JET. 40.] STATE OF FRANCE. 327 



of the most ordinary description having any influence 

 that is, commanding a few votes were invited to 

 dine with M. Decazes and the others by dozens ; and 

 inferior persons fed the lower voters and their friends. 

 Gross instances of bribery are mentioned, and will be 

 complained of at the meeting of the Chambers ; but I 

 mention the matter rather to show that there are good 

 symptoms of the importance attached to the election 

 by the court as well as the inhabitants generally. 

 The three Opposition members chosen are, it is true, 

 bankers; and no doubt their money, and still more 

 their influence among tradesmen and other mercantile 

 people, insured their return. But Manuel (a very 

 clever man, and most hateful to the Eoyalists) had 

 a great support; and even Constant and Lafayette 

 (whom the court made the chief run at) polled 3000 

 and 2500, or thereabouts. Lafitte lent them his sup- 

 port, I am aware ; but it is no small thing that any 

 influence should prevail so far against the court on a 

 question so personally offensive as Lafayette's election. 

 I cannot regret the Opposition having lost those three, 

 especially Constant and Lafayette, for it would have 

 been too great a victory to have done real good. The 

 panic of the court was at its height the second day, 

 when there was a chance of their return, and it gave 

 rise to a degree of violence not to be described. They 

 tried to make some disturbance at the places of bal- 

 loting, that they might have a pretext for calling in 

 the gendarmerie and declaring the elections null. 

 This was prevented by the warning the others had of 

 it, and their resolution to bear everything rather than 

 make the least noise. Then the Eoyalists spoke of 

 nothing but repealing the law of election (to which 



