a good opportunity . We strike the first blow against the princes of the Orleans family , and we are well assured that by the same blow we shall do the greatest damage to the Comte de Chambord and the Xieglthuhjifl * " In short , the plau of the Elysee is to separate the Orleanists and the Legitimists , and to conquer them in detail .

    M . Bocher , who was accused of having hawked about Orleanist pamphlets , was tried last week , and only condemned to a fine of five hundred francs . The Elysee was enraged at this , for such a sentence amounted to an acquittal . The Government has appealed against it . A new decree , which has appeared this week , confirms the condemnations pronounced by the Departmental Commissions . One measure has been received more favourably ; the Bank of France has redticed its rate of interest

    from four to three per cent .- The Bank , however , did not effect this reduction voluntarily ; it simply obeyed an injunction from the Government . The President had only one object in making this order , —ho wished to influence the elections , and especially those in Paris . This measure was , in fact , a mere electoral reclame . As for the octroi duties , the future suppression of which was announced by the Bonapartist organs before tho 2 nd of December , the Government appears to Imvo suddenly found out that it is not possible to do without them at present . A mere shadow of reform h » s been paraded when it was necessary to give an appearance of satisfaction to tho working classes on this point . The duty of ten per cent , which tho State raised from tho octrois of all the cities of Franco , has alone been suppressed , and by this boon the tax on cortain articles

    of food will bo slightly reduced . Coercive measures continue in force all over Franco . Tho popular poet , Lachainbcaudio , is still on board tno Dtiguesclin , in which ho is to ho transported to Cayenne . Tho transportations to Algeria have commenced . Many shiploads of prisoners have sniiej from Cctto and Marseilles for that colony . And ««" arrests continue to be made . Thirty persons hayo i » uti arrested this week in the single town of Conuo ( Gers ) , and tho neighbourhood . Tho nuinlwr ¦ o political priHonors in thiB little town amounts to ww

    than a hundred . . * A terrible disaster has occurred in Alg « v >» ;• , eoluinn commanded by General Bouquet was oxi for a day and a night to a . enow-storm . More three hundred mon died from tho cold , ana buried in tho snow . . i wn \ i Tho political world is still much occupioa w Switzerland . Tho diplomacy of Europe w diviut tho subject . Austria will consent to an armoa n ^ vontion by Louis Bonaparte , on condition that h permitted to co-oporato on tho Italian fr 0 " *]* " * ' * ^ consents only to pacific intervention , and JVL . « Bolrodo has written to this ofl'oct to tho Rusamu i .

    240 The Leader. [Sa^Trft&A^

    240 THE lEADER . [ SA ^ trft & A ^

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), March 13, 1852, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_13031852/page/4/