NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE interest of the week has centred on the French elections. They come off to-morrow, and each party professes perfect ,confidence in the result. M. Gambetta has again repeated that he expects, as the result of careful calculation, that the Republicans will number 400, while the Ministry of the Interior give out that the Government are sure of a majority of fifteen. In the latter ,case the Legitimists would hold the balance of power. A great deal depends upon the chance that the large proportion of electors who always abstain may be interested enough to vote, and some- thing upon the state of the weather, heavy rain being decidedly favourable to the official side, which exercises a more direct pres- sure on its friends, but as yet all the indications are in favour of the Republicans, who are supported for the first time by the well-to-do bourgeoisie. There is a suspicion abroad that foul- play may be resorted to, but as no Prefect is certain how the matter will go, each Prefect will be afraid of the legal punish- ment which the victorious Republicans would certainly inflict. It is more probable that the laws will be strained, but that they will mot be broken. The Ministry will know the approximate result by Monday, but the public not till Wednesday, and even then the second ballots will have to be taken.
