104 EMPLOYMENT OF THE PLEBISCITE [^402 



ference to meet once more at Paris, the Commission itself 

 had apparently no authority to concern itself with the 

 actual process of the voting.^" Turkey and Austria, with 

 the support of England, centered their obstructive efforts on 

 Moldavia, the smaller of the two countries, where the de- 

 sired result seemed easier of accomplishment. The descrip- 

 tion of the election in Moldavia, as given by Jorga and 

 Mano, shows that the Austro-Turkish-English plan suc- 

 ceeded only too well. The freedom of the press was cur- 

 tailed. Communication by water and by telegraph was 

 interrupted. Intimidations and arrests were not infrequent. 

 Voters favorable to unification were excluded from the 

 election lists.^^ According to Thouvenel, " nine-tenths of 

 the population were deprived of their right to vote."" 

 Those of an independent mind, who were left on the lists, 

 disdained to register their vote under such humiliating con- 

 ditions, and thus the election of July, 1857, brought forth 

 an anti-nationalist and anti-fusion Divan.^^ 



Napoleon at once demanded the annulment of these 

 elections. Turkey, however, yielded to this request only 

 when the Emperor of the French had secured the support 

 of Russia and, at a meeting with the Queen of England 

 at Osborne, had overcome the English opposition.'* New 

 elections were finally granted by the Sultan, since at Os- 

 borne, France and England had consented to limit the 

 extent of the future unity of the Principalities to the 

 "Union des rapports militaires, financiers at judiciaires."'' 

 This time the provisional government in Moldavia changed 

 its attitude. The electoral lists were revised, and with these 

 new lists the elections were held without illegal interfer- 

 ence on the part of the antagonistic alien forces. " The 

 Moldavian Divan convened the 4th of October [Sept. 22], 



«° Article 25 of the Treaty; Mano, pp. 88, 102-103. 

 "1 Mano, pp. 97-98, 103-106. 



32 V. Tliouvcnel, Trois annecs de la question d'Orient, Paris, 1897, 

 p. no, quoted by Mano, p. 106. 

 8^ Jorsa, p. 307; Mano, p. 107. 

 8* Jorga, p. 307; Mano, pp. 108-111. 

 85 Ibid. 



