THE NEW MODE OF ELECTION IN FRANCE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3101, 6 June 1881, Page 4

THE NEW MODE OF ELECTION IN FRANCE.

The Sydney Morniug Herald thus explains the difference between the two systems of voting, which the French Chamber of Deputies has for some time been discussing, with the result as stated in yesterday's cablegrams, that election by scrutbi de liste has been resolved upon :—' "The law now ordors that every arrondissement has to elect one deputy, and if its population is in excess of 100,000, an additional deputy for each 100,000, or portion thereof. Under this system, which goes by the name of the uni-nominal ono, an elector can vote as he pleases, or decline to vote if there are no candidates that he likes. Moreover, as the electorates are cut up into small divisions, as a rule, the electors have only single votes. Under the scrutin de liste the arrondissements will be dispensed with, and the electors required to vote for whole departments. Thus, supposing that the proportion of one member for 100,000 voters is retained, a department containing 500,000 voters would return five members, and every vote would have that number of votes. He would also be required to exercise them. Plumping would be illegal. If a department is entitled to return five members, each voter must support five candidates. Should he object to any of the candidates proposed, he must get others in their place. In the event of his being unable to find a candidate whom he approves he must vote for one whom he disapproves.

" It will be said that under such a system electors will not vote at all; but it is proposed to make voting compulsory, or at least to impose a fine on non-voters. It is probable that under a pressure of this kind the bulk of tho electors would go to the poll, and as a large number of them must of necessity be ignorant of many of tho candidates they may find it necessary to support, they will have to vote under tho direction of party leaders. This is what the advocates of the proposed system aim to secure. Election by sarulin de liste would mean election by caucus; its tendency would be to destroy personal influence in political contests, and to roako party influence supreme. On tho approach of an election the wiro puller of a party would prepare a list of party candidates, according to the custom in America. And tho adherents of the party would be asked to vote for the hunch, and, as a rule, would do so. Thus, ii' i.i majority iv any constituency are Radicals, only Radicals would bo returned ; if a majority arc inclined towards Conservatism, only Conservatisls would be returned. Under such a system certain parts of a country would bo represented by ono set of politicians, and others by another. Its effect in France for the hour would of necessity be a largo accossion to the Republican majority, and that would moan a vastly increased support for M. Grambetta.''