The elections for Councils-General in France have not very materially
altered the relative position of the two parties. The -elections of Sunday show the return of 847 Republicans, and 411 Conservatives or Reactionaries, showing a net loss of 2 seats to the Republicans. But as 177 seats will be determined by the second ballots of Sunday next, it may yet turn out either that the Republicans have gained or that they have lost ground by the new elections. The party struggle in France is very severe, but though the Republicans are now making immense efforts, they are certainly not making much progress. The unfortunate expulsicn of the Princes, and the evidence of timidity which that -expulsion has published to France, will certainly injure them in the long-run. When a popular cause has triumphed for sixteen years, and then begins to tremble for itself, and to take vindic- tive precautions against its enemies, we may fairly conclude that that cause is conscious that it is not gaining, but losing ground with the people.
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