THE FRENCH ELECTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 175, 4 June 1864, Page 6

THE FRENCH ELECTIONS.

It 18 a wonderful tiling that a Government which hue boon directed on the whole with .-uoh wisdom as that of the Empeior oi the French, which luus elevaled the name ol riancc abroad, which has leen the victor in two wars, wtiich lias checked the progres.oi the gn.-atent.-my of Western Europe, audconlerrcd national independence and unity on one oi the must gifted ul races, which has, moreover, given interna! security to its country and developed the wealth and industry of 1-ance in-j'unil ail parallel ul li.nucr reign.-, blu-uIiX bit so alliirfcd wim iJie vices which Le.-et olii. iai nature tiiar it oltcn suujcct.-, it.-eli to ailioht.it does nut de.-crve. .ig.uu tlie electors ol Paris ha\u pronounced i.y in.mense majorities lor candidates whc>e i.-hie! leceiiniiLiidatii-n i» ihat tliey are opposed to liie system on wnicli France is governid. 'i he elections "ol a tew montha since aie still liesli in tlie memory ot the public, and now, i>ll the occasion ol two vacancies lor the lirst and lillh districts ol I'ari.lejpOctively, M. C'aniot receives '.1,938 votes against 3j37s for M. Pinard, and JM. Uaniier l'age receives against 4,641 lor M. Frederic Lcvi, one of tlie "Hβ ilaires put lorwaid by tne Uovei-iunciit e.\P r essly to opjiote liiin. The event will have, perhaps, little direct eliect, as the vast majority li»r the French population is staunch to the F.mpcrur ; and whether Uiu lmlo band ol Lil/erals in tiie IA-gi.--body counts two voles more i.riess can make little diti'eix'uce as to llie late of any meaMire. But still a i.s iui|ioilaiit. In t-pite ol the- gie.it political 1 evolution tt-hleli I.SJI liP>ll;;iil Willi 11. I'alls is Mill allllo.l BCjuivalent to Fiance, 'iimugli tin- i>'>licy 01 tin. ttUtyixe hhs btcn to make the provincial lui] hiinseli as good as the nietn.politau, lliougli tlie classes which arc powerful „, tiie provinces, such as the clergv , the ■well-to-do industrialists, ai:d the landowners l.uge and small, have been especially court< d by the slat--i— men wiio now govern France, yet ll.u tradiiion ui 7U yours, and, indeed, we may say ol a century i.r two, arc; notu> be ulililt-riin-d ma short time. Tnougii the orators iind men 01 li-uei-n win. 1 ongiey.ite in tsie | eapitiil are not wli.it lli.-y Wire in jj.»w,.t, and ale- : even sneereil at liy tin; men ol wine anil silk andiron ! wJio have grown licli in the jiMiv.iiuv-; iin-iigii ide I Paris jnoii has loiind its ni:i.-icr in an aiinv wiiicn would be readv in a inoniciit 10 ciu-li any repetilioii of 11S1S or IHW, yet J'.i-is viei-ti.mi, ..,•■ nViib .vliie.i cannot fail Ui iuv<; a inorni iuipui't.iiie.-. "I J I - - pm■vinciabs know Imit whether ]!ie .I'.iiiMans Iμ mure enlightened than tlii-m.-..'i\i's <-r nol liny :i)e, ,-a :uiy raV.-, more mdependcul of control ;,n,( judge nidi-,.- j coaiplet-ely for tliemselves. Tne elee.ol i.~ lost in a I crowd, and becomes therel ore less ex posed to lh«; mliu- I ■ ences of admin.-liative j«.'i>oniiges. I'-ir liie aimp. , lietijjcr or lu'tisjiiu ol i'lins tnc I'jclci.t ol tiie Seine i.- j no tumble potentate, and a 3laire's lrown is not n ' , withering inliut-nce ci.inmtrrjiiily or socially. Wise- | > or ioolisn, iiutil Uiuoii.it or shrewd man ol me. woiid. j , the Parisian votes according to his opinions. Tin- j | ballot-box which afiords little protection i" rural j , districts, is scarcely thought ul" in the capital :is a ' . Bafe guurd ; lor, except ul'mv timid l:,ti:er:. of lamiiie, j 1 who do llot euro to be ">uul fit," fvuryiiony now suyx | ( ho<>r lio niiftil wte, aod bw.- im ime Toted. tJoiibb- { 1

