The Ministry, enraged by their defeat, made on Wednesday a
'desperate attempt to upset the whole proceeding. M. Paris pro- goosed to nullify the ballot, on the ground that many Deputies Toted for lists handed to them in envelopes, and without reading -.them. M. Gambetta declared that his adversaries had done the same, and after a grand scene, during which the President, the Duke d'Audiffret-Pasquier, called the Premier severely to .order for interrupting M. Gambetta, the Assembly affirmed the validity of the elections by 334 to 321. All the Ministers, except M. Dufaure and M. L6on Say, voted an the minority, and M. Gambetta was so irritated by what be considered unfairness, that he struck the Duc Decazes, General de Cissey, and M. de Gontaut-Biron, the able Ambas- asador of France at Berlin, out of his list. It is probable that General de Cissey, who is wanted in the Senate, will be replaced. It will be remembered that the total number of the Senate is 300, the other 225 being elected by the Councils-General and the dele- gates of the Municipalities, voting together.