quently, Paris may be held to represent free public opinion in France, and though ]>rovincials may have a vague id™ that people in Parisan n.-verconteinledand oppose every Government as a diversion to th"ir | monotony, yet, when d.-ft-nts comic one aft-r tin- ; other, a wisender will do w.-ll n.tto .iisivgaidlhi'in. : I Hut so lar Iroin the French Gv -: ii;m-iit purine ' a prudent curse before on.-ofl!:i >..- contests, it seems ! inspired by some evil -renins to rwinnit so;.; •' ' ! which iiiJikc.-JdcliMiini-vit.-Mi-. M. Tiuer-i ti -iumphi -d ; ! the otlier day, chietly 1-crMise tin- Mini.-t. r of tin- ■ ! Interim-would iu,t kt him ..!.-m , .•indiiowtwoii.cn I genius :ni;ici-1.-i.n'y !■„•..;,.,:. v>: i..-i!;yi. ...... 'i-'yi'i.- [ jiri'ii.istiTi'i.s 'leiiavi.iiii- of thu i'rc.v. l •■!' P-'lio-. '■ j G-ii-iiii-r I'-y.res, o;.u of tb- pioinin \A mi-n of 184 S. »MS ;i c.-in.iiu..:.- ior t!..- liiiii di-lri. I. ilj desin-d !■> ; hold a i:,,-.'.iiur of hi,, lil.:uN. Now, V.u- law «it'.i i respect tu mceiinsrs in France is, ;.n m:ry It supposed, very elastic. They cannot be held withor.l an ,, .. |i--izaiion, which is ii'itcrprelcd stmietiiin.'S tluil perfusion ir.ns! lie jiiwiously obtained, and somi-iim.-s' that a prohibition must be immediately ob,y.-.1. Tin conspiiuence is ihjit when a mectiny: is in favour of a Government candidate nothing issnid: nor i.> an < ipposltiou candidate who has no'chance lik.-ly to be interfered Willi if he assembles his friends: but win n the candidate is on ill,- wn,n- side, and also likely t-- j make that side victorious, then one of the many ex- ; cusi's for pilttinira Moptu the jirocei-.lings is tn-tsiiiily found. Garni.-r l'ayrs was su.-li an :nlv.-rsaiv. He was a danger.nis caiulidat.- for :i Paris >-..nstil u- | eney, and was likely to run a .lose ra.-.- with any (!..- | verninent nominee. He requesti d permission to have j u meeting of Ill's friends in his own house in the rue St. Roch. The Prefect -f Police isscnt.-d, mi the j condition that none should be present who had not received an invitation. This was a-n-.-d to ; the letters were sent out, and those who attended showed them at the door as if they were entering a theatre. But in the meantime the Prefect of Folic- appears to have repented of his concession, lie ha.llii-st mad.an objection that the letters w.-iv n"t signed, and then fiesh ones were sent out witli this omission rectified. "When the guests jt.-seinbli-d it was evident that the polite had taken extraordinary precautions. Some SO or <J0 agents of police were drawn uji iu the street, and closed the approaches to llu-.lionse. In a few minutes all doulif was at an i-nd. Two c.imnii.saries of police made theiranpeaiaiucand commanded j theineotiuif todisp.-r.-e—iiiu-of them, it ajipears, in a | rudo manner. M.(iarnicr Pages at ouci- n-tiucsted | his friends to withdraw, and the next day sought an explanation from the Prefect of Police, but no explanation was to be had except that 2(111 persons were too many for mi KWton.l Committee. Siicii is the incident which has kept Paris in commotion during the last week. It is an old observation that the anger of the multitude is not caused so much by great wrongs as bv pettv .-lights and insults which mortify each man's self-esteem. Kvc-ry Parisian ik-etoi- felt on this occasion that h<? was "humiliated in the persons of those gentlemen who were iirnominion.-lv ordered out of n private hmise and rcccivi-d in rtv street by :i posse of police Tt is thus that foolish officials make government dilficult, and undue imporl- ! ancetn those wh.-m thi-y oppose, and teacli th<- peopl.to believe that tho yoke of power is heavier than it really is. In such proceedings i: is hard to l.eliow that the Kmperor and the moic st-nsililc of liis advisers have any share. A rul.-r who has the canieity to direct the mo>t impoitant concerns r.f tin- 'w. .riil i> hardly likely to order an absurd a. t of authority of which the only result must be to make sure the i-.'o.■-tion of the candidate who opposed his Government. In this incident we rather μ-c the in. on.-idi-nite zeal of subordinates to whom !h-ir chi.-fleaves m.-.ti.-is ol home administration, while !■..- i.-. cni.-:ip-d in tlio-e fliecriis of war and diplomacy to which French traditions give so much importance.— 77,/«-.i, 21.-t March. * I